Life After (Physical) Death or Life Without a Death? What does the Future Hold for Us?

The planet earth is going through a mass transformation, with humans holding the central stage at the collective level. The negative aspects of this transformation are highlighted at a grander scale (lets blame the negative centricity of human behaviour and the agents that excel in selling them), but technology and alternative ways of functions are providing a different picture. Labelling these changes as positive or negative calls into question the topic of human morality, and the fact that most humans do not accept change at an “uncomfortable” level. Nevertheless, the scientific sector is working on some unusual technologies that will come under the scrutiny of the conventional being.

One uncomfortable topic that is going through massive change is the approach towards the concept of death and how some establishments are trying to provide alternatives in this situation. Suzanne Bearne wrote an article last month for the BBC on the shake up in the death and funeral industry, listing some start-ups providing novel selections. This includes avatars based on the digital footprint of individuals that can interact with the family (37,000 sign-ups so far), funeral planning before death (people in their 20s have been known to plan their proceedings), and price compare sites for funeral services. In the past years, the topic of digital consciousness has also been touched in literature and entertainment media, which does not usually end well (selling the negativity well again). Following are some discussion topics arising in the life and death sector:

1.   Treating Turning Old as any other Disease:

Human identity is tangled in the concept of human mortality, forming the basis of most religions believing in the concept of a higher being and a bigger meaning to the natural life given to us. The mere idea that humans could live forever will shake the perspectives of most individuals, but there is actual scientific work and significant funding in the field. Influential personalities, e.g. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, have publicly announced their desire to live forever and are providing substantial backing for such projects. The public hopes of this venture becoming a success is right in the balance, greatly based on the school of thought one is coming from.

Some researchers in biotechnology want to treat the process of getting old and dying like any other disease. They argue that human cells are affected by the condition over a longer period as compared to other fatal disorders. If technology reaches a stage where the process can be halted or completely stopped, human life can be extended, hopefully to forever. The idea makes logical sense, but the opposing arguments are based more in the natural standing of life and death, and how it undermines the deeper emotions of humans associated with the thinking that every earth-bound item must have a start and an end. The concept will have political, social, and economic hurdles that are hard to imagine in the current circumstances.

It is a matter of fact that scientists understand the human body and functions more and more each day. The span of average human life is also on a rise because of this better understanding, leading to the treatment of major fatal diseases from the past. So far though, scientists have been unable to break the natural limit of this span, which is believed to be around 120 years. A more reasonable expected outcome will be an extension of this period, while the topic of living forever takes the back seat.

2.   Lab-Grown Human Organs

With biotechnology techniques such as CRISPR (DNA altering in pigs to grow human organs) and the advent of new machineries like 3D printing, scientists believe that the day when the number of people on the waiting lists of organ transplant will be zero is not far away. Miodownik (2017) states that a simple hip replacement increases the active life period by 20 years or more. This leads to the question: why should we stop at only replacing organs in emergency circumstances? Surely if organs can be grown in a lab, people should have the option to replace or upgrade any of their tissues, leading to a better functioning body, or even a longer life-span.

This is exactly what the future may hold for us. A regular check-up could list all the organs that may benefit from a change, and the patient will have the option to go under the knife and have them replaced. Unfortunately, it seems that only the rich will benefit from such a situation because of the economic toll of having to pay for such “luxuries”, but a day might come, where if there are enough competitors in the market of organ making, the average prices could drop down to a more attainable level for a greater number of willing customers.

3.   Cyborgs

A cyborg is a lifeform with both biological and biomechatronic body parts (Clynes and Kline 1960). The technology has reached a point where it is safe to put the two systems together and enhance the quality of life. The current use is mainly in the sector of restoring body functions after an accident, with few examples of voluntary alterations as well. At a simpler level, the idea of a heart beat regulator or a hearing aid is not alien to humans anymore. At a more complex level, brain-computer interfaces are now able to restore nervous system issues in some cases with instances ranging from a stroke to a spinal cord injury. 

Elon Musk was in the news last February for his claims that humans need to become cyborgs to stay relevant. His reference was more towards the fact that with the advent of AI, humans will lose more and more jobs, and would require an upgrade for more sensitive responsibilities. In the long run, the implications of other changes will require a more serious look at these matters.

Some scientists already believe that humans have put the planet earth on the path of an unrescuable destruction, but what if we can upgrade humans and make them withstand any environmental changes by fusing some organs with machines, e.g. eliminate the need for clean air and water could save millions of lives. Playing with such basic human requirements will raise many ethical questions, but the technology itself will act as a good option in case humanity reaches a point of fighting a complete elimination.

