Tuesday, November 15, 2005
technology - the elixir of life ?
you want to donate organs, you say. suppose you decide that your organs be donated after your death. then later, you die. some organ of yours, goes to someone. that someone is happy and lives a long life. that person decides to donate her/his organs when she/he dies. then later, that person dies. can the organ that 'you' donated to that person, be transferred over to someone else? how long can an organ, such as the eye, survive? how many such transfers can an organ survive? now, say due to some miracle of modern medicine, our possible life span increases to 200 years suddenly (hypothetically). would you need 'replace' some of your organs in order to live that long? if you could replace such organs, how much can you extend your life? for example, if someone has a weak heart (medically), and that person replaces it with a strong, healthy one, and keeps replacing every few years, can that person live considerably longer than others? old age is inevitable, you'll say. if you could completely replace organs such as skin, muscles and bones, (which may very well be possible in a century or so, even now it is being done, but only partially), have we found a fountain of youth? the brain gets older, you'll say. you can't replace the brain, you'll say. a lot of research is being carried out to form artificial structures mimicking the brain. in a few centuries, you may well be able to 'download' your brain. or at least something close to it. now, you can replace your brain with a microchip. terabytes of storage will be readily available too. you can even 'backup' yourself anytime you wish. you can't replace every single cell of your body, you'll say. may be not. may be you don't need to. if you lose a limb, a prosthetic one can be just as fine. at least in a few decades. add sensors and you have touch, pain and whatever sense you need. you can also have electronic eyes that have tremendous resolution and zoom capability. no more spectacles or cataracts. no more retinas or corneas. just ccds and lenses. add infrared vision, if you wish. eventually, you replace yourself with artificial limbs and organs, complete with a microchip-brain. is it you anymore? is it a new life form? is it a super human being? is this, now, the fountain of youth? where does it end? or does it? is this immortality? perhaps. perhaps not. with new technology and progress, come newer problems and impediments. with an electronic brain and a body, you are vulnerable to newer attacks. you don't worry about falling down and hurting yourself. you are not even afraid of being shot. you can replace your body in no time. do you think can you die? may be not. but think. think how viruses weaken your body, kill even. they can't harm a cyborg like you, but their cousins, the computer viruses, can, and may be will. now, can you die? perhaps. is this immortality? is the end of an existence or the beginning of a new circle of life?
// posted by Salil @ 5:40 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Hmm, interesting ideas. :) I remember some one asking a brilliant scientist about brain transplants -- I forget who it was.
So this younger guy asked, "Wow, won't it be nice if I got your brain transplanted into me; I'll have the best brain in the world."
So the older guy says, "No, if that happens, I'll just get a younger body."
That explained all there was to it!
So this younger guy asked, "Wow, won't it be nice if I got your brain transplanted into me; I'll have the best brain in the world."
So the older guy says, "No, if that happens, I'll just get a younger body."
That explained all there was to it!
have you heard of a story in the puraana of a king Yayati who wanted to enjoy his youth again when he grew old. he requested his sons if any of them could give his youth to his father and take his father's old age upon himself. yes, one son exchanged his youth to oldage. the king started enjoying his youth once again. but for how long? for some years and then old age started reappearing. by this time wisdom had dawned on the king and he renounced all his wealth, kingdom etc and went to forest to attain Brahman.
our upanishads say that all our 'indriyas' or sense oragans age and deteriorate. more we use them up, faster we age. hence whatever modern gadgets or gizmos we fix up in a human body, it is 'deha dharma' to age and die. if you want to become immortal, u need to realise the ultimate truth by shedding all ajnaana.
our upanishads say that all our 'indriyas' or sense oragans age and deteriorate. more we use them up, faster we age. hence whatever modern gadgets or gizmos we fix up in a human body, it is 'deha dharma' to age and die. if you want to become immortal, u need to realise the ultimate truth by shedding all ajnaana.
to headnheart:
though, there can be much spiritual and religious debate as to what the 'self' is, from a scientific perspective, our brain is what we are. so, what i am saying is, if we can replace the brain, which is made of living cells, by artificial electronic structures, then the concept of 'age' has little or no meaning.
when our Upanishads were written, the ancients could not have forseen the development in technology that we experience today. for that matter, even we cannot 'predict' anything beyond a few decades. it remains a matter of speculation, although such advancements are not impossible.
so, (if and) when we are able to replace ourselves with electromechanical gizmos, dispensing of our 'deha', which as you pointed out will age and die, where does 'deha dharma' apply ?
