- they're not copies of us people - don't let anyone get away with that. An identical twin is a natural 'clone' born at the same time and, usually, raised under similar circumstances - yet both people are individuals. If you were to be cloned, your clone would be similar to your identical twin, only they would start as a baby, have their own experiences, memories, and education, and ideas. They would not be you. They would be their own person.
Perhaps some day, we could make a copy of the current configuration of your mind and transfer it to your clone - but, even then, as soon as the transfer was complete, that person would begin to diverge in their identity from you. Do you think I'm wrong? I'm all ears.
Perpetual Motion and Energy Transfer - not a huge number of real possibilities there. Energy is lost in almost any productive system (engine, machine, etc.). I saw a video on a car that runs on pressurized air. That is what turned the wheels. But the air had to be pressurized using more energy than it could give to the turning of the cars wheels. So, while this might be a cool alternative to a battery or gas tank, first - it pollutes as much as whatever is used to compress it pollutes and, unlike the weird little tag on the end of the video, just because you can compress air using compressed air, doesn't mean you can drive the car forever.
What might approach perpetual motion (or lossless energy storage and release)? High temperature superconductors? What?
Clean Coal and Carbon Sequestration - the idea that we could create clean coal power plants by extracting the carbon dioxide (and carbon monoxide) and scrub all the other toxins out without polluting the ground water or risking a massive release of sequestered carbon AND do it more cheaply than building a system of solar and wind powered next generation power grid seems sketchy to me. I have similar feelings about atomic and tar sand petroleum.
Let me know if you disagree and help me understand the cost benefit analysis v. just going with renewables.
Reply to this or add your own. Misinformation, poorly understood concepts, myths, ethical issues, potential unintended consequences ... why shouldn't we rush to the next big thing? I'd like to see plenty of this type of information and discussion being approached here. What and How are great questions - but so are When, Where, Why and for Whom.