|
FAQ | Home | Our Mission | Our Services | Contact Genternity | 1. Why would I want to have my DNA or that of a loved one preserved forever? A complete record of your physical self, including every physiological detail, is encoded in your DNA. According to current research, much of your personal psychological profile also resides in your DNA. Thus, within your DNA resides the seed of life from which your identical twin might someday be recovered. As long as your DNA record survives, the possibility exists to restore your exact living duplicate. However, to accept the idea of DNA preservation is not necessarily to favor the idea of eventual replication. Nowadays any mention of DNA preservation invokes questions linked to the possibility of human cloning. Genternity respects the ethical concerns of those who fear the implications of human cloning. Accordingly, as long as these ethical issues remain unresolved, Genternity does not advocate the practice. However, history teaches us that social customs and ethical standards tend to vary widely over the ages. Just as the prevailing views of society were very different in the past, so again they will be very different in the future. Despite the temporary misgivings along the way, humanity always has found a means to accommodate the implications of any major scientific revolution. If the idea of physical immortality appeals to you, Genternity provides the only scientifically feasible means. On the other hand, regardless of how you perceive the idea of physical immortality, to reject the option of DNA preservation is to deliberately decide, once and for all, to discard the individual's unique blueprint. The wisdom of this choice is doubtful as it mirrors only the limited scope of contemporary views and cannot ever again be reversed. Genternity predicts that future generations will embrace the idea of DNA preservation. The basic mission of the funeral services industry will undergo a radical transition from one of disposal to one of preservation. The custom of treating as worthless waste a person's genetic template will someday be regarded as barbaric and unthinkable. 2. What distinguishes Genternity's genetic preservation service from the services offered by other firms in the DNA storage and profiling business? Genternity's primary mission is to serve humanity's interest in immortality. Permanent preservation of DNA records is one aspect of that mission. Other firms offer DNA preservation for a completely different purpose, usually in order to perform DNA profiling for medical reasons. Their period of preservation is limited typically to less than 100 years (50 years in most cases). By contrast, Genternity does not perform any tests or experiments on the DNA samples and Genternity's promise of preservation is eternal. 3. Where are the genetic samples kept and how are they preserved? Initially, the genetic samples will be stored under conditions of extreme low temperature in two locations called "genetic conservatories". Current plans locate Genetic Conservatory I in western Maryland (Genternity Hall I) and Genetic Conservatory II in northern Arizona (Genternity Hall II). Every genetic sample is divided into two sub-samples for storage at both locations. This is done to minimize any chance of damage from natural or man-made hazards. A high level of security is maintained at both sites. Eventually (probably by 2050 AD), all genetic samples will be digitally codified for storage in a permanent electronic archive. The firm GeneticArchive.com LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Genternity LLC, has been established specifically to accomplish this mission. The genomic sequencing service is provided, at no extra cost, as part of your subscription to Genternity's DNA preservation service. 4. What is involved in the process of taking my genetic sample? 5. What are the professional qualifications of Genternity's "field technicians"? Every field technician is a certified phlebotomist, meaning that he or she has received rigorous training and certification in the procedures of extracting, handling and preserving blood samples. 6. Can the genetic sample be taken after the subject has died? Yes. This is considered routine practice. However, the procedure should be performed as soon as possible after the subject has been pronounced dead. Under normal circumstances, up to ten days is considered safe. After ten days, unless the body has been kept in cold storage, a sample can be accepted for preservation only if it tests positive for enough intact DNA. 7. Can I initiate a subscription for someone other than myself? You can initiate a subscription on behalf of any other person, alive or dead, so long as you yourself are willing and able to pay the fee. Genternity regards the subscription as belonging to the person named as the subscriber, which may be different from the person paying the fee. As long as the person named as the subscriber is alive, mature and mentally well, only he or she has the authority to determine if, how and when to utilize the subscription. The person may even decide to cancel the subscription, in which case the fee is not refundable. If the person named as the subscriber is alive but incapacitated, then only a legally valid representative, such as a close relative or caregiver, is authorized to supply biographical data for the memorial website and to authorize the extraction of a genetic sample. If the person is already dead, and if, after due diligence, a legal representative of the person's legacy or estate can be found, then that representative must be consulted before any action can be taken with regard to building a memorial website or submitting any genetic material. If you try to initiate a subscription for someone who is already a registered subscriber, Genternity will alert you to the fact and will decline to accept your application. Genternity does not recommend initiating subscriptions for persons under the age of 25, unless a significant risk of premature death has been identified. 