CNN reports scientists are close to extracting Leonardo da Vinci's DNA from paintings and other items he touched:
"Artist, inventor and anatomist Leonardo da Vinci was the definition of a Renaissance man - and scientists are aiming to unlock the secrets of his genius on a genetic level. But more than 500 years after his death in 1519, it has proved virtually impossible. He never had children, and his grave site in France was destroyed during the French Revolution. Scientists participating in the Leonardo da Vinci Project have taken an inventive approach: sampling his artifacts for DNA."
Long story short, they've developed new techniques that allow them to extract DNA from items used or worn by people long ago. The more they work at it, the better they get at reaching further and further back. Soon, they'll have the complete genome of da Vinci, with which they hope to understand and replicate his genius.
My reaction:
If you have an organism's full genetic code, you can clone it. This has been done with microbes, plants, fungi, and more recently, animals... even mammals. First it was sheep. In 2018 scientists cloned monkeys. Human cloning has been made illegal in many countries, but some countries (and some scientists) have vowed to continue experimenting. Very few believe it isn't possible. Many believe it has already been achieved in secret.
In any case, put that together with this news story, and now we're months away from being able to clone Leonardo da Vinci.
And any other famous person who lived in the past several hundred years.
And my grandmother, whose DNA is surely retrievable from the blankets, clothing, household items, family heirlooms, and other stuff she left behind. And probably old uncle Jerry, too... but maybe we'll just leave him alone...
Point being, we can (maybe not legally or morally, but we can) already "bring back" pretty much anyone (human or otherwise) who lived since the 1800s. After just 10 years, they've made breakthroughs in leaps and bounds, and now using artificial intelligence, rapidly gaining the ability to reach back further into the past.
When I say "bring back", I'm talking about their physical living body. As far as I know, that would also bring back their personality, quirks, likes and dislikes, behaviour, etc. What it wouldn't bring back is any memories they made during their previous life.
Which might be for the better. After all, grandma was "ready to go" at the end of her life. If I brought her back, memories intact, she might have a stern word or two for me! But then again, one of the main reasons she was "ready" was that her body was failing her, and life had become unpleasant. With a new body, maybe she'd be happier than ever before? Who knows.
Davinci died over 5 centuries ago, but we're getting close to obtaining his DNA. If the techniques are reaching further back all the time, it won't be long before they can collect samples from 20 centuries ago - the Shroud of Turin, pieces of the original cross, or some ancient scroll... and resurrect Jesus. Would he grow into a man with supernatural powers and a direct connection to the Creator of the universe? Did the Son of God have special genetics, or was he just a mix of Joseph and Mary? Perhaps we'll soon find out, although I think a few groups are going to have objections.
Who really owns DNA? Is there such thing as privacy once you're dead? Or after you die, is your DNA fair game to be collected, analyzed, and used? After all, Leondaro da Vinci isn't being given the option to say "no" to this. Dozens of scientists are working full time to piece it together, and then use it to figure out what made him unique. I don't hear anyone standing up in his defense, or any talk of his rights. He's gone, and he can't stop us... so apparently it's a mad rush to see who can reassemble his genome fastest.
Imagine the 3-letter-agencies, with all their clandestine experiments and technologies, turning their attention to resurrecting certain historical figures? Like Sun Tzu... we could find out why he was so brilliant at military strategy, maybe put some of it to use today. Or Hitler, find out what made him tick, maybe weaponize it for modern use. Maybe they'll raise up someone's deceased loved one use them for nefarious purposes.
To say nothing of our ability to harvest DNA from extinct species, including dinosaurs in much the way they did in the fictious film Jurassic Park. These techniques are making it easier to go further back, and with greater accuracy. We could even bring back extinct microbes, including eradicated diseases. So many possibilities.
Meanwhile, CNN brings up none of that. Just a bit of entertainment value to be gained from the idea of scraping together a famous ancient figure's genetic code. Just something to be aware of, but not think deeply about. And certainly not something to be alarmed about. Not even worthy of a quick blog post. Back to your day, nothing to see here.
DRutter
