Friday 8th August 2008

I have been wondering about cloning. If someone were to take the appropriate cells from me and clone them, so that we got another puppy just like me, would it have the same health problems I have or would it be possible to iron those out in the process? It must be odd suddenly finding yourself looking at a younger version of you. Not just one that was like you but one that was in reality actually you. I wonder whether the brain develops differently or whether you end up thinking in much the same way too. I suppose it’s the age old nature versus nurture debate. Would an Alfie clone have the same outlook on life it he grew up in England rather than Belgium for example? I’m seriously thinking I should offer myself to medical research in an attempt to find out. It would be particularly hard to watch the experiment if the cloned you was cleverer than you were, or wittier, although I realise that last point would be hard to believe.

The number of windmills we have seen has not only reminded me of the Netherlands but also made me think that the windmill in the neighbouring village at home is missing something. At an obvious level, it is missing sails, but apart from this it is now a house and is for sale. Wouldn’t it be sensible to put some sails back on it, get it generating its own electricity and sell it based on being ‘green’? Admittedly the view from the lounge window would be obscured every time one of the sails went past, but I can imagine that that could be quite hypnotic after a while.