# Top 10:Historical Figures you'd clone today, and why. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 13, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351 "2003-09-13T05:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sphinx1600](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sphinx1600](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sphinx1600)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/1 "2003-09-13T05:01:49Z")
I’m doing research for a story, and would love to hear whom everyone picks, and what they could contribute to an approximation of present-day (+/-20 years) society. My personal list -Ramses II -Leonardo DaVinci -Alexander the Great -Sir Isaac Newton -Sun Tzu -Adam Smith -Johannes Kepler -Benjamin Franklin -Misamoto Musashi(?) -Cicero(?) etc. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/2 "2003-09-13T05:53:52Z")
I could not imagine resurrecting any of those persons to make positive developments in the next 20+ years, except Newton, who come back and say, “Shut the Fuck up and Learn Basic Physics!” just my opinon. A the Great might be kind of cool as the bass player in a punk rock band, if he had the patience. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/3 "2003-09-13T06:35:40Z")
> [@](#): > > I could not imagine resurrecting any of those persons to make positive developments in the next 20+ years, except Newton, who come back and say, “Shut the Fuck up and Learn Basic Physics!” [According to Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_208.html), at any rate, physics was far from Newton’s main pursuit. On the other hand, I’m not sure he’d be happy about that much of his stuff has been discarded. ---
**Author:** ![Sine\_Nomen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@Sine\_Nomen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sine_Nomen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/4 "2003-09-13T07:10:16Z")
Malcom X Jesus Siddhartha Gautama Muhammad Gandhi MLK jr (maybe you see where I’m going with this) ---
**Author:** ![Sine\_Nomen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@Sine\_Nomen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sine_Nomen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/5 "2003-09-13T07:12:19Z")
Malcolm X, rather… I can’t be expected to spell properly at 3:30 am ---
**Author:** ![Rayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/6 "2003-09-13T07:26:14Z")
Miles Davis Jerry Garcia Ludwig von Beethoven Charlie Parker Robert Johnson Art Blakey Scott LaFaro … Make greatest music of all time. Sweet. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/7 "2003-09-13T07:30:55Z")
I suppose my default answer to the OP would always be Abe Lincoln. Not because he was a good wood chopper 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/8 "2003-09-13T08:02:21Z")
What, no Einstein? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/9 "2003-09-13T09:58:35Z")
Eurocentric, but that’s what I know best: Aristotle (codified logic/rational thinking) Galileo (scientific method/astronomy/basic physics) DaVinci (greatest renaisance inventor/artist) Newton (classical physics) Adam Smith (explained why free markets work best) George Washington (statesman/leader) Jefferson (statesman/political philsopher) Pasteur (medicine) Einstein (modern physics) Edison (greatest modern inventor) ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/10 "2003-09-13T10:24:18Z")
Albert Einstein Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther Kind Jr Charles Darwin (I wouldn’t know what more he’d contribute, though) ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/11 "2003-09-13T10:25:38Z")
:smack: Martin Luther Kin **g** … ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/12 "2003-09-13T11:48:33Z")
Why would you clone any of these people? Cloning doesn’t impart memories, and I don’t think that genetics alone would insure that the cloned baby would grow up to be anybody special. Probably an Einstein look-a-like flipping burgers at McBurgerslut. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/13 "2003-09-13T13:58:40Z")
That’s besides the point; cloned, brought back to life, it doesn’t matter. The idea is which historical figures would have the most impact on our world today. ---
**Author:** ![Mambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@Mambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mambo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/14 "2003-09-13T17:38:10Z")
If we are talking about a direct and immediate impact, I offer the following. In no particular order: Alexander the Great Napoleon Hitler Mohamed Theodore Roosevelt Diocletian Charlemagne Genghis Khan Nebuchednezzar Stalin I think Fox News would stay very busy. My own personal list: 1. Imhotep (He pretty much single-handedly took man out of the Stone Age. If his tomb is found, the modern world could possibly make enormous strides forward in engineering/architecture and possibly medicine). The other 9: MLK St. Anthony Gandhi Mother Theresa David Solomon Benjamin Franklin Leonardo da Vinci Mozart But I could probably name a thousand more figures who deserve to be on such a list. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/15 "2003-09-13T18:42:18Z")
Jesus and Mohammed, to give them a chance to set the record straight on a few issues. In doing so, they could \*\*really \*\*save the world this time (or hasten its demise). Hmmmm, if we can do that, can we “bring back” Osama bin Laden from, say, a nanosecond ago, and make an immediate capture? (And what would happen to the original?) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/16 "2003-09-13T19:38:38Z")
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isaac Newton Albert Einstein Alan Turing Aristotle Charles Dickens Leonardo da Vinci ---
**Author:** ![Ryle\_Dup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ryle\_Dup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryle_Dup)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/17 "2003-09-13T20:26:10Z")
1. Einstein He would love to discuss his unfinished unification theory with Stephen Hawking and Michio Kaku, among others. 1. Newton Telescopes, high powered telescopes. 1. Faraday The father of electromagnetism, would love to introduce him to reality shows 1. Tesla (pre-insanity) Greatest inventor of all time, in my opinion. 1. Leonardo da Vinci Just to ask him whats up with the mona lisa. Then 5 random peasants. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/18 "2003-09-14T01:44:16Z")
1. Tesla - Give him a research team, and some grant money, and then get some working 1920’s style “Death Rays.” 😃 2. Newton 3. Einstein 4. Hesienberg 5. Dirac I would gets these guys to work on a grand unification theory, with some modern physicst to bring them up to speed. ---
**Author:** ![MoronosaurusRex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@MoronosaurusRex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoronosaurusRex)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/19 "2003-09-14T07:43:38Z")
politicians: Golda Meir, Konrad Adenauer scientists : Tesla, Turing, von Neumann, Gauss, Newton inventors: Edison, da Vinci musicians: Bach (curious to see what he’d do with a much greater range of musical instruments and technology) writers : none required I had a tough choice between Meir and Yitzhak Rabin. The sole purpose is to get someone to fix Israel’s Palestinian policy. I don’t know enough about Imhotep, but I’m intrigued by the suggestion. I chose Newton over Einstein since the former looked at data more, which is far more likely to make progress with science today. I apologize for having left out economists, biologists and chemists, but I don’t know those areas. ---
**Author:** ![MoronosaurusRex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@MoronosaurusRex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoronosaurusRex)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351/20 "2003-09-14T07:48:59Z")
Whoops, throw out Bach (leave Adenauer, need him to head the EU) and put in Malcolm X instead. Musical curiosity can be sacrificed for a leader like MX. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-historical-figures-youd-clone-today-and-why/201351.md?page=2)