Rejuvenation is a medical discipline focused on the practical reversal of the aging process .
78-521: [REDACTED] Look up deathless in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Deathless may refer to: Immortal , having eternal life Deathless (Throwdown album) , 2009 Deathless (Revocation album) , 2014 Deathless (Miss May I album) , 2015 Deathless (novel) , a fantasy novel by Catherynne M. Valente See also [ edit ] Lifeless (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
156-510: A futurist and transhumanist , stated in his book The Singularity Is Near that he believes that advanced medical nanorobotics could completely remedy the effects of aging by 2030. According to Richard Feynman , it was his former graduate student and collaborator Albert Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines (see biological machine ). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to
234-440: A limb , but can regenerate the lens or retina of an eye and can regenerate an intestine . For regeneration the salamander tissues form a blastema by de-differentiation of mesenchymal cells , and the blastema functions as a self-organizing system to regenerate the limb. Yet another option involves cosmetic changes to the individual to create the appearance of youth. These are generally superficial and do little to make
312-476: A "cap" at the end of DNA, are thought to be the cause of cell aging. Every time a cell divides the telomere becomes a bit shorter; when it is finally worn down, the cell is unable to split and dies. Telomerase is an enzyme which rebuilds the telomeres in stem cells and cancer cells, allowing them to replicate an infinite number of times. No definitive work has yet demonstrated that telomerase can be used in human somatic cells to prevent healthy tissues from aging. On
390-436: A computer system, and exist indefinitely in a virtual environment. This could be accomplished via advanced cybernetics, where computer hardware would initially be installed in the brain to help sort memory or accelerate thought processes. Components would be added gradually until the person's entire brain functions were handled by artificial devices, avoiding sharp transitions that would lead to issues of identity , thus running
468-438: A continuous physical life is to be maintained. This aversion to trauma risk to the brain would naturally result in significant behavioral changes that would render physical immortality undesirable for some people. Organisms otherwise unaffected by these causes of death would still face the problem of obtaining sustenance (whether from currently available agricultural processes or from hypothetical future technological processes) in
546-466: A copy of the original mind, and not the conscious mind of the living entity associated in such a transfer. Without a simultaneous upload of consciousness, the original living entity remains mortal, thus not achieving true immortality. Research on neural correlates of consciousness is yet inconclusive on this issue. Whatever the route to mind upload, persons in this state could then be considered essentially immortal, short of loss or traumatic destruction of
624-610: A cyborg. Some people believe that such modifications would make one impervious to aging and disease and theoretically immortal unless killed or destroyed. As late as 1952, the editorial staff of the Syntopicon found in their compilation of the Great Books of the Western World , that "The philosophical issue concerning immortality cannot be separated from issues concerning the existence and nature of man's soul." Thus,
702-416: A future physical resurrection ), proclaims an amalgamated view of resurrected believers where both the physical and the spiritual are rebuilt in the likeness of post-resurrection Christ, who "will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body" (ESV). This thought mirrors Paul's depiction of believers having been "buried therefore with him [that is, Christ] by baptism into death" (ESV). N.T. Wright ,
780-656: A living, breathing conscious body, rather than to an immortal soul. In the New Testament, the Greek word traditionally translated "soul" ( ψυχή ) has substantially the same meaning as the Hebrew, without reference to an immortal soul. "Soul" may refer either to the whole person, the self, as in "three thousand souls " were converted in Acts 2:41 (see Acts 3:23 ). The Hebrew Bible speaks about Sheol (שאול), originally
858-402: A nanorobotics theorist, suggests tiny medical nanorobots could be created to go through human bloodstreams, find dangerous things like cancer cells and bacteria, and destroy them. Freitas anticipates that gene-therapies and nanotechnology will eventually make the human body effectively self-sustainable and capable of living indefinitely in empty space, short of severe brain trauma. This supports
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#1732779564436936-484: A new creation" , he said. Christian apocrypha include immortal human figures such as Cartaphilus who were cursed with physical immortality for various transgressions against Christ during the Passion. The medieval Waldensians believed in the immortality of the soul. Leaders of sects such as John Asgill and John Wroe taught followers that physical immortality was possible. Many Patristic writers have connected
1014-451: A solution to each of these causes, a program de Grey calls engineered negligible senescence . There is also a huge body of knowledge indicating that change is characterized by the loss of molecular fidelity. Disease is theoretically surmountable by technology. In short, it is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism, something the body should not typically have to deal with its natural make up. Human understanding of genetics