4.   Uploading Human Consciousness to Computers

Most futurologists believe that humans will be able to upload their consciousness to computers by 2045. The time will also be significant because technology is expected to surpass humanity by this point, commonly known as the singularity. Transhumanists interpret this condition as a digital immortality, eliminating the need for a biological body. Other Entrepreneurs such as Martine Rothblatt, consider the mind uploading technology the end of death altogether. This may sound like sci-fi fiction, but the reality of strides in the field of mapping out the brain point in the same direction.

The idea here is to treat brain like any other computer. At the current time, the human brain is indeed the most advanced computer (or at least the most complicated), but at the given rate of change, this will no longer be true. Uploading human consciousness to a computer will also mean that it can be amplified up to a billion times, leading to unknown potentials for the future of humanity.

This idea also raises many ethical questions. It can be argued that a human brain is far more than a mere computer and the argument can be made compelling, but the ground realities are different. Computers have already reached a stage where they can interact with each other and learn, compose music, create new languages etc. The line that hard core moralist drew around the topic is getting thinner and thinner, and matters that were considered absurd are now being argued upon. With a push in the right direction, the process could amplify humanity as a species and let us do more than we have ever imagined. The societal and political pressure on the topic in the future will determine the overall direction humanity takes on this front.

Concluding Remarks:

Every conversation about “living forever” turns into a debate of why anyone would want to do that. The answer is simple: the fight for survival is instinctive to humans, and even in the worst of times humans go to severe limits to make this happen. What if humanity can find a safer way of implementing this desire and make survival simpler? What if we can grow food in a lab and engage in more meaningful activities, serving a bigger purpose than just spending our days doing menial tasks that add little value to the overall wellbeing of the species?

Then a second question arises. The planet earth cannot sustain even the population given to it. What will happen if people stop dying? If the idea of space travel fascinates you, the answer is simple: the universe is limitless, which means there are endless possibilities of colonizing new planets. This leads to another argument over the failure of scientists to discover reachable planets that could sustain life. The humble answer here is: why do we have to find such planets, why can’t we just make colonies fit enough for survival, such as the SpaceX program? The fact is, humanity has the potential to reach any heights if it can work towards it. The only limiting factor is human imagination and the desire to push the boundaries.

Scientists working in this sector want to bring the power of letting go and dying to humans, who should be able to decide how long they want to live. Accepting anything as a matter of fate or nature indicates a limiting human behaviour, deeply embedded in our consciousness and perceptions of morality. The ability to get over these feelings and fighting to survive at such a scale, will elevate humanity to greater heights and a better future.

What do you think about the future of humanity and its fight for survival in the face of death? Please get in touch by leaving a comment or getting connected directly. Thanks for your time.

Works Cited

Bearne, S. (2017, August 22). How your digital self could 'live' on after you die. Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40935790

Clynes, M. E., & Kline, N. S. (1960). Cyborgs and space . Astronautics, 26-27 and 74-76.

Goodenough, U. (2010, July 15). Is Death A Disease That Can Be Cured? Retrieved from Cosmos and Culture: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2010/07/15/128536658/is-death-a-disease-that-can-be-cured

Grenoble, R. (2015, October 15). These Advances In Lab-Grown Organs Might Save Your Life One Day. Retrieved from Huffpost: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lab-grown-organs-transplant-technology_us_562122cee4b08d94253ee660

Lewis, T. (2013, June 17). The Singularity Is Near: Mind Uploading by 2045? Retrieved from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/37499-immortality-by-2045-conference.html

Miodownik, M. (2015, July 8). How laboratory-grown organs will transform our lives. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/08/laboratory-grown-organs-transform-lives

Nelson, B. (2013, April 25). 7 real-life human cyborgs: See how bionic technology has enhanced people's lives with everything from robotic limbs to electronic eyes. Retrieved from Mother Nature Network: https://www.mnn.com/leaderboard/stories/7-real-life-human-cyborgs

Ritchie, E. J. (2017, March 16). Have We Passed the Climate Change Tipping Point? Retrieved from The Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/uhenergy/2017/03/16/have-we-passed-the-climate-change-tipping-point/2/#19eb32c81821

Solon, O. (2017, February 15). Elon Musk says humans must become cyborgs to stay relevant. Is he right? Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/15/elon-musk-cyborgs-robots-artificial-intelligence-is-he-right

Walia, A. (2013, March 13). Humanity is Transforming and Changing: The Great Awakening. Retrieved from Collective Evolution: https://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/13/humanity-is-transforming-and-changing-the-great-awakening/