3 ms·
You have to be able to transfer consciousness into a new empty brain. 80 year old brain in a 29 year old shell is still going to get strokes and Alzheimer’s
by wombatpm 5y ago
You have to be able to transfer consciousness into a new empty brain. 80 year old brain in a 29 year old shell is still going to get strokes and Alzheimer’s
- echelon 5y agoNuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage, buildup of intracellular and extracellular damage, inflammation, a dysfunctional metabolism, etc. are all implicated in aging. This would remove at least two of those from the equation. It's unclear what the restorative impact of a younger circulatory and immune system would be. Older cells may undergo elevated clearance and be regenerated. We could develop drugs that target telomere loss. Cell turnover could fix more. CRISPR for the most common gene breakages. Instead of saying we can't, say maybe we can. Even if we couldn't use brainless cloned humans to immediately increase lifespans, we could have a nearly limitless supply of organs, tissues, blood, etc. It would also function as the best medical research platform in the world.
- tjpnz 5y agoStrokes aren't inevitable in everyone. We can already tell which lifestyle factors are likely to result in one, and correct them should the person be willing. Alzheimer’s is trickier but recent research has shown promise, finding potential environmental links for instance. Preserving the brain is preferable to consciousness transfers, unless you're looking for functional immortality.