Human head transplants are possible, says neuroscientist

[jimmy olsen]

But can they put my head on a robot body? 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/02/newser-head-transplant/2483085/

Human head transplants are possible, says neuroscientist
Ruth Brown, Newser 1:11 p.m. EDT July 2, 2013
Story Highlights

Scientists have been carrying out head transplants on animals since the 1970s, when a monkey's head was moved to another monkey's body; the resulting creature survived, paralyzed, for a few days. But so far, no one has attempted to put a human head on a different human body. That's because, in part, they haven't had a way to properly connect the donor body's spinal cord up to the head, so the head-body hybrid would be similarly paralyzed below the transplant area. But a new paper by an Italian neuroscientist says the technology now exists "for such linkage," Quartz reports.

Dr. Sergio Canavero believes the best method would be to sever both spinal cords with an ultra-sharp knife, then rapidly fuse the two together mechanically, using plastics like polyethylene glycol, which has been successfully used to fuse severed spines in dogs. (Spinal cords from two separate animals have not yet been connected though.)

Popular Science states the obvious: This kind of transplant would be "enormously complicated," and involve reconnecting much more than the spine: bones, tissue, and millions of nerve fibers. The reconnection procedure would be strict to the extreme: The heads would have to be cut at precisely the same moment and then cooled to between 54.6 and 59 degrees, for instance.

Theoretically, the procedure would offer paraplegics the chance at a new body. But it wouldn't come cheap — Canavero estimates it would cost at least $13 million. (In the meantime, another amazing paralysis breakthrough is a reality.)

[Neil]

Rather than stupid shit like tranplanting the head, why don't they just use spine-fixing technology to fix the spine of the cripple?

[11B4V]

Rather than stupid shit like tranplanting the head, why don't they just use spine-fixing technology to fix the spine of the cripple?

What Tricky Dick said.

Seen this when it first hit Newser, which wasnt today. 
Tim this is theory and until they do it....bullshit.

[Josquius]

Rather than stupid shit like tranplanting the head, why don't they just use spine-fixing technology to fix the spine of the cripple?

Yeah, that's the first thought that came to mind for me reading this. You'd think the ability to cure spinal damage would be a bit of a bigger headline.

[CountDeMoney]

But can they put my head on a robot body? 

Not when it's been jammed so far up your ass for so long.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Had a conversation over wine with a neurosurgeon once and he mentioned that even if we could remove a human brain and put into a perfectly immortal body, or some sort of robotic body that could support it the brain itself has an aging process and would fall to extreme dementia over time and become basically non-functional. So we'd have to find a way to fix that before going into a robot body would make any sense.

[Siege]

Tim, I think you were born too early to be able achieve immortality through robotic science.

[dps]

Had a conversation over wine with a neurosurgeon once and he mentioned that even if we could remove a human brain and put into a perfectly immortal body, or some sort of robotic body that could support it the brain itself has an aging process and would fall to extreme dementia over time and become basically non-functional. So we'd have to find a way to fix that before going into a robot body would make any sense.

But Timmay's brain is already basically non-functional, so it wouldn't be a problem in his case.

[Malthus]

Why all the Tim-hate?

If he wants to transplant his brain into a robot body, I say, I'm all for him volunteering. 

[lustindarkness]

Why all the Tim-hate?

If he wants to transplant his brain into a robot body, I say, I'm all for him volunteering. 

Yes, I second this, he should volunteer.

[11B4V]

Why all the Tim-hate?

If he wants to transplant his brain into a robot body, I say, I'm all for him volunteering. 

Busting his chops. I like his news posts.

[Maximus]

Why all the Tim-hate?

If he wants to transplant his brain into a robot body, I say, I'm all for him volunteering. 

Yes, I second this, he should volunteer.

In fact, I think we should make it mandatory that he volunteer.

[Eddie Teach]

Everybody jumps on the robot body bandwagon, but how about the possibility of having two-headed bodies?   

[Liep]

Who controls what?

[Maximus]

The "robot body" concept is rather silly. I find it much more likely that we will have electromechanical brains controlling biological bodies than vice versa.