Cloning

It suprises me that we still run into certain forms of debate when discussing cloning.

I still have heard educated people conclude that a clone will "be an exact copy of you with the same thoughts..." Or that clones could be "a sort of time travel device. We take your DNA at age 25, and once you die your clone gets 'born'. Since it would have all of your memories...."

These thoughts come from either some sort of fiction they have read or a misunderstanding of cloning.
A clone can be best thought of as your identical twin. You look the same at birth and start slowly changing as years go on. (Scars, perhaps some 'birthmarks', etc) Like all identical twins you are identical in every original physical respect but mentally?

There is no way for us to "transfer memories" with any developed science. We can't even access them outside of our own head.

Identical twins grow up under extremely similliar stimuli (family, geography, people) Your clone would grow up under NONE of the same conditions you were subjected to. They would be as different as .. anyone else on the planet. We all have parents or some sort of structured childhood yet we are all different in many respects.

I understand that there are other thoughts/objections to cloning. I just found some people who believe that what was stated above will "take away our individuality." Unless those people want to start to ban identical twin births I don't see it as a fully thought out position.