# cecil's mortality **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2000, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108 "2000-09-14T01:55:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Togepi\_no\_Miko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Togepi\_no\_Miko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Togepi_no_Miko)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/1 "2000-09-14T01:55:21Z")
What will happen when the inevitable happens and Cecil dies? Will the science board crew take over? Is there a Cecil Jr., in training to take over ala heloise and her daughter? Will Ed Zotti attempt to fill the great Cecil’s shoes? I must know! P.S. Cecil, you would be missed terribly. ---
**Author:** ![sk8rixtx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@sk8rixtx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sk8rixtx)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/2 "2000-09-14T01:58:50Z")
Maybe we shouldn’t try to think about that now. I just got a little teary eyed. ---
**Author:** ![tomas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tomas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomas)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/3 "2000-09-14T02:01:31Z")
I don’t think Cecil really exists. He is really an old man behind a curtain pulling levers and operating the Cecil machine. Someday a little dog will pull back the curtain and… hold it, that was a movie I saw once, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/4 "2000-09-14T02:45:18Z")
Never ever ever say that… Cecil is my Santa Claus… okay, bad example. He exists! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/5 "2000-09-14T02:56:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Togepi no Miko \* > \*\*What will happen when the inevitable happens and Cecil dies? \*\* I’m assuming that **Ed** and **TubaDiva** will Skilsaw open the cranium, lift out the gray matter, and plop it into the tub of nutrients that’s been standing ready since 1994. When the carefully-designed hookups are put into place, **Cecil’s Brain** will be able to operate a word-processor, do Internet research, smoke Turkish cigarettes, and pinch the coffee girl. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/6 "2000-09-14T03:18:39Z")
Have no fear, A piece of Cecil’s DNA was has been preserved since the late 70’s. There are already several exact Cecil clones entering high school, ready to grab the torch should Cecil be the victim of some unfortunate accident(Cecil has obviously found the answer to the problem of his own mortality, and would never die of natural causes) ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/7 "2000-09-14T11:40:04Z")
Whew, Wolfman, thanks for clarifying. Now I can finally get some sleep. Jess – worrying about Cecil’s mortality since 1981 ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/8 "2000-09-14T13:31:07Z")
Cecil has already invented a neural net computer that is ready to receive his consciousness. Like a Max Headroom cowboy, he will then roam the internet fighting ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/9 "2000-09-14T15:47:53Z")
Cecil is pure intellect and, as such, has no corporeal body to fall ill or die. Cecil does need a scribe to transmit his thoughts to so they can be written. Of course the power of his intellect is such that Cecil’s thoughts can burn out the neural pathways of his scribe, which means we should make damn sure there are backups in training for Little Ed’s role. ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/10 "2000-09-14T17:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\*Of course the power of his intellect is such that Cecil’s thoughts can burn out the neural pathways of his scribe, which means we should make damn sure there are backups in training for Little Ed’s role. \*\* Much like Monty Python’s “Funniest Joke”, Cecil requires a team of scribes, each of whom are only tasked with a word or two. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-mortality/33108/11 "2000-09-14T19:24:31Z")
I’ve always thought of Cecil Adams as being like Tinkerbell in _Peter Pan_. As long as we clap our hands and yell “We believe in you, Unca Cece!” (plus continue to buy his books by the gross), Cecil will thrive.