Daniel Zuk, Beatles fan and Edmonton, Alberta-based dentist, has announced a plan to clone John Lennon using DNA from one of Lennon’s teeth. NME reports this.
I may just walk into the ocean.
Zuk bought the tooth for £20,000 in a 2011 auction, because, Jesus Christ, that’s a thing that happened. People got together to sell a piece of bone that was once inside a famous dead person and another person decided to pay a large sum of money for it. That same person has serious plans to clone that dead famous person so that he may live in our world again.
Hey, is anyone trying to clone long-dead rock stars in the ocean? Because that sounds like it might be a good place for me to be.
Here is a thing that Zuk said: “I’m nervous and excited at the possibility we will be able to fully sequence John Lennon’s DNA, very soon I hope. Many Beatles fans remember where they were when they heard John Lennon was shot. I hope they also live to hear the day he got another chance.” Though I’ll admit to knowing little-to-nothing about the process of cloning, I can only imagine that the clone would not retain any of the original person’s memories or experiences, thus negating this Lennon clone’s ability to write songs or perform, skills he learned throughout life. As such, I, too, am excited about the existence of this confused clone who will enter the world with no musical ability, but will be expected to have the same abilities as one of history’s most popular songwriters.
The idea that this may simply be the world’s most expensive prank has dawned on me. The existence of http://www.johnlennontooth.com, a website that uses the phrase “the tooth of the matter” and could well be either the rantings of a madman or a brilliant joke, supports this possibility and soothes me. I’m going fishing.
• John Lennon: http://www.johnlennontooth.com