Humans die because their organs wear out or problems with them etc etc right? What were to happen if in future we could do transplant for every organ (except the brain), would it extend life? 
Re: Immortality?
Life Expectancy can be extended by different means but every living thing is mortal.
btw, why did you excluded brain from transplant?
Re: Immortality?
Well, over time people's life expectancy has increased due to better nutrition, medication, treatment etc...this means that generally people are living longer than they used to be. However, there has been an increase in diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's because people are living longer (it's interesting that these diseases are associated with the brain) So even if a person is in perfect condiction physically there will always be the issue of mental health. Extending life isn't necessarily a good thing if the person's quality of life is affected.
p.s. In terms of energy...nothing can survive forever. Not even the stars. So, immortality isn't feasible in any future.
Re: Immortality?
if you can make an oldie young again then i'm interested in this topic.
Re: Immortality?
Well, over time people's life expectancy has increased due to better nutrition, medication, treatment etc...this means that generally people are living longer than they used to be. However, there has been an increase in diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's because people are living longer (it's interesting that these diseases are associated with the brain) So even if a person is in perfect condiction physically there will always be the issue of mental health. Extending life isn't necessarily a good thing if the person's quality of life is affected.
p.s. In terms of energy...nothing can survive forever. Not even the stars. So, immortality isn't feasible in any future.
Thanks for throwing my world domination plans in disarray :(
if you can make an oldie young again then i'm interested in this topic.
So you admit you're an oldie? :D
Re: Immortality?
So you admit you're an oldie? :D
Britishers always plan for years ahead :)
Re: Immortality?
This is what Stem Cells are all about. The basic theory is that if cells can be made once, in the fetus, they can be made again. It's really picking speed nowadays, Health care will be very different 50 years down the lane.
And to all religious fanatics who will inevitably invade this thread: Allah SWT commands Muslims to work hard and strive to obtain knowledge. And the more you research, the more knowledge HE will give.
Re: Immortality?
This is what Stem Cells are all about. The basic theory is that if cells can be made once, in the fetus, they can be made again. It's really picking speed nowadays, Health care will be very different 50 years down the lane.
And to all religious fanatics who will inevitably invade this thread: Allah SWT commands Muslims to work hard and strive to obtain knowledge. And the more you research, the more knowledge HE will give.
Stem cells are not about longevity or immortality. It has to do with adding news cells to dying or dead cells. Cloning has been done but that is again not immortality.
Human cell has lasted to 137 years I think. This was an attempt to see how long cells can live with all conditions 'perfect'.
Cells have programmed genes meaning they will die at some point when their machinery start failing inside. (Crudely explained)
Theoretically ALL vital organs except brain can be transplanted but there are many many problems come with that.
P.S. Brain (nerve) cells cannot regerate. Nor brain can be 'transplanted'.
Re: Immortality?
ur body won't always accept all sorts of different organs over many many years:D
Re: Immortality?
if you can make an oldie young again then i'm interested in this topic.
It is called plastic surgery. :)
Re: Immortality?
ur body won't always accept all sorts of different organs over many many years:D
In this fantasy thread it would :(
Re: Immortality?
P.S. Brain (nerve) cells cannot regerate. Nor brain can be 'transplanted'.
Wrong. Brain cells can be "created" from stem cells. The technique is already being used in some operations involving injury of the spinal cord.
Re: Immortality?
It will accept any organ as long as the DNA is the same. I assume your stem cells have the same DNA as your other cells 
There goes your fantasy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7852745/Stem-cell-breakthrough-for-blind-patients-after-treatment-restores-vision.html
Re: Immortality?
Wrong. Brain cells can be "created" from stem cells. The technique is already being used in some operations involving injury of the spinal cord.
I said 'regenerate'. Not 'created'.
........P.S. Brain (nerve) cells cannot regerate. Nor brain can be 'transplanted'.
Re: Immortality?
Meet the world’s only immortal animal.
Cool beans.
Re: Immortality?
Even the article writer said ‘potentially immortal’.
Re: Immortality?
The problem isn’t about organs but about cells. Even organs can be rejected and imagine how many people right now need organs just to live but can’t.
Cells can only divide so much. Your telomeres get smaller and smaller and this is what is believed to be associated with aging. There is one odd case though. A case of cells taken from an African American woman (unwillingly) and they apparently avoid this shortening of telomeres and are called immortal. HeLa - Wikipedia
A book was published on this a few years ago
Re: Immortality?
I’ll read the Wiki link, looks very interesting
Re: Immortality?
One major problem for these kind of cells which are derived from cancer cells is that, even though we can learn from them what could potentially be factors leading to ‘immortality’. We still will need o be able to make these cells grow in ‘normal’ controlled fashion.
We know that once these cancer cells break the rules of ‘mortality’, they also break other rules to follow normal behavior. They act like uncontrolled monsters. Eating up so much resources that other cells start dying.
Re: Immortality?
Even the article writer said 'potentially immortal'.
The reason he wrote "potentially immortal" is because it needs to be clarified the definition of immortality. This creature, once adult, regenerates it's cell, and become young again. And the process keeps on repeating. This makes the life-span of this creature for over thousands of years. But they are not "DEFINITE" immortal. Because if you cut them or pull them out of water they'll just die. This is the reason they are "potentially immortal". Read the article closely next time, mate. :)