1092-500: A stochastic data-based clock. Most attempts at genetic repair have traditionally involved the use of a retrovirus to insert a new gene into a random position on a chromosome . But by attaching zinc fingers (which determine where transcription factors bind) to endonucleases (which break DNA strands), homologous recombination can be induced to correct and replace defective (or undesired) DNA sequences. The first applications of this technology are to isolate stem cells from
1170-462: A subject of research and debate. Programmed cell death and the telomere "end replication problem" are found even in the earliest and simplest of organisms. This may be a tradeoff between selecting for cancer and selecting for aging. Modern theories on the evolution of aging include the following: Individual organisms ordinarily age and die, while the germlines which connect successive generations are potentially immortal. The basis for this difference
1248-653: A synonym of the grave – the repository of the dead or the cessation of existence, until the resurrection of the dead . This doctrine of resurrection is mentioned explicitly only in Daniel 12:1–4 although it may be implied in several other texts. New theories arose concerning Sheol during the intertestamental period . The views about immortality in Judaism is perhaps best exemplified by the various references to this in Second Temple period . The concept of resurrection of
1326-485: A theologian and former Bishop of Durham , has said many people forget the physical aspect of what Jesus promised. He told Time : "Jesus' resurrection marks the beginning of a restoration that he will complete upon his return . Part of this will be the resurrection of all the dead , who will 'awake', be embodied and participate in the renewal. Wright says John Polkinghorne , a physicist and a priest, has put it this way: 'God will download our software onto his hardware until
1404-415: Is a fundamental problem in biology. The Russian biologist and historian Zhores A. Medvedev considered that the accuracy of genome replicative and other synthetic systems alone cannot explain the immortality of germlines . Rather Medvedev thought that known features of the biochemistry and genetics of sexual reproduction indicate the presence of unique information maintenance and restoration processes at
1482-522: Is a state of life that allows a person to avoid death and maintain conscious thought. It can mean the unending existence of a person from a physical source other than organic life, such as a computer. Pursuit of physical immortality before the advent of modern science included alchemists , who sought to create the Philosopher's Stone , and various cultures' legends such as the Fountain of Youth or
1560-406: Is also a state that the gods at times offer humans. In Christianity , the conviction that God may offer physical immortality with the resurrection of the flesh at the end of time has traditionally been at the center of its beliefs. What form an unending human life would take, or whether an immaterial soul exists and possesses immortality, has been a major point of focus of religion, as well as
1638-494: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some species possess ' biological immortality ' due to an apparent lack of the Hayflick limit . Some scientists, futurists and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immortality may be achievable in
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#17327795644361716-528: Is gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say, 'Why, this is what we were fed with before,' for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein forever." In contrast, the kafir hold the contradictory notion that they abide in Jahannam perpetually. Angels in Islam are reckoned as immortals from
1794-459: Is given a long life but not immortality or there is more than a little argument stated about the demise of khidr ; however, it is the matter of debate, and there is a fabrication point that goes around the Khidr drank from the fountain of Life , which is thoroughly invalid. Jesus in Islam was summoned to the sky by Allah's sanction to preserve him from the cross and endow him with long life until
1872-433: Is indeed possible for a creature to be biologically immortal , these are animals which are physiologically very different from humans, and it is not known if something comparable will ever be possible for humans. Immortality in religion refers usually to either the belief in physical immortality or a more spiritual afterlife . In traditions such as ancient Egyptian beliefs, Mesopotamian beliefs and ancient Greek beliefs,
1950-731: Is leading to cures and treatments for a myriad of previously incurable diseases. The mechanisms by which other diseases do damage are becoming better understood. Sophisticated methods of detecting diseases early are being developed. Preventative medicine is becoming better understood. Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's may soon be curable with the use of stem cells . Breakthroughs in cell biology and telomere research are leading to treatments for cancer. Vaccines are being researched for AIDS and tuberculosis . Genes associated with type 1 diabetes and certain types of cancer have been discovered, allowing for new therapies to be developed. Artificial devices attached directly to
2028-581: Is mediated by systemic environment, rather than being an intrinsic cell property. Clinical trials based on transfusion of young blood were scheduled to begin in 2014. Another intervention that is gaining popularity is epigenetic reprogramming. Through the use of Yamanaka factors , aged cells can revert to a younger state. It has been demonstrated that reprogramming induces a youthful epigenetic state and can restore vision after injury. Only through reprogramming were stochastic epigenetic variations, which accumulate with age, successfully reversed, as demonstrated by
