• Question: If there is only a certain number of ways dna can fit together (even if there are millions of ways) then could there, in the future, be another person exactly like me???!!!

    Asked by stellastar to Cathal, Daphne, Darren, Jon, Katherine on 12 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Daphne Ng

      Daphne Ng answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      Interesting question. In theory, yes. In the far far far (insert infinite number of “fars”) future, if the same combination of genes are put together again, yes, you will get another person who is genetically identical to you. However, since there are billions of combinations, you will probably have to wait a very long time for the same combination to come up again.

      In fact, that is also the concept of parallel universes. Since there are a fixed number of combinations that exist and assuming that the universe is infinite, just by chance alone, there will be another person exactly like you somewhere in the universe. However, we may not be able to access these parallel universes either because they are in another dimension or that they are too far away from Earth.

    • Photo: Darren Logan

      Darren Logan answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      This is a good question. If we are talking in terms of DNA, then there are a few ways you could have someone exactly like you walking about.

      1) As Daphne says, if you waited long enough it could happen by chance (but you would have to wait a loooooong time).
      2) It will be probably be possible to create a clone of you, from your DNA, in the future.
      3) If you have an identical twin, there is already someone walking about with (almost) exactly the same DNA.

      But its important to realise that, even if they have the same DNA, they would not be *exactly* the same as you. If you know any identical twins, you can tell that they are very similar to each other but not completely identical. This is because we are all the combined product of our genes and all our experiences throughout our lives. No one will ever have exactly the same experiences as you, so you are completely and utterly unique.

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