8. Can I initiate a subscription for someone who is deceased? Yes. If the person has been dead for some time, then it may no longer be feasible to obtain a viable genetic sample, in which case, only the memorial website option is recommended. For more information, please read the responses to FAQ #6, 7. 9. Can a subscription designated for one person be transferred to a different person? No. The person designated as the original subscriber retains sole and permanent ownership of the subscription. He or she must either utilize it or cancel it. 10. Can I upgrade my subscription from Option C to Option B, or B to A? You may, at any time, upgrade from Option C to Option B or from Option B to Option A by paying the fee difference between the two options. For instance, currently the fee difference between Option C and Option B is $2500-$500=$2000. 11. Can I initiate a subscription for my pet dog (cat, chimp, lizard, etc.)? No. Genternity does not host subscriptions except on behalf of human subjects. 12. What will become of my genetic sample in the distant future? Within several decades, the genetic samples will be digitally codified for storage in a permanent electronic archive. The physical samples themselves will continue to be held in cold storage until such time as transportation into deep space becomes a routine and inexpensive option. When that time comes, perhaps hundreds or thousands years hence, the physical samples will be transported to a remote orbit of the solar system. Once there, protected by natural temperatures close to absolute zero, they will persist undisturbed for millions of years. 13. How can I be sure that my genetic sample will not someday be used for experimental or evil purposes? Genternity's Constitution prohibits the unauthorized release to any person or entity of any information or physical material belonging to any of its subscribers. Every possible safeguard will be implemented to protect the archives from any threat of abuse. 14. How much control, if any, do I have over what will happen to my genetic sample? As part of your subscription, Genternity provides a detailed questionnaire, called the Record of Intent, through which you can specify what actions, if any, can be performed on your genetic sample. For instance, it is conceivable that someday the means will exist to clone your identical twin from your genetic sample, and that the practice will be considered technically routine and culturally benign. A specific section of the Record of Intent permits you to select this option and to specify the conditions under which you would consent to have it take place. Genternity will see to it that your wishes are fulfilled, cultural conditions permitting. If, for some reason, you decline to complete your Record of Intent, then, by default, it is understood that nothing whatsoever is to be done with your genetic sample. Genternity is committed to safeguarding and preserving the sample ad infinitum. As long as you are alive, you, or your authorized representative, may modify the terms of your Record of Intent. After you die, your Record of Intent is considered immutable for all time. 15. What kind of information can I upload to my memorial website and who will have access to it? Any kind of information that can be transmitted over the internet is acceptable. The information is stored in two categories: public and restricted. Public information is accessible to anyone who visits your memorial website. Restricted information is accessible only to you (password required) and to authorized employees of Genternity. It is up to you to decide which items are to be classified as public and which items are to be classified as restricted. However, Genternity reserves the right to refuse to display for public viewing any items, including hyperlinks, which feature or point to unlawful, vulgar or obscene material. The restricted information is not edited for content except to scan for possible viruses and other malignant executables. Through your Record of Intent you may specify what, if anything, can be done with the restricted information. 16. Why do the preservation services cost so much? Since Genternity's services are new to the public and untested in the marketplace, it is somewhat difficult, at first, to ascribe a monetary value to them. On the one hand, the fees must not be so high as to be unaffordable to the average consumer. On the other hand, the fees must be high enough to reasonably assure that Genternity's operating expenses will continue to be funded into the distant future. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that the cost of the Genternity Funeral Program (Option A) actually is lower than the average cost of a funeral in the USA. See http://www.nfda.org/resources/99gpl.html or http://www.aarp.org/confacts/money/funeral.html. 17. Why does the memorial web-page option cost so much, when I can simply post my web-page elsewhere for free? When you post your web-page somewhere "for free", you should be aware that the arrangement is not intended to be a permanent one. Online communities which feature "free" web-hosting are there mainly to serve as customer bases for the sponsoring companies. Clearly a sponsoring company cannot continue indefinitely to sponsor an online community "for free" if the cost of maintaining the service exceeds the revenue generated by the customer base. By contrast, everything about Genternity is carefully engineered to withstand the test of time. The memorial website fee is commensurate with the projected cost of maintaining the website ad infinitum, long after you pass away. 18. Why should the fee (in the HNW Option) depend on net worth? By virtue of its unique mission, Genternity is in an ideal position to provide a morally responsible contribution to society. Thus Genternity views itself as both a commercial enterprise and a philanthropic organization. For instance, Genternity's services are offered free of charge to all children under the age of fourteen who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. In view of Genternity's unique mission, certain moral principles can be invoked to justify the practice of asking wealthier subscribers to pay higher fees. However, Genternity does not believe in dictating moral principles to anyone. Thus the higher fees are only suggested, not required. On a more practical level, it is clearly in the best interest of all, poor and rich alike, if wealthier subscribers choose to pay the higher fees, since the company's ability to survive into the distant future is contingent upon its financial strength. 