Context Sensitive: In Space, No-One Can Hear You Sleep

Space isn't quite as sexy as Susan Arendt thought it would be, but that's not stopping her from sending a bit of herself to the stars.

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... That was a very interesting read but I'm not quite sure how else to comment. I find the entire venture interesting and mildly creepy in a scientology kinda way. But I suppose comitting ones own DNA to a supposed future society is interesting, personally I wouldn't want my Allergalicious, Short, Astigmatic and Asthmatic DNA anywhere near future humanity.

I'm in at least three minds about this.

1) We're so fearful about giving away our private details but we'll happily pass on our full DNA.

2) Why us? Why not the brilliant minds, greatest politicians etc.?

3) Let's say someone does discover it. Let's say in the future that Susan Arendt 2 is reborn.
When asked, "Why were you put here?"; do you say "I joined an online game", "I fell in love with space" or "I was responsible for some of the greatest literature in the old world. 'Harry Potter' was one of mine."?

All of which I'm sure will be answered many times later on.

I just have this horrible idea of a clone of me looking back down on the Earth and saying "Zarq it, thanks a LOT for wanting to get me cloned, you Terra-nird."

To be fair, no-one will know the DNA is mine, as it - and all DNA on the Immortality Drive - is being submitted anonymously.

Speaking of jetpacks, I hear Warhawk will be getting them soon. There may not be robots or butlers in that, but hey, one can dream.

The_root_of_all_evil:
2) Why us? Why not the brilliant minds, greatest politicians etc.?

When I first heard of the concept (you know there's also a contest for DNA-subjects), my initial thought was: Wait! Shouldn't we put more thought into whose DNA we're sending out there to be the blueprint of humanity?!?

Andraste:

The_root_of_all_evil:
2) Why us? Why not the brilliant minds, greatest politicians etc.?

When I first heard of the concept (you know there's also a contest for DNA-subjects), my initial thought was: Wait! Shouldn't we put more thought into whose DNA we're sending out there to be the blueprint of humanity?!?

Space : The Final Frontier...

These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its 5 year mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life and new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before

Captain's Log : Stardate 124317 : We've arrived on the planet 3-Scapism, a planet designed purely on the DNA logs found in the ancient logs taken into Space back in the year 2010. The year that the Third World War started.

We have run into some initial resistance after Ensign Redshirt asked
"Who is this Freeman anyway?".

Bones will have his work cut out, but I think we can reattach most of his limbs.

I wouldn't have sent my DNA to some nutter if I'd gotten the chance anyway. Creepy. Seriously. That guy...needs to get his head out of the clouds. Maybe this trip to space will be good for him. I can't get over how much a nutter he is.

snuffler:
I wouldn't have sent my DNA to some nutter if I'd gotten the chance anyway. Creepy. Seriously. That guy...needs to get his head out of the clouds. Maybe this trip to space will be good for him. I can't get over how much a nutter he is.

See the happy moron
He doesn't give a damn
I wish I was a moron
My God! Perhaps I am?

The_root_of_all_evil:

snuffler:
I wouldn't have sent my DNA to some nutter if I'd gotten the chance anyway. Creepy. Seriously. That guy...needs to get his head out of the clouds. Maybe this trip to space will be good for him. I can't get over how much a nutter he is.

See the happy moron
He doesn't give a damn
I wish I was a moron
My God! Perhaps I am?

You reaaaaally have to wonder; shouldn't there be a screening process of some kind? I mean, at least so we don't have to come up with a warning sign for spears and fire.

WARNING: THIS FIRE WILL MAKE OTHER FIRES, BURN THINGS, AND GENERATE WARMTH. AND FIRE.

WARNING: THIS SPEAR WILL STAB THINGS. THEY DIE. GET USED TO IT.

Well, at least Susan's DNA will be in the mix, so our distant future-post-apocalypse is safe. Hopefully you have strong genes, my dear.

snuffler:
I wouldn't have sent my DNA to some nutter if I'd gotten the chance anyway. Creepy. Seriously. That guy...needs to get his head out of the clouds. Maybe this trip to space will be good for him. I can't get over how much a nutter he is.

Really? Anytime you "give" a bodily fluid, it already contains or there's potential to shed your DNA into it. Spit for the dentist, swab your cheek for life insurance or the police (the exact same method that SA had to use, btw), semen sample for fertility treatment, donated blood, donated bone marrow, blood typing tests...even pee in a cup for a blood test (depending on what kind of shape you're in or what falls into the cup) can have your DNA in it. It's a fact of life...we're oily critters, not particularly solidly packed together, and we tend to leak. If anyone wants your DNA, there's plenty of it just lying around for them to get. Nothing particularly creepy about donating it for a cause, whether you think the cause is silliness or not.

What's creepy is going through someone's trash for thier used..."personal items" in order to obtain the same thing. You lack perspective.

Pfft I don't care if I don't know people are stealing my DNA, feel free. They're probably less nuts than Richard Garriott. I won't willingly give it to crazy people for ridiculous purposes. My doctors/dentists generally try to help me so they can have whatever they want. My concern lies with sending it to someone who calls himself "General British", who should barely even if at all claim he IS British (see Richard Garriott). That's just weird.

Interesting stuff. If nothing else, I learned that sleeping in space can kill you.

snuffler:
Pfft I don't care if I don't know people are stealing my DNA, feel free. They're probably less nuts than Richard Garriott. I won't willingly give it to crazy people for ridiculous purposes. My doctors/dentists generally try to help me so they can have whatever they want. My concern lies with sending it to someone who calls himself "General British", who should barely even if at all claim he IS British (see Richard Garriott). That's just weird.

He was given the nickname "Lord British" as a kid because he was very polite. So you can't really blame him for that one. Not saying a man who builds himself a castle or two with hidden passages and suchlike isn't a bit looney, but I think it's a mostly harmless kind of looney.

*Heads to St.Petersburg and digs up the DNA of some people worth preserving.

Cyborg Dovstoevsky, Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky; serve me!

If I remember my Chemistry right, Susan, Carbon-Dioxide (CO2) is actually HEAVIER than air and thus trikles DOWN, rather than up. It'll still make you choke in zero-G, though.