2106-694: Is the accumulation of damage to macromolecules , cells , tissues and organs in and on the body which, when it can no longer be tolerated by an organism , ultimately leads to its death . If any of that damage can be repaired, the result is rejuvenation. There have been many experiments which have been shown to increase the maximum life span of laboratory animals, thereby achieving life extension . A few experimental methods such as replacing hormones to youthful levels have had considerable success in partially rejuvenating laboratory animals and humans. A 2011 experiment involved breeding genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase, causing
2184-419: Is warranted in exploiting this property, as exactly this same unbounded growth is a crucial step in enabling cancerous growth. If an organism can replicate its body cells faster, then it would theoretically stop aging. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase, which allows them to divide repeatedly and form the individual. In adults, telomerase is highly expressed in cells that need to divide regularly (e.g., in
2262-694: The Dead Sea scrolls texts. Both Josephus and the New Testament record that the Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife , but the sources vary on the beliefs of the Pharisees . The New Testament claims that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection, but does not specify whether this included the flesh or not. According to Josephus , who himself was a Pharisee, the Pharisees held that only
2340-520: The Peaches of Immortality inspiring attempts at discovering an elixir of life . Modern scientific trends, such as cryonics , digital immortality , breakthroughs in rejuvenation , or predictions of an impending technological singularity , to achieve genuine human physical immortality, must still overcome all causes of death to succeed. There are three main causes of death: natural aging , disease , and injury . Such issues can be resolved with
2418-480: The Philosopher's Stone , the mythical substance that, as it was believed, could not only turn lead into gold, but also prolong life and restore youth. Although the set goal was not achieved, alchemy paved the way to the scientific method and so to the medical advances of today. Serge Abrahamovitch Voronoff was a French surgeon born in Russia who gained fame for his technique of grafting monkey testicle tissue on to
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2496-515: The bone marrow of patients having blood disease mutations , to correct those mutations in laboratory dishes using zinc finger endonucleases and to transplant the stem cells back into the patients. More recent efforts leverage CRISPR-Cas systems or adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Enhanced DNA repair has been proposed as a potential rejuvenation strategy. See DNA damage theory of aging . Stem cell regenerative medicine uses three different strategies: A salamander can not only regenerate
2574-583: The nervous system may restore sight to the blind. Drugs are being developed to treat a myriad of other diseases and ailments. Physical trauma would remain as a threat to perpetual physical life, as an otherwise immortal person would still be subject to unforeseen accidents or catastrophes. The speed and quality of paramedic response remains a determining factor in surviving severe trauma. A body that could automatically repair itself from severe trauma, such as speculated uses for nanotechnology , would mitigate this factor. The brain cannot be risked to trauma if
2652-719: The Fall , although this initial "imperishability of the bodily frame of man" was "a preternatural condition". Christians who profess the Nicene Creed believe that every dead person (whether they believed in Christ or not) will be resurrected from the dead at the Second Coming ; this belief is known as universal resurrection . Paul the Apostle , in following his past life as a Pharisee (a Jewish social movement that held to
2730-506: The advanced industrial societies are already markedly longer than those of the past because of better nutrition, availability of health care, standard of living and bio-medical scientific advances. Technological immortality predicts further progress for the same reasons over the near term. An important aspect of current scientific thinking about immortality is that some combination of human cloning , cryonics or nanotechnology will play an essential role in extreme life extension. Robert Freitas ,
2808-580: The advent of the Dajjal . Dajjal is, additionally, given a long life. Jesus Christ dispatches the Dajjal as he stays after 40 days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and the rest of his days like normal days. The Qur'an states that it is the ultimate fate of all life, including humans , to die eventually. كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ (Every soul will taste death) The traditional concept of an immaterial and immortal soul distinct from
2886-515: The amount or proportion of telomerase in the body, a naturally forming enzyme that helps maintain the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes , could prevent cells from dying and so may ultimately lead to extended, healthier lifespans. A team of researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Centre ( Madrid ) tested the hypothesis on mice. It was found that those mice which were " genetically engineered to produce 10 times
2964-687: The body was not found in Judaism before the Babylonian exile , but developed as a result of interaction with Persian and Hellenistic philosophies . Accordingly, the Hebrew word nephesh , although translated as "soul" in some older English-language Bibles, actually has a meaning closer to "living being". Nephesh was rendered in the Septuagint as ψυχή ( psūchê ), the Greek word for 'soul'. The only Hebrew word traditionally translated "soul" ( nephesh ) in English language Bibles refers to
