Why cloning anyone – even Jim Carrey – isn’t the best plan ever
Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com Doubling up If the internet is to be believed (it’s not), a growing proportion of celebrities have been replaced by clones. The latest to allegedly have their body snatched is actor Jim Carrey, star of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and other cinematic miracles. Carrey attended the 51st César Awards in Paris on 26 February, his first public appearance for some time, and he looked a bit different compared with before. One might think that this would be attributed to some combination of ageing and cosmetic procedures, but instead, a conspiracy theory formed that the person wasn’t Carrey, but a clone. Whoever is doing all this celebrity body snatching, they are busy: Carrey’s replacement follows those of Paul McCartney (supposedly dead since 1966 and replaced by a stand-in) and Avril Lavigne (allegedly dead since 2003). You would think that, by now, they would have got better at concealing …

