???? Can Humans Achieve Immortality?
From nature’s secrets to futuristic technologies—can humans truly live forever?
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???? Can Humans Achieve Immortality?
A mediterranean jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrni, has the ability to regenerate itself. Earning it the nickname - the immortal jellyfish.
When it is injured or dying, it can return to its juvenile form, becoming young again.
Hydra are another small, jellyfish-like invertebrate which are largely made up of stem cells that constantly divide to make new cells, as their older cells are discarded.
The constant influx of new cells allows hydra to rejuvenate themselves and stay forever young.
Hydra and the immortal jellyfish show us that animals don’t have to grow old.
Unfortunately, this does not mean humans can replicate their rejuvenating habits.
Hydra, at 0.4 inches long (10 millimeters), are extremely small and don’t have organs.
Human bodies on the other hand are very complex. As a species, we cannot simply discard our old cells like hydra do. The neurons in our brain are needed to transmit information - we would not want those replaced.
Human Life Expectancy
With advancements in medicine, hygiene and nutrition, human life expectancy has risen from 48 years in 1850 to 73 years in 2019.
While this has nearly doubled in 150 years, it does not necessarily mean that humans can live forever.
In 1997, the record for the longest lifespan was set by Jeanne Calmet who lived for 122 years and 5 months, making this the maximum attainable human lifespan.
…until someone outlives Jeanne.
Life expectancy is the average age that an individual can live, taking into account the average life expectancy of a population. If childhood deaths in a region outnumber the deaths of adults, the average life expectancy is significantly lower.? In the 1850s, infant mortality rates were very high, which when calculated into the life expectancy of a region is what led to the average age of 48 years old.
Our ability to safely manage childbirth and childcare has vastly improved since the 1800s, which contributed to the increase in human life span. However, it should be noted that humans have been living into their 70s and 80s since ancient times.
For example, Pliny, a first century writer, dedicated a chapter of The Natural History to individuals that had lived the longest during his time. In the first century, three individuals had already lived to be 100 years old.
Immortality
Some scientists believe in the next few decades, it could be possible for humans to live to 1,000 years or more.
Bryan Johnson is one of these believers. Wearing his “Don’t Die” t-shirt, he has taken to the public stage spending $2 million a year trying to make his 45-year-old body function like an 18 year olds.
He takes 110 vitamins a day and has created a ‘blueprint’ from what he learns to help other people keep their bodies younger for longer.
He even went so far as to receive a blood transfusion from his son. However, he reported that there was no detectable benefit.
He has shown that he has achieved several markers of being a younger man, such as more youthful bone mineral density and more nighttime erections.
Will he achieve his goal of not dying? We will have to wait and see.
The Upper Limit on Mortality
Some scientists disagree, believing we have already hit our upper limit on how old we can be.
These scientists believe that human lifespan could be anywhere from 120-150 years long, but not longer than that due to an accumulation of the hallmarks of aging and chronic disease.
Cambridge University longevity researcher, Aubrey de Grey, believes we will be able to use advanced medicine to stop aging processes and hallmarks, such as DNA mutations and senescence, to keep our cells in a healthy youthful state and to stop aging in its tracks.
Aging is a complex process that researchers are still exploring. By maintaining a good diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol, you can contribute to your longevity.
Research has also suggested that cooler temperatures and low-calorie diets can aid in slowing aging.
?Another goal of longevity researchers is to expand our healthspan, the period of human life in which humans are in good health and disease-free.
Relying on Technology of the Future to Live Forever
Others believe humans will reach these advancements in the future, possibly centuries from now, and want to freeze their bodies and brains in liquid nitrogen in the hopes that someday we will have the knowledge to revive a human after they have been frozen.
Nonetheless, people are paying $200,000 to have their bodies frozen with just the hope that they can one day be brought back to life.
Another Path to Immortality - Virtual Immortality
Some researchers believe that it might be impossible for our bodies to go on forever.
In which case, futurists like Ray Kursweil, believe that by 2045 we might become immortal by uploading our brains into computers.
By today’s technology, we are nowhere near accomplishing such a task for the human brain.
Researchers have, however, already mapped the neural connections of a roundworm (C. elegans). The project was called OpenWorm.
Researchers then were able to simulate the roundworm’s brain in software replicating the neural connections, and they programmed that software to direct a Lego robot, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Scientists aren't close to mapping the connections between the 86 billion neurons of the human brain (roundworms have only 302 neurons).
If we are able to map all of the neural connections in a human brain this leads to several important questions. Could we also transfer consciousness? Would we also be able to transfer a person’s feelings, thoughts and personality??
Only experimentation will tell, and the complexity of the human body, particularly the brain and its intricate neural connections, present significant obstacles to mapping and also to other cellular rejuvenation interventions.
Ultimately, the pursuit of extended healthspan, lifespan, and even immortality, is a fascinating scientific endeavor with the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the human body, and also our understanding of life and death.
?? Book of the Week
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
Rating: ★★★★★
This is a book all about the kindness of humans.
Awwww.
Author Rutger Bregman believes that the human species is inherently good.?
He backs up this claim with hard evidence that humans are hard-wired for connection, and have a true aversion to killing our fellow man.
I absolutely recommend this book.?
This is a great read to restore some faith in humanity.?
It is needed these days when all we see are humans disagreeing, wars and anger, and it reminded me of our capacity for kindness and compassion.?
Although we are complicated beings with many emotions, it did give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside that we do just all want to get along.
This was a reader recommendation by Mike Geer. Thanks Mike!?
?? Check This Out
REMspace, a Silicon Valley startup, claims it has achieved a historic milestone by facilitating communication between two people in lucid dreams.
Lucid dreaming occurs when a person is aware that they are dreaming while asleep. (Read more about lucid dreaming and how to achieve it in Nina’s Notes #18)
The company claimed the participants were sleeping at their homes on Sept. 24 when their specially developed “apparatus” remotely tracked their polysomnographic data through WiFi — recording their brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing during sleep.
REMspace is now focusing on commercial applications of lucid dreaming technology.
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Edited by Wright Time Publishing
So interesting as always, thank you!
4x Founder | CEO at Learnerbly | Recipient of Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion | Forbes Columnist | World Economic Forum YGL
3 周Interesting ?? Will take a read!