Ground-breaking: IMMORTALITY possible in 20 years?

[~Tyson~]

The Mayans also had surgical instruments sharper than any in modern times; there is evidence that they performed brain surgery!

I doubt that trepanning can be called 'brain surgery' when your just drilling a hole in the skull. More like a head surgery if anything.

The Egyptians also had a knowledge of electricty, for there have been ancient cell batteries found in tombs.

It was actually Alessandro Volta who first demonstrated what electricity was. On another note, it was Michael Faraday who was credited for the use of electricity for technological purposes. There is absolutely no evidence that Egyptians had knowledge of electricity or tried to manipulate it for purposes.

SO your argument is rather weak in comparison.

Throwing out examples with no logical connectedness makes a bad argument in itself. Beside, this ain't the debate forum


---------------

I found this article and found it interesting:


Billionaires offered immortality via brain transplant into robot bodies

From NewsTrackIndia

London, July 19 (ANI): A Russian entrepreneur, who heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar', has contacted the world's richest to offer them immortality.
Itskov claims that he will personally oversee their immortality process in exchange for an undisclosed fee.
Itskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years.

"You have the ability to finance the extension of your own life up to immortality. Our civilization has come very close to the creation of such technologies: it's not a science fiction fantasy. It is in your power to make sure that this goal will be achieved in your lifetime," the Daily Mail quoted Itskov as writing in a letter delivered to billionaires listed in Forbes magazine.

He has contacted a list of billionaires with a proposal for funding his quest for immortality - which Itskov refers to as 'cybernetic immortality' and the 'artificial body'.

The initiative is opening its San Francisco office this summer, and will be launching a social media project connecting scientists around the world.

"The 2045 team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one's individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality," Itskov's official site said.

"Such research has the potential to free you, as well as the majority of all people on our planet, from disease, old age and even death."

For anyone interested, but skeptical, I am ready to prove the viability of the concept of cybernetic immortality by arranging an expert discussion with a team of the world's leading scientist working in this field.

"I will also be willing to coordinate your personal immortality project entirely free of charge for the sake of speeding up the development of these technologies," it said.

Itskov also commented on his 'immortality' project.

"This project is leading down the road to immortality," Itskov said.

"A person with a perfect Avatar will be able to remain part of society. People don't want to die.

"I understand these are some very big challenges for scientists."

But I believe in something you call 'The American Dream.' If you put all your energy and time into something, you can make it a reality," he added.

Itskov envisages surgically 'transplanting' human consciousness into a robot body within 10 years.

He hopes to then 'upload' minds without surgery, leaving human bodies as empty husks as their owners 'live on' inside robots.

The project is called Avatar after the James Cameron movie, set far in the future, where human soldiers use mind control to inhabit the bodies of human alien hybrids as they carry out a war against the inhabitants of a distant world. (ANI)

^^^ The guy has big dreams.

["IRISH" RUFUS MURPHY]

Do I really have to educate you people on ancient discoveries? Ignorance is bliss evidentially here at Chat Avenue.

[Gabriel]

The Mayans and Egyptians never had remotely close the technological and knowledgeable prowess that we now possessed. They relied on their Gods for progress, while we relied on science for progress.

yeah not like there's a giant war with religion at its center going on, or that we support israel for religious purposes, or that a religious vote can sway an election. or that one nuke from a religious extremist could put us in a nuclear winter, sending us backwards like every other giant civilization.

["IRISH" RUFUS MURPHY]

yeah not like there's a giant war with religion at its center going on, or that we support israel for religious purposes, or that a religious vote can sway an election. or that one nuke from a religious extremist could put us in a nuclear winter, sending us backwards like every other giant civilization.

amen

[Melchizedek]

This is one of the funniest replys i have seen in chat av.

[Boomerang]

Believe it when I see it!

[~Tyson~]

Believe it when I see it!

Well technically the title of the thread is a bit misleading. It gives the impression that immortality doesn't exist but it does in nature among few species. Turritopsis nutricula is considered an animal of immortality (unless something externally kills it). There are other animals that display characteristic of immortality but not to which we defined as 'immortal'.

[Boomerang]

You guys are far too advanced for me! Carry on.

["IRISH" RUFUS MURPHY]

I doubt that trepanning can be called 'brain surgery' when your just drilling a hole in the skull. More like a head surgery if anything.




