| Who Wants to Live Forever?As far as
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| | our sense of being. Because of this,
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| anybody knows, humans are the only
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| | swapping one brain for another and
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| animals that have a sense of
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| | disposing of the old one would be
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| mortality. For a very long time -
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| | tantamount to murder and defeat the point
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| presumably ever since we gained this
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| | of
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| awareness of impending death - we have
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| | the whole exercise. On the other hand,
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| speculated about the prospect of
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| | if the brain could not be rejuvenated
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| immortality. Not all cultures wish for
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| | just like the rest of the body, it will
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| immortality. Some religions, perhaps most
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| | die from old age anyway.Brains Rarely
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| religions, would regard any search for
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| | FailThere are various ways of dealing
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| immortality as undesirable. With the
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| | with this issue. It must be remembered
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| greatest respect to those who do not want
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| | that thousands of our brain cells are
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| immortality or do not agree with it, we
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| | dying every day. It is possible for
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| must surely admit that many of us -
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| | new cells to be created, but the rate of
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| including many of religious faith - would
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| | cell death is far greater than cell
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| welcome immortality, or at the very
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| | creation. Whatever the reason, the rate
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| least, a prolonged life.Civilisation
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| | of aggregate brain cell death seems to
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| Produced Old AgeBefore we look at the
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| | grow as we age. That said, it is very
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| ways in which this could be achieved, let
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| | common for the brain to remain in a good
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| us consider
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| | state whilst the rest of the body fails.
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| where we are now. Humans have evolved
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| | When people die of old age, it usually
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| into the dominant species on earth. Fewer
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| | a part of the body - such as the heart -
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| and fewer predators have threatened us
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| | that fails and rarely the brain
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| as we have gained in strength, cunning
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| | itself.ApoptosisWhy do brain cells (or
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| and inventiveness. As a society we have
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| | neurons) die? There are various causes.
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| learned to harness nature to the
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| | They are
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| extent that food can be stored and
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| | certain illnesses, accidents and the use
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| packaged and eaten without the need for
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| | of certain drugs (e.g. alcohol) or
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| all
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| | other environmental toxins. These
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| of us to hunt and gather. Medicines have
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| | factors only play a minor part in brain
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| been developed to counter disease. We
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| | cell
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| have found ways of keeping our water
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| | death. A more common cause is apoptosis.
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| clean for drinking. Many of us can heat
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| | This is where cells effectively commit
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| our
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| | suicide. This process is not fully
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| homes (or even cool them) when
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| | understood but is thought to be necessary
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| necessary, and to a greater or lesser
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| | for
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| extent look
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| | the long term health of the brain. It is
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| after our old as we look after our
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| | thought that cells that are in some way
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| young. We have become civilised.Wear
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| | damaged (for instance their DNA might
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| OutThe phenomenon of old age that
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| | have become scrambled) die before they
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| civilisation has brought to us sets us
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| | can
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| apart
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| | cause damage to the rest of the body. It
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| from other animals. It is virtually
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| | is also thought, however, that apoptosis
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| unheard of to see old age amongst wild
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| | occurs to cells virtually at random. One
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| animals. As we have become civilised our
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| | idea is that, as our body fails certain
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| bodies have not caught up yet. They
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| | neurons are no longer required and
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| were never designed to last for
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| | simply expire rather than use resources.
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| centuries because uncivilised man could
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| | This
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| never
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| | may be a significant theory: our bodies
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| have lasted that long in its wild
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| | wear out: we slow down: less stimuli
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| environment. We die because we wear out
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| | reach the brain: the brain doesn't need
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| - not because we can't feed or look
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| | as many neurons: apoptosis
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| after ourselves. The good news is that we
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| | results.Introducing New CellsPerhaps
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| are catching up. Each generation
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| | apoptosis is the key to the fact that our
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| (usually) lives longer then the one that
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| | brains generally outlive
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| went
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| | the rest of our body. The brain simply
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| before. Many of us are choosing
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| | gets leaner but stays meaner compared to
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| healthier lifestyles that helps to
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| | other body parts that simply cannot shed
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| prolong life.
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| | unwanted or bad cells. So why even
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| But we are still wearing out.Body Part
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| | think of transplanting the brain? There
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| ReplacementScientists and surgeons have
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| | is no reason to replace parts of the
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| become increasingly knowledgeable about
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| | brain because unwanted cells die out
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| transplants of human body parts. The
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| | voluntarily. One idea is simply to
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| problem of rejection is not the barrier
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| | add new cells, prepared with the correct
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| it
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| | DNA structure. With nano technology it
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| once was. With the advent of DNA
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| | would be possible for microscopic robots
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| technology it is possible, in theory at
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| | to enter the body (perhaps through the
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| least,
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| | gut, if taken regularly as a drug) and
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| the "grow" a human body part using the
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| | carry the new cells with them to the
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| DNA blueprint found in just a
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| | brain. It may be possible for a one-off
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| small sample. Putting these two facts
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| | procedure to deposit a culture in the
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| together, there is a real chance that we
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| | body that will act as a brain cell
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| will soon have the means to transplant
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| | reservoir. Nano robots would release new
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| most body parts. In time we could replace
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| | cells at an appropriate rate. In
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| all body parts. Once transplantation is
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| | addition, if limbs were being regularly
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| perfected we would then have the
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| | replaced, the body as a whole would be
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| means to replace worn-out body parts at
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| | quicker and this would undoubtedly result
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| will. We could all have a scan where a
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| | in a lower rate of apoptosis. Oh, and
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| DNA
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| | easy on the alcohol!In our throw-away
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| profile of our bodies was compiled. The
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| | society we may have lost the habit of
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| information in our personal database
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| | replacing parts. The
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| would be used in order to grow our
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| | thing about us humans is that we can't
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| replacement parts. Using micro-surgery
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| | simply be replaced by a new model. We
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| techniques, new parts could be fitted
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| | need to be renovated and renewed
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| every 5 years! Can you imagine it?What
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| | occasionally. Perhaps a few of the things
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| About the Brain?Change as many bits as
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| | we
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| you like, but take the brain away and
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| | buy could get the same treatment. When I
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| then surely the
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| | am not thinking about immortality, I am
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| person no longer exists. Even if it were
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| | promoting Insectocutor Fly Killers. We
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| possible to grow a replacement brain,
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| | are always happy to sell you a new model.
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| how would the information from the old
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| | We also, however, carry a range of spare
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| one - including our very state of
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| | parts. There are some Insectocutor
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| existence and self-image - be
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| | models out there that are over 30 years
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| transferred to the new one? Well, the
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| | old. We are proud to have supplied the
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| brain is
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| | odd spare part when it has been needed.
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| indeed a special case as it holds not
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| | Immortality indeed!
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| only our thoughts and memories but also
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