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WeCanDoThisCNJ t1_j21jmov wrote

Dementia is death of brain cells, and immortality would also prevent such age-related deterioration.

Of course you’ll be clear-minded as you watch everyone you love die, and as you watch the sun that makes this planet inhabitable swell as it ages, consuming the planet and you in fiery torment from which you can’t escape.

So…good times

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Future_Ad8697 t1_j222iem wrote

This interpretation of immortality is not consistent with reality. Surely your skin cells could still die and be replaced, right?

I think a reasonable interpretation of immortality is one in which the cells and/or functional cellular aggregates in your body are all capable of indefinite regeneration (e.g., "immortal" jelly fish).

Dementia wouldn't be an issue here, but you'd still be capable of dying.

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WeCanDoThisCNJ t1_j226hn7 wrote

Immortality isn’t reality for complex organisms like vertebrates, so you lost us with the first sentence.

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Future_Ad8697 t1_j22bkxd wrote

My point was that a realistic definition of immortality is having the capacity to live forever, rather than necessarily living forever.

I understand that humans aren't capable of reverting to an embryo and redeveloping endlessly, in a manner analogous to a jellyfish.

But maybe it's possible that there exists some sequence of nucleotides which would enable some human-like species to naturally regenerate specialized cells/extracellular structures, and avoid or repair life-cycle dysregulating mutations associated with aging, to approach something like immortality in a complex organism.

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