19. May I choose to subscribe to the Genternity's services for the regular fee even if my net worth exceeds $1,000,000? The decision is entirely up to you. As a rule, Genternity does not probe into the financial status of its subscribers. However, should you decide to pay the suggested fee in accordance with the net worth formula, our subscriber service representatives can assist you with the calculation. The calculation is based on the net worth figure that you propose. Genternity will not question the figure, nor ask you to justify it. Any income derived from the HNW option in excess of the base fee is designated for the Genternity Foundation. The Genternity Foundation sponsors research in the life sciences and supports certain philanthropic causes, particularly in connection with the welfare of children. 20. Do I have to pay the fee in one big lump sum or is there an alternative? A number of payment options are available. For a small finance charge, the fee can be spread out in equal monthly installments over a period of up to five years. 21. Does GENTERNITY also provide human cloning services? No. Genternity does not possess the means to provide such services. Currently, Genternity's interest in the human cloning hypothesis is limited only to basic research. However, it is not out of the question that someday, perhaps thousands of years in the future, Genternity may adopt an active role in providing or facilitating such services, but not until such time as general cultural conditions are favorable and the requisite methodologies have been perfected. Subscribers interested in this prospect should specify their wishes under the appropriate section of the Record of Intent. 22. In what ways would my genetic twin be identical to me? Your genetic twin would be physically indistinguishable from you. The preponderance of scientific evidence, based on studies of identical twins raised apart, strongly suggests that your genetic twin would manifest much of your basic psychological profile as well. The question of the extent to which your genetic twin would be identical to you in character, intelligence and temperament is at the heart of a famous controversy, known as the "nature versus nurture controversy". 23. Would my genetic twin possess (manifest) the same soul as me? It depends on what you mean by "soul". If by "soul" you mean a certain quality of character distinguished by certain tendencies of behavior such as empathy, generosity, creativity, imagination, intuition, spirituality, aesthetic sensibility and the like, then the answer is probably closer to yes than to no. But if by soul you mean some kind of volitional entity whose attributes supercede the physical realm, then the answer cannot be determined by any set of emperical criteria. 24. Would it be possible to transfer the elements of my personal consciousness (memories, attitudes, etc.) to my genetic twin? More generally, it can asked if the memories and motivations of one person can be transferred to another so that the second person experiences them exactly as if they were his/her own. The prevailing view of science is that any conceivable process is possible so long as the laws of physics are not violated. Unfortunately, at this time, virtually nothing is known about the phenomenon of consciousness and its relation to the observable physics of cerebral functioning. Therefore, perhaps because of our present ignorance, the possibility remains open that sometime in the future the means will be found to accomplish remarkable feats of "psycho-engineering" such as "mind modeling" and "mind uploading". 25. What other activities besides genetic preservation and memorial website hosting is GENTERNITY involved in? Genternity aspires to become the leading global enterprise in the fields of biological and biographical immortality. Genternity aspires to embrace all scientific endeavors which show promise of yielding results in these fields. Thus Genternity is committed to a vigorous program of research and development spanning a variety of special initiatives, including: 1) research on the biology and biochemistry of aging 2) research on the nature of consciousness 3) research aimed at distinguishing the roles of nature versus nurture in shaping specific psychological traits 4) research on artificial intelligence 5) research aimed at developing synthetic models of tissue and artificial organs 6) research on principles and methodologies of genomic mapping and cloning 7) seminal research on emerging ideas and new frontiers such as the concepts of "artificial life", "artificial chromosomes", "mind modeling" and "mind-uploading". Genternity is also deeply committed to specific philanthropic causes, especially in connection with the welfare of children. Through the Genternity Foundation, the company aspires to attain a leading role as a sponsor of research on childhood diseases and childhood mortality. Genternity's ultimate goal, shared by all humanity, is to vanquish mortality to the highest extent possible within the bounds of science and technology. 26. How can I make an investment in GENTERNITY LLC? As a private company, Genternity is not in a position to accept investments from the general public. However, if you are a certified investor, or if you represent an institution, you may wish to direct your inquiries to Inquire@Genternity.com. END FAQ Last updated 01/28/03 |