Every cell in the body is replaced within 7 years so technically every cell in your brain is not one you've had from birth (I'm guessing your over 7). Which means that you are no longer the original you. Holy ****. There have been arguments that there is no way to effectively transfer the human conscious to a computer, only copy it. Well what if it was possible that these cells were replaced with some sort of artificial cell so that eventually your head is now a computer. (I understand this is years away.) So yes it sort of is just a copy of your brain, but your brain has been copied over and over again without you ever knowing it. I mean it takes years and is done bit by bit, but still you've been copied. And damnit I hope that we can do the idea above in my lifetime.
I don't believe that this universe (I say this universe because if there are infinite alternate universes then there is one) is controlled by a flying spagetti monster (although I have seen more of HIM in trees and stuff recently) or a god. Ok that's fine anyone else?
God damn it don't you understand! This means that we could replace parts of the brain with a computer (it doesn't have to be individual cells so long as it is done in parts) and creating the Matrix minus the whole bio-energy slavery thing.
so what you propose is that we develop artificial cells that are actually mechanical to slowly replace our organic counterparts? where do I sign up?
Would these mechanical cells, built most likely from stem cells, and since being created, can be designed to weild unique traits and/or abilities, have a certain lifespan, and then die along with your other cells that die every 7 years? Because if these cells don't die, then... we can have excess neural cells, making us smarter? Also, on making us live longer - The body still ages and deteriorates. So if you propose replacing cells, tissues, organs, limbs with cybernetic cells,won't that make the current human race just one closer step to Ghost in the Shell where whole bodies are manufactured, and memories are downloaded or preserved within the neural tissue of the brain, and transferred into the new body? In my opinion, that's existance, not living.
That's my reasoning to the whole situation. Mortality defines life in my eyes. If you lack mortality then you lack life. Also you know human kind ( can't say man anymore women get mad ) doesn't even use but what 12% of the brain. So we have all this brain matter that can't be used or accessed. I propose we find ways to use the rest of the brain before we start thinking of replacing it artificially.
Worst. Immortist. Ever. Systematic nanorobotic synthetisation of organic brain synapses is one of the most crazy difficult methods of immortalization. It would not only require perfecting nanorobotic technology but a PERFECT understanding of the human brain. What each piece does, how it works, what to replace it with, whether replacing it a certain way would be destructive e.c.t. The simplest way to become immortal is through gene therapy to augment all internal causes of aging. Telomere's not shortening, cells being generally healthy, DNA strands not breaking, e.c.t. This would possibly be followed by slow inception of robotic parts. However f you believe (as you ought to) that change is a proponent of consciousness, and also believe in mereological essentialist... i'd say the word "depressing" fits nicely. Because the result is that philosophically, the process of living is forcing you to not exist. Edit: This was the first thing I thought of when I saw your post, but forgot to add. That whole "7 year cell" thing is crap. There's no exact timeline on when cells die, and some cell types replace themselves quickly, some slowly, others NOT AT ALL.
agreed, that isn't life, but I sure as hell dont want to die until I can understand most of the worlds past... or die and a zombie outbreak. But yes, replacing our bodies as a whole is what i was thinking when he brought the topic up, I dont think I'd want my whole body replaced... maybe parts but not all of me.
I'm sorry if my information was wrong about cells dying, I was just going by what I knew. As for the nano-cell idea, I know we are not even close to understanding the brain at that high a level and that nano tech is also far ahead of us. It's just an idea.
You don't have to defend your post by saying it's "just an idea". An idea can be profound and life-changing, it's just that, naturally, people are skeptic to out there and new-worldy ideas. As for your idea, I personally believe the memories, ideas, concepts, thoughts, whatever is transferred throughout your brain through the scientific evidence of neurons passing energy through one another. If we have advanced our knowledge of the human mind enough to the point where we can create nanocells that can transmit and pass along that information, then a world which you described will be possible. I don't say it's certain, hell, it doesn't even seem probable (what, with 2012 cutting us short, lol). But ideas aren't bound by the limitations of today, only by the imagination.
No the problem is that now I've come across info that says brain cells are not replaced, which throughs my theory of "we are not ourselves so let's be machines" off. If however brain cells are all replaced then I think i'm right but I simply don't know. I'm going to go find a biologist v
yeah i was under the impression that we are born with all of the brain cells we will ever have, and if you lose them they are not replaced like most other cells in the body. i could be wrong though.
I thought you develop more brain cells as you age, but after that development period your body cannot replace any more.
im pretty sure that they naturally replace themselves but if we kill them then those are lost for good... ie. breathing excessive amounts of helium.
nerve cells are all basically irreplaceable from my knowledge. it's why you become paralyzed for life if you get a spinal cord injury and all brain damage is permanent, you don't grow new ones. it's why STEM cell research is so important, to replicate the growth of irreplaceable things during development. this whole idea(though wrong) is all science fiction if you ask me. it's cool, but is nowhere close to possible. The human race probably wont last long enough for this to EVER be possible actually. That's my take on it. but you never know, IBM's Cat-Brain Breakthrough - Forbes.com