this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2026
14 points (71.9% liked)

Ask Science

17609 readers
7 users here now

Ask a science question, get a science answer.

Community Rules

Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.

Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.

Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.

Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.

Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.

Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.

Rule 7: Report violations.Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.

Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.

Rule 9: Source required for answers.Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.

By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.

We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.

For answers to historical questions, please check out our sister community: !askhistorians@lemmy.world

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
sabbah@lemmy.world
AradFort@lemmy.world
ken_cleanairsystems@lemmy.sdf.org
count_of_monte_carlo@lemmy.world
Patnou@lemmy.world
14
Why can't genetic duplication guarantee whether the host will inherit the same personality? (nord.pub)
submitted 3 days ago by NightOps@nord.pub to c/askscience@lemmy.world
14 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The technology for it exists, but even if you managed to extract someone's DNA injecting it onto a new set of stem cells: once the baby is born, the only thing that genetic code is inheriting is the appearance. They would resemble that person by looks only, however what remains a total mystery is: whether he or she'll have the same personality or behavior as that individual. (You won't know until they gotten older).

For example: this dog passed away, then extracting the genes from that carcass now injecting that onto a pregnant dog of the same breed who'll soon give birth to a familiar looking pup but despite it looking similar to the one you knew: why won't it inherit the same behavior or mannerisms as the source gene? Will that dog recognize the dead dog's owner or would it behave like it's someone else's animal?

Genetic duplication sounds "fun" at first but, it comes at a cost:

  • Slated memory (this person looks like someone you knew but they have zero recollection of their life)
  • Varying behavior and traits (they look like someone you knew, although they display different personalities)
  • The consensus is that the first gene holder is dead, a clone won't be considered the same as "original"
  • The family of the deceased considers them dead even if you have a genetic clone of their relative
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] BeatL@pawb.social 2 points 3 days ago

You could even expand on that. DNA is the blueprint (genotype). However you are talking about life, and life will find a way to live to the best of its abilities. Let's dig on that:

  • imagine your original dog lacked some nutrients at some point, it may seem minor, ridiculous even but the expression of some sub-recipe could not activate properly during growth. So the recipe(genotype) was there but did not complete. The result (phenotype) is different.

  • Life is alive. Lots of things are active, well everything. Ex: for black and white cats, the black spots are due to hot spot on the body. So if you shave your cat, cover some area, it will grow black instead of white.

  • Plus you are assuming that the same blueprint, the same conditions give the same results. When replicating cells make mistakes that could radically change behavior, physical appearance, health conditions,etc

The last is more philosophical and less sciency. The more you love a companion, the greater the loss. You regret everything that will be no more. Loss is an expression of the care you gave each other and you still give to each other. It was and is an existence that impacts and affects you.

The pain is so unbearable that it crush to dust the "is it possible to do this" part of your reasoning. It obliterates the "should i do this". And finally it even makes you miss the "should my companion would want that".

It is the thing that i find ugly.The lack of consent. Without consent, There is no care, no love. You love each other so much that even in the absence of the other the effect is so great yet you would disrespect all the things that you have been through, all the lessons and mistakes, all the moments that were precious because they happened once instead of never, all the things you have built together (including yourselfs).

Plus it is a slippery slope. Your companion dumped you (it is a loss!). You clone it, put the same memories, everything in it. You comodified your relationship, your companion. You disrespect their freedom and consent to even leave you.

It dumps you again, those memories of them should be the problem. Do you alter them ? So convenient. Obviously, it is not a relationship but a shitty product, a mere convenience for someone that refuses to grow, to learn.

You could give and receive so much care yet you prefer a farce, a lie where every moment reminds you that those moments are passed and gone. It is not about both of you anymore, it is only about yourself. You have a problem, not a relationship.

I will moderate myself a bit. In all the bits that make us humans you have the fear of pain and loss and the need to control everything. Your way of thinking is not ugly but human. However should you put that into practice in one form or another it will become ugly very fast.

If anyone reading is experiencing such emotions. Take care of yourself, ask for help and share your experience if you are able to. Your relationship is unique. The emotion you experience is a part of human nature.We are not alone.