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RE: Using Technology to Counter Existential Threats
Why not just make all possible combinations for the human genome, this way you don't have to go around and scoop everyone's genome.
Why not just make all possible combinations for the human genome, this way you don't have to go around and scoop everyone's genome.
@pompe72
Well a number of reasons. First off, this isn't about scooping anyone's genome up. This is telling people that they have access right now to their own genome. There are enough existential threats in the world it might be wise to take a backup.
Secondly, not all possible combinations are viable. Why bother with something like that? If continuation beyond the mayfly stage is important to people they can now do it. That wasn't possible before, it is now. But it's up to them to take responsibility for themselves. :D
Yeah what's to stop people then to not only supply their own genomes, but also those of defunked loved ones fron the past? We could possibly reincarnate famous people, Napoleon, Julius Caesar and why not even Jesus if we had the data.
@pompe72
I'm not at all certain that's really a problem. The point is their genetic info would be under their own lock and key meaning it would be assigned to them by them. The point being to disallow anyone else from tampering with it.
If they wanted to extract Jesus's genome from the shroud of turin and reprogram their genome to match him using that as a base reference. I don't think we could stop them or even would want to.
We aren't saying "you are your genome", we are saying that "only you have the right to determine which genome runs on your molecular machinery".
These are vastly different concepts. It's possible this could cause issues later on. I have a suspicion though that radically altering your own genome in order to impersonate someone you are not could have dire consequences.
Then again so does having plastic surgery to look like your favorite TV or Movie star.
Then you're separating your soul (so to speak) from your genome, so I can put my soul into the genome of my cat if I want.
@pompe72
I think it may be possible to put the information that is you into the genome that is your cat. However just like you can't run a program written for an XBone on an NES very well or at all, I have my doubts your software will run on your cat's hardware.