# Cloning a Human From Their Snot

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 18, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810 "2008-12-18T21:34:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810/1 "2008-12-18T21:34:42Z")

</div>

Can it be done? (At least in theory, I realize human cloning hasn’t been done yet.) Because if so, then my plans to rule the world with an army of Scarlett Johansson clones [just got easier.](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2008/12/18/2008-12-18_ebay_bidding_wars_begin_for_scarlett_joh.html)

> [@](#):
>
> The sexy actress is auctioning off a used tissue on eBay.
> 
> Yes, you read that right. Johansson said on the The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Wednesday she had caught a cold from Samuel L. Jackson while filming – and thought the tissue would make a nice memento for a rabid fan.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810/2 "2008-12-18T21:53:21Z")

</div>

Well, it did once happen to [The Tick](http://www.thetick.ws/car8.html) (a parody of cartoon/comic book superheroes, whose battle cry is “Spoon!” and whose sidekick’s battle cry is “Not in the face, not in the face!”).

A hilarious episode featuring such memorable Tick quotes as:

_So, foul gelatin, you would do battle with the nose of your birth?!_

_I don’t know the meaning of the word surrender! I mean, I know it, I’m not dumb…just not in this context._

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810/3 "2008-12-18T21:54:25Z")

</div>

I would think so in theory. There must be at least a few nasal epithelial cells or blood in the snot. (Plain red blood cells wouldn’t work, because they have no DNA. However, you’re in luck. The blood would have white blood cells in it also.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloning-a-human-from-their-snot/477810/4 "2008-12-18T22:06:10Z")

</div>

If it could be done, I bet they’d be cute little boogers!