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ladyshadowdrakevia http://ift.tt/2pkRNdE:
ignescent:
lightshadowverisimilitude:
writing-prompt-s:
It’s that old cliche again. You and your evil clone are cornered by your best friend with a gun, who asks you questions to find the real one. The problem: you have an absolutely terrible memory.
Except BFF would know you have a terrible memory, so the evil clone is in deep shit when they answer every question perfectly.
This implies that cloning changed morality but improves memory? I feel like that should be one of those button memes…
I’ve seen a few people make comments that your clone would have the same crappy memory that you have as well, so a breakdown:
A.) How did the “cloning” happen?
Was the clone “grown” out of a test-tube? And if so, how did the clone age? Have they been aging at a normal rate from the time you were born, stuck in a lab somewhere? If that’s the case, how do they have your memories at all? Were they given to the clone in some kind of psuedo science and/or magical way? Has the clone been sitting in a cell/lab somewhere, watching your life on TV? Any or all of these factors will of course the change the way the clone interacts with and recalls memories. (Not to mention the environmental factors that shape physical appearance, but that’s not on the table at the moment).
Was the clone’s growth accelerated once again by way of hand-wave magic/”science” and they’re actually only 2 days (or whatever) old? Again, how did they come by your memories?
Also (I am in a genetics unit of a biology class so I am not an expert, but -) Genetic mistakes happen during DNA replication. Just because your clone started out with your same genetic code, and maybe ended up looking just like (or almost just like you), this doesn’t mean that they are 100% identical, genetically speaking. You develop mutations in your code as you go through life just as a result of replication errors, which may not be in your clone’s DNA - alternately, they could have ended up with a mutation during their own developmental process. So even if your forgetfulness is genetic, there is no guarantee that your clone would have the same genetic forgetfulness.
Finally - Did this “cloning” happen by way of (as is most common in fantasy/sci-fi storylines referenced by the “cliche”) a shapeshifter has taken on your form, some kind of magic or “science” has transformed another person to just look like you, or your clone is an alternate universe you? In which case they might not share your genetics at all, and their memory retention would be impacted by completely different environmental factors than yours.
B.) What is the cause of your own terrible memory?
Memory retention is not necessarily genetic - in fact, in a young/younger person, the issues with your memory are far more likely to be environmental rather than medical. Common causes of forgetfulness would be things like lack of sleep, anxiety/stress, depression, under-active thyroid, alcohol, drug, or medication use. In short, unless you’re elderly and/or have a neurological issue that has caused your crappy memory, your clone will most likely not have the same cocktail of environmental issues that causes you to forget dates and names.
C.) As a note to ignescent’s point (“changed morality but improves memory”) - the fact that your clone is “evil” just goes to show that they’ve already lived a different life, and had different experiences that impacted their personality/morality.
ignescent:
lightshadowverisimilitude:
writing-prompt-s:
It’s that old cliche again. You and your evil clone are cornered by your best friend with a gun, who asks you questions to find the real one. The problem: you have an absolutely terrible memory.
Except BFF would know you have a terrible memory, so the evil clone is in deep shit when they answer every question perfectly.
This implies that cloning changed morality but improves memory? I feel like that should be one of those button memes…
I’ve seen a few people make comments that your clone would have the same crappy memory that you have as well, so a breakdown:
A.) How did the “cloning” happen?
Was the clone “grown” out of a test-tube? And if so, how did the clone age? Have they been aging at a normal rate from the time you were born, stuck in a lab somewhere? If that’s the case, how do they have your memories at all? Were they given to the clone in some kind of psuedo science and/or magical way? Has the clone been sitting in a cell/lab somewhere, watching your life on TV? Any or all of these factors will of course the change the way the clone interacts with and recalls memories. (Not to mention the environmental factors that shape physical appearance, but that’s not on the table at the moment).
Was the clone’s growth accelerated once again by way of hand-wave magic/”science” and they’re actually only 2 days (or whatever) old? Again, how did they come by your memories?
Also (I am in a genetics unit of a biology class so I am not an expert, but -) Genetic mistakes happen during DNA replication. Just because your clone started out with your same genetic code, and maybe ended up looking just like (or almost just like you), this doesn’t mean that they are 100% identical, genetically speaking. You develop mutations in your code as you go through life just as a result of replication errors, which may not be in your clone’s DNA - alternately, they could have ended up with a mutation during their own developmental process. So even if your forgetfulness is genetic, there is no guarantee that your clone would have the same genetic forgetfulness.
Finally - Did this “cloning” happen by way of (as is most common in fantasy/sci-fi storylines referenced by the “cliche”) a shapeshifter has taken on your form, some kind of magic or “science” has transformed another person to just look like you, or your clone is an alternate universe you? In which case they might not share your genetics at all, and their memory retention would be impacted by completely different environmental factors than yours.
B.) What is the cause of your own terrible memory?
Memory retention is not necessarily genetic - in fact, in a young/younger person, the issues with your memory are far more likely to be environmental rather than medical. Common causes of forgetfulness would be things like lack of sleep, anxiety/stress, depression, under-active thyroid, alcohol, drug, or medication use. In short, unless you’re elderly and/or have a neurological issue that has caused your crappy memory, your clone will most likely not have the same cocktail of environmental issues that causes you to forget dates and names.
C.) As a note to ignescent’s point (“changed morality but improves memory”) - the fact that your clone is “evil” just goes to show that they’ve already lived a different life, and had different experiences that impacted their personality/morality.
