The Immortal Jellyfish

[eyedrop]

The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal (http://montereybayaquarium.typepad.com/sea_notes/2010/02/an-immortal-jellyfish.html) in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.
Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan (http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/HOR_I25/HYDROZOA.html) jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).
The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders, (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/01/29/the-curious-case-of-the-immortal-jellyfish/) which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process.
Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They're now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion (http://www.worldhealth.net/news/jellyfish_that_can_age_backwards_are_inv/)," says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.
Bryan Nelson is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network (http://www.mnn.com/), where a version of this post (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/10-animals-with-the-longest-life-spans/older-than-your#image) originally appeared.


Link (http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/26/the-world-s-only-immortal-animal.html)

Interesting creature

[¿Que?]

We're doomed!

[The Vegan Marxist]

That's brilliant! I wonder if there's anyway for humans to partake in this process somehow.

[¿Que?]

That's brilliant! I wonder if there's anyway for humans to partake in this process somehow.
If there was, they'd have to make childbirth illegal, or find a way to collonize other planets.

Give a whole new meaning to "third worlds".

[Dr Mindbender]

if the process ever became available under capitalism, i'm sure the entrance fee would be well above what any of we could afford. Immortality would be a commodity like anything else.

[red cat]

In a being as complex as us, the neurons are supposed to be conserved. Without that it won't exactly be immortality.

EDIT: I did not know this : hydra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_%28genus%29) appears to be immortal too.

[Dr Mindbender]

tbh the key to human immortality probably lies in learning how to transfer neural data or 'personalities' from brain to computer.

I'm sceptical how feasible it is to keep rejuvenating our flesh bodies.

[red cat]

If multiple copies of your neural data were created then which one would be you ?

[Dr Mindbender]

If multiple copies of your neural data were created then which one would be you ?

Its a good question but it has to beat being dead altogether.

It also raises the question if i select the file containing your data and press delete by accident does that constitute manslaughter?

I suppose if this technology ever came into existance there'd have to be strict rules to only make one version and keep it under lock and key to prevent duplicates.

[red cat]

Should we relate the notion of being alive with retaining some of our original brain cells ? Not only the same information, or even biological copies, but the same cells themselves ? Our brain cells don't divide and die like the other cells. A certain fraction of them live on as long as we do.

[Dr Mindbender]

Should we relate the notion of being alive with retaining some of our original brain cells ? Not only the same information, or even biological copies, but the same cells themselves ? Our brain cells don't divide and die like the other cells. A certain fraction of them live on as long as we do.

If we have the ability to independently recall information and have influenced behaviour (Vis-à-vis personality) from personal experiences and knowledge with or without flesh components, then i dont see why we can be considered 'dead'.

Theres a certain amount of mysticism attached to the unalienability of the 'human soul' to our flesh bodies that i have never understood. I suppose people have just been conditioned that way.

[red cat]

If we have the ability to independently recall information and have influenced behaviour (Vis-à-vis personality) from personal experiences and knowledge with or without flesh components, then i dont see why we can be considered 'dead'.

Theres a certain amount of mysticism attached to the unalienability of the 'human soul' to our flesh bodies that i have never understood. I suppose people have just been conditioned that way.

Let's think in this way. Suppose we have a machine, consisting of two chambers A and B. If any thing, living or dead, is kept in chamber A, an exact replica is created in chamber B while the original object disintegrates to its elemental constituents.

Will you want to enter chamber A ?

[Dr Mindbender]

Let's think in this way. Suppose we have a machine, consisting of two chambers A and B. If any thing, living or dead, is kept in chamber A, an exact replica is created in chamber B while the original object disintegrates to its elemental constituents.

Will you want to enter chamber A ?

What you've just described is the theory behind the premise of teleportation. Provided it was assured to work without any loss of memory or bodilly function (or for that matter killing me by producing a corpse in chamber B), then yes i would certainly use this as an alternative to travelling a long distance through other means. We're not discussing teleportation here though, what we're discussing is the concept of saving our personalities electronically for the purpose of it being backed up post-death.

Despite its limitations in terms of lifespan, my body has many advantages it would not have in electronic or cyborg form such as the capacity to experience the 5 senses and sexual release.

That said, given the choice between having my personality uploaded onto a machine to be activated after my death, or outright death witout any such backup, i think id go for option A every time.

[red cat]

That said, given the choice between having my personality uploaded onto a machine to be activated after my death, or outright death witout any such backup, i think id go for option A every time.

I agree.

Now let us return to my example. You are willing to use this machine. Does this mean that you are convinced that the person in chamber B is you ?

If so, what if you somehow remain intact in chamber A ? Will the person in chamber B still be you ?

[Belisarius]

i want to make one thing clear: immortality is a curse
there was a reason jesus condemns a jew to immortality in the bible. death gives meaning to life. for example: what is falling in love, when you have an eternity to undo your choice? What is choosing a profession, when you have an eternity to study something else?

Read "Tous les hommes sont mortels" by Simone De Beauvoir. The protagonist becomes immortal, but after hundreds of years nothing seems to matter anymore.

[red cat]

for example: what is falling in love, when you have an eternity to undo your choice? What is choosing a profession, when you have an eternity to study something else?


You are getting all the reasons wrong. :)

[Dr Mindbender]

i want to make one thing clear: immortality is a curse

Thats quite subjective. Personally i would love to partake the wonders of the future, and witness the demise of capitalism.

if there was a measure against death i'd book myself for an appointment tomorrow morning.

[Dr Mindbender]

I agree.

Now let us return to my example. You are willing to use this machine. Does this mean that you are convinced that the person in chamber B is you ?

If so, what if you somehow remain intact in chamber A ? Will the person in chamber B still be you ?

i think i already answered your question didnt i?

[Belisarius]

Thats quite subjective. Personally i would love to partake the wonders of the future, and witness the demise of capitalism.

if there was a measure against death i'd book myself for an appointment tomorrow morning.
in the book i metnioned Fosca has the same hopes as you have (in his case witnessing his city of Carmona flourish), eventually carmona flourished, perished, flourished, etc.. eternal life is doomed to be monotonous, it will be the same song over and over again. once you've seen capitalism fall, what will you do next to fill your eternity?

btw as a subject i don't care to be subjective. objectivity is just another kind of subjectivity, since the object is not reachable for consciousness (the problem of "das ding an sich" explained by kant).

[red cat]

i think i already answered your question didnt i?

Please repeat your answer once more then.

My point is that both persons can't be you. But then, if in the earlier case, the person in chamber A was you, then only whether you disintegrate in chamber A or not determines the identity of the person in chamber B. This is somewhat confusing.

[Buffalo Souljah]

See kids, haven't I told you that thinking is the devil?