though, there can be much spiritual and religious debate as to what the 'self' is, from a scientific perspective, our brain is what we are. so, what i am saying is, if we can replace the brain, which is made of living cells, by artificial electronic structures, then the concept of 'age' has little or no meaning.
when our Upanishads were written, the ancients could not have forseen the development in technology that we experience today. for that matter, even we cannot 'predict' anything beyond a few decades. it remains a matter of speculation, although such advancements are not impossible.
so, (if and) when we are able to replace ourselves with electromechanical gizmos, dispensing of our 'deha', which as you pointed out will age and die, where does 'deha dharma' apply ?
dear salil,
as long as we want to be called human beings we need to take pride in this god given 'deha' that comes along with its 'dharma' or nature. if we fix gizmos to it, its nature may change to some extent, but the body will still retain its original dharma of aging and dying - however much that period may get stretched. if we want to change its nature totally by fixing electronic parts to it, it may no more remain 'human'. would any of us like to live that way sans the human emotions and conscience - the essential spirit of being humans? we would all become robots and it does not at all seem a romantic proposition to me! well, there will always be takers for that but i wouldn't be one. it is aging and death that give meaning and purpose to human life and any meddling in its nature by man would turn the whole human existence to 'nonhuman' or 'inhuman' existence. please go ahead.
best wishes,
head n heart (god given and not electronic!):))
as long as we want to be called human beings we need to take pride in this god given 'deha' that comes along with its 'dharma' or nature. if we fix gizmos to it, its nature may change to some extent, but the body will still retain its original dharma of aging and dying - however much that period may get stretched. if we want to change its nature totally by fixing electronic parts to it, it may no more remain 'human'. would any of us like to live that way sans the human emotions and conscience - the essential spirit of being humans? we would all become robots and it does not at all seem a romantic proposition to me! well, there will always be takers for that but i wouldn't be one. it is aging and death that give meaning and purpose to human life and any meddling in its nature by man would turn the whole human existence to 'nonhuman' or 'inhuman' existence. please go ahead.
best wishes,
head n heart (god given and not electronic!):))
dear head n heart,
:)
firstly, my post never meant to offend anyone. it was only a speculation of what could be done with this tool of technology at our disposal. i never said it is good or bad.
secondly, coming back to your comments, what i have written raises those very questions. but without the concept of 'deha' and 'dharma', since i do not believe in them.
thirdly, with a fully electronic body etc, i am remimded of Star Trek: TNG's Data - the android. that idea may not be 'impossible', someday we might have one. whether Data qualifies as a human is debatable, even in the series, but he IS recognised as a life-form.
take care,
Salil.
:)
firstly, my post never meant to offend anyone. it was only a speculation of what could be done with this tool of technology at our disposal. i never said it is good or bad.
secondly, coming back to your comments, what i have written raises those very questions. but without the concept of 'deha' and 'dharma', since i do not believe in them.
thirdly, with a fully electronic body etc, i am remimded of Star Trek: TNG's Data - the android. that idea may not be 'impossible', someday we might have one. whether Data qualifies as a human is debatable, even in the series, but he IS recognised as a life-form.
take care,
Salil.
raghu,
interesting bit of info ..
but how much do we know about 'awareness', 'understanding' and 'conscience'? i mean scientifically, not philosophically.
our brain is a superdupergigahyperhumongous interconnection is neurons. emotion, awareness, memory, understanding 'can' be thought of a function of some neural configuration and activity, until we know for sure that 'mind' is not 'matter'. i agree technology of today is nowhere near of even simulating a few neurons, let alone the entire brain. but someday (really far in the future) if we have structures that can, and i mean things not limited to Turing machines, then what? until then it remains that with todays technology, we can't replicate the brain. and that we're mortals. which ain't so bad i guess.
Post a Comment
interesting bit of info ..
but how much do we know about 'awareness', 'understanding' and 'conscience'? i mean scientifically, not philosophically.
our brain is a superdupergigahyperhumongous interconnection is neurons. emotion, awareness, memory, understanding 'can' be thought of a function of some neural configuration and activity, until we know for sure that 'mind' is not 'matter'. i agree technology of today is nowhere near of even simulating a few neurons, let alone the entire brain. but someday (really far in the future) if we have structures that can, and i mean things not limited to Turing machines, then what? until then it remains that with todays technology, we can't replicate the brain. and that we're mortals. which ain't so bad i guess.
<< Home
