NationStates Jolt Archive

I believe its known in the scientific world as Cephalogy, or something similar.
But now as we enter new medical breakthroughs, is this indeed possible? The possibilitys are wonderful, think. With cloning techniques improving we could in the future clone a remake of ourselves, then when our body has reached old age, have our head transplanted on to our clones body, for another forty or so years of life, then even repeat the proceedure down the track. There are of course some ethical questions here, but if the body is a clone of yourself, then you theoretically own that clone, and can do as you wish with it. Say even just keep him or her for spare parts, or even blood when you need them, a ready supply that wont reject your body.
Your thoughts.

Actually you can clone the heart, without having to create a complete clone. Im not 100 percent about hearts, but they grew other organs in petri dishes.

It'd be an expensive waste. Estimating this to be used more in old age, even with a cloned body the brain would still be deteriorating.

Well, provided you aren't planning on cloning the brain as well, I wouldn't have any moral objections to it... Heck, surely they can just clone body parts... an arm, a kidney, lungs, etc...

Well, provided you aren't planning on cloning the brain as well, I wouldn't have any moral objections to it... Heck, surely they can just clone body parts... an arm, a kidney, lungs, etc...

(a) If you don't clone the brain as well (which would be virtually impossible, since all the connections are not genetically determined), a body transplant may not buy you all that much time. ~50% of people over 85 have Alzheimer's, and a body transplant wouldn't help with that at all, as it is a neurodegenerative disease.

(b) We can't just clone/grow body parts yet, but many of us are working on it. =)

Actually you can clone the heart, without having to create a complete clone. Im not 100 percent about hearts, but they grew other organs in petri dishes.

No new organs have yet been grown for implantation in humans in a petri dish. We are working diligently, but the only thing we can really grow and implant brand new right now is skin, and even that isn't exact.

Well, provided you aren't planning on cloning the brain as well, I wouldn't have any moral objections to it... Heck, surely they can just clone body parts... an arm, a kidney, lungs, etc...

I dont see any real need to clone the brain, except for maybe basic needs to keep the body fresh and healthy, the clone would have the most simplest of thought processes as a result. What better way to have the organs fresh and ready and in good condition than to have them in a healthy working body, much safer than a laboratory. You would of course be fully responsible for the clones welfare and safety.

It'd be an expensive waste. Estimating this to be used more in old age, even with a cloned body the brain would still be deteriorating.

The brain uses alot of blood, a fresh vital younger supply of blood, may rejuvenate it, just a theory.

The brain uses alot of blood, a fresh vital younger supply of blood, may rejuvenate it, just a theory.

(a) The brain actually gets a relatively small percentage of the blood at any given time.

(b) Your blood cells are actually the most quickly regenerated in the body, made by hematopoetic stem cells in your bone marrow.

(c) If all you needed was "young blood", we could give Alzheimer's patients blood transfusions from their grandchildren and they would be cured.

(a) The brain actually gets a relatively small percentage of the blood at any given time.


My bad.

I heard head transplant was a success, they did it to monkeys. But the only problem was the back bone. So the monkey was a quadraplegic. It's still beyong us to connect every single nervous system. Hence, the need for further studies of stem cells research.

I heard head transplant was a success, they did it to monkeys. But the only problem was the back bone. So the monkey was a quadraplegic. It's still beyong us to connect every single nervous system. Hence, the need for further studies of stem cells research.
They switched heads on a monkey?! Thats insane. I want my head put on top of a 8 foot tall african tribesman's body. I'd drop out of school in a second and play for the NBA.

I heard head transplant was a success, they did it to monkeys. But the only problem was the back bone. So the monkey was a quadraplegic. It's still beyong us to connect every single nervous system. Hence, the need for further studies of stem cells research.

Apparently this is the main problem, aligning and connecting the seperate spinal cords.

Uh...grafting a head on to a new body, clone or no, would be kinda gross. Think about it. A new, nubile 18-year old chassis with this wrinkled, toothless and liver-spot bald noggin on top of it? I'll pass. Society's fear and misunderstanding of death is what got us into the Terry Schiavo mess. Let's not exacerbate it with this abhorrent idea.

Uh...grafting a head on to a new body, clone or no, would be kinda gross. Think about it. A new, nubile 18-year old chassis with this wrinkled, toothless and liver-spot bald noggin on top of it? I'll pass. Society's fear and misunderstanding of death is what got us into the Terry Schiavo mess. Let's not exacerbate it with this abhorrent idea.
Agreed, brain transplants are the future!

I think it worked with monkeys a few years ago. The problem was, that the transplanted monkey was... paraplegic from the neck downward... That's not really worth it.

And you can't just transplant the brain, you have to move the spinal cord too, that's a bit of a problem.

Uh...grafting a head on to a new body, clone or no, would be kinda gross. Think about it. A new, nubile 18-year old chassis with this wrinkled, toothless and liver-spot bald noggin on top of it? I'll pass. Society's fear and misunderstanding of death is what got us into the Terry Schiavo mess. Let's not exacerbate it with this abhorrent idea.

No one said it would be pretty, the point here is, this could be a means in the near future of having your life extended, if you plan on having a relationship with this person and the head looks too old, you can always use a paper bag.

Agreed, brain transplants are the future!
I totally agree.

Apparently this is the main problem, aligning and connecting the seperate spinal cords.
Yup. I remembered the poor monkey lived for 6 weeks? or 6 months. Something along that line. Eventually it died of depression or some complications.

Yup. I remembered the poor monkey lived for 6 weeks? or 6 months. Something along that line. Eventually it died of depression or some complications.

Dont worry their only monkeys, God gave them to us to do whatever we wanted with them.

I have a prosthetic head. It looks very real.

I have a prosthetic head. It looks very real.

You too? My head is made of some carbon compounds and it´s filled mostly with water. I actually like this one, but if my body happens to die before my head, I´ll be happy to give it to you as a transplant.