Jean Baudrillard - Simulacra and Simulations; John, Chris and Tomer

The main idea in this article is the comparison between "Simulacra" (simularities) and Simulations, the comparison between the real and the "hyper-real", and how these comparisons affect our society.

Baudrillard begins with a story about Borge's map, which , allegedly, covered the whole empire in much detail. Baudrillard states that such a feat would not be possible in this day.
Baudrillard explaines this allegory by comparing "real" and "hyper-real", whereas "hyper-real" is characterized by the inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from fantasy, especially in technologically advanced postmodern cultures like our own.
We live in an era full of advanced simulations.
Baudrillard believes that simulation threatens the difference between the "true" and the "false," the "real" and the "imaginary."
Baudrillard argues that there are four phases of the image: one that reflects a basic reality, one that masks or perverts a basic reality, one that masks the absence of a basic reality, and one that bears no relation to any reality.
Baudrillard discusses these phases, in relation to Religion, Disneyland and Watergate.

Out of all of Baudrillard's examples we found the aspect of "simulating god" to be most interesting:
Baudrigard asks about the posibility of god being simulated. In our opinion this brings up the question of a simulation that is not of god, per se, but creation, in regards to technological advancements achieved with cloning.
Cloning gives man the ability to "simulate" god, with all the philosophical problems that arise therof.
This in turn raises the question, if a "simulated" human being is as real as a naturally born one.
If not, is the cloned a simulation of the real?

"an image always kills the truth, for the image can never represent the truth in its entirety."

If we adhere to this quote from Baudrillard, then a simulation can never be the same as the real thing.
Is this truely the case? or can technological advancements blur the line between "real" and "hyper-real" to a point beyond recognition?
Can a simulation fully represent the truth? Is it possible for us to reach a state of technological advancement full of simulation, where one cannot tell truth from simulation?