It was actually Alessandro Volta who first demonstrated what electricity was. On another note, it was Michael Faraday who was credited for the use of electricity for technological purposes. There is absolutely no evidence that Egyptians had knowledge of electricity or tried to manipulate it for purposes.




Throwing out examples with no logical connectedness makes a bad argument in itself. Beside, this ain't the debate forum


---------------

I found this article and found it interesting:


Billionaires offered immortality via brain transplant into robot bodies

From NewsTrackIndia

London, July 19 (ANI): A Russian entrepreneur, who heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar', has contacted the world's richest to offer them immortality.
Itskov claims that he will personally oversee their immortality process in exchange for an undisclosed fee.
Itskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years.

"You have the ability to finance the extension of your own life up to immortality. Our civilization has come very close to the creation of such technologies: it's not a science fiction fantasy. It is in your power to make sure that this goal will be achieved in your lifetime," the Daily Mail quoted Itskov as writing in a letter delivered to billionaires listed in Forbes magazine.

He has contacted a list of billionaires with a proposal for funding his quest for immortality - which Itskov refers to as 'cybernetic immortality' and the 'artificial body'.

The initiative is opening its San Francisco office this summer, and will be launching a social media project connecting scientists around the world.

"The 2045 team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one's individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality," Itskov's official site said.

"Such research has the potential to free you, as well as the majority of all people on our planet, from disease, old age and even death."

For anyone interested, but skeptical, I am ready to prove the viability of the concept of cybernetic immortality by arranging an expert discussion with a team of the world's leading scientist working in this field.

"I will also be willing to coordinate your personal immortality project entirely free of charge for the sake of speeding up the development of these technologies," it said.

Itskov also commented on his 'immortality' project.

"This project is leading down the road to immortality," Itskov said.

"A person with a perfect Avatar will be able to remain part of society. People don't want to die.

"I understand these are some very big challenges for scientists."

But I believe in something you call 'The American Dream.' If you put all your energy and time into something, you can make it a reality," he added.

Itskov envisages surgically 'transplanting' human consciousness into a robot body within 10 years.

He hopes to then 'upload' minds without surgery, leaving human bodies as empty husks as their owners 'live on' inside robots.

The project is called Avatar after the James Cameron movie, set far in the future, where human soldiers use mind control to inhabit the bodies of human alien hybrids as they carry out a war against the inhabitants of a distant world. (ANI)

^^^ The guy has big dreams.

Never happen in our life time, isn't ethical. Remember Dr. White of Cincinnati, who did the head transplant surgery in the hopes to save the lives of victims who were paralysed from the neck down, as their bodies were deteriorating? He proved it could work, but he was so criticised he never went any further. The Russians also experimented with keeping the heads of dogs alive during WW2, and in a sense created 'immortality'. I see this plan not going any further than the drawing board. No civilised nation would allow such a thing to happen because of the politics, for the same reason human cloning hasnt taken place, or making human/ape hybrids. When it comes to human life it wont be tampered with no matter how great the rewards may be. And animal testing will never fly in this day and age either, as it seems animals have more rights than a human fetus does.

[~Tyson~]

Never happen in our life time

Lots of people said that until such discoveries were made within their lifetime.

Remember Dr. White of Cincinnati, who did the head transplant surgery in the hopes to save the lives of victims who were paralysed from the neck down, as their bodies were deteriorating? He proved it could work, but he was so criticised he never went any further. The Russians also experimented with keeping the heads of dogs alive during WW2, and in a sense created 'immortality'.

You're comparing the results of scientific experimentation of 1940 and 2012? You realize there is a huge gap of technological advancement within those 70 years? You're assuming that scientific advancements has not changed since 1940.

I see this plan not going any further than the drawing board.

Never underestimate the curiosity of the human mind.

No civilised nation would allow such a thing to happen because of the politics, for the same reason human cloning hasnt taken place, or making human/ape hybrids.

Scientists experiments for a reason, what benefit would making a human/ape hybrid ensure? By the way human cloning has been and currently most likely being experimented, so saying that it 'hasn't taken place' is erroneous.

When it comes to human life it wont be tampered with no matter how great the rewards may be. And animal testing will never fly in this day and age either, as it seems animals have more rights than a human fetus does.

Human life have been tampered since humans walk the Earth. Animals testing are widespread, don't kid yourself. Throwing out the human fetus card in this convo is interesting because you didn't connect it to your argument, I can only assume you're doing it because you have strong emotion that you want to talk about.