3042-543: The body will respond to them as it did when it was younger, thus repairing and restoring many body functions. In line with this, recent experiments show that heterochronic parabiosis , i.e. connecting the circulatory systems of young and old animal, leads to the rejuvenation of the old animal, including restoration of proper stem cell function. Similar experiments show that grafting old muscles into young hosts leads to their complete restoration, whereas grafting young muscles into old hosts does not. These experiments show that aging
3120-416: The causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging. Rejuvenation is the reversal of aging and thus requires a different strategy, namely repair of the damage that is associated with aging or replacement of damaged tissue with new tissue. Rejuvenation can be a means of life extension, but most life extension strategies do not involve rejuvenation. Various myths tell the stories about
3198-459: The death of a certain individual, it will be arbitrated consistent with its beliefs as well as actions and will embark on the ever-lasting place where they will abate. The Muslim who holds the five pillars of Islam will make an entrance into the Jannah , where they will inhabit eternally. Al-Baqarah (2:25): "But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion
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3276-491: The different stages of gametogenesis . In particular, Medvedev considered that the most important opportunities for information maintenance of germ cells are created by recombination during meiosis and DNA repair ; he saw these as processes within the germ cells that were capable of restoring the integrity of DNA and chromosomes from the types of damage that cause irreversible aging in somatic cells . Chemical Neurological Some scientists believe that boosting
3354-424: The entire structure in a computer. What level of detail such scans and simulations would need to achieve to emulate awareness, and whether the scanning process would destroy the brain, is still to be determined. It is suggested that achieving immortality through this mechanism would require specific consideration to be given to the role of consciousness in the functions of the mind . An uploaded mind would only be
3432-431: The existence of biologically immortal species demonstrates, there is no thermodynamic necessity for senescence: a defining feature of life is that it takes in free energy from the environment and unloads its entropy as waste. Living systems can even build themselves up from seed, and routinely repair themselves. Aging is therefore presumed to be a byproduct of evolution , but why mortality should be selected for remains
3510-418: The face of changing availability of suitable resources as environmental conditions change. After avoiding aging, disease, and trauma, death through resource limitation is still possible, such as hypoxia or starvation . If there is no limitation on the degree of gradual mitigation of risk then it is possible that the cumulative probability of death over an infinite horizon is less than certainty , even when
3588-418: The fact that the 191-amino acid protein is too large to be absorbed through the mucous membranes , and would be broken up in the stomach if swallowed. The Mprize scientific competition is under way to deliver on the mission of extending healthy human life. It directly accelerates the development of revolutionary new life extension therapies by awarding two cash prizes: one to the research team that breaks
3666-417: The first few decades of the 21st century with the help of certain technologies such as mind uploading ( digital immortality ). Other advocates believe that life extension is a more achievable goal in the short term, with immortality awaiting further research breakthroughs. The absence of aging would provide humans with biological immortality, but not invulnerability to death by disease or injury . Whether
3744-440: The future after cures to the patients' diseases have been discovered and aging is reversible . Modern cryonics procedures use a process called vitrification which creates a glass-like state rather than freezing as the body is brought to low temperatures. This process reduces the risk of ice crystals damaging the cell-structure, which would be especially detrimental to cell structures in the brain, as their minute adjustment evokes
3822-464: The immortal gods consequently were considered to have physical bodies. In Mesopotamian and Greek religion, the gods also made certain men and women physically immortal, whereas in Christianity, many believe that all true believers will be resurrected to physical immortality. Similar beliefs that physical immortality is possible are held by Rastafarians or Rebirthers . Physical immortality
3900-482: The immortal rational soul to the image of God found in Genesis 1:26. Among them is Athanasius of Alexandria and Clement of Alexandria, who say that the immortal rational soul itself is the image of God. Even Early Christian Liturgies exhibit this connection between the immortal rational soul and the creation of humanity in the image of God. Islamic beliefs bears the concept of spiritual immortality within it; following
3978-408: The immune system), whereas most somatic cells express it only at very low levels in a cell-cycle dependent manner. Technological immortality is the prospect for much longer life spans made possible by scientific advances in a variety of fields: nanotechnology, emergency room procedures, genetics, biological engineering , regenerative medicine , microbiology , and others. Contemporary life spans in
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#17327795644364056-417: The individual's mind. One idea that has been advanced involves uploading an individual's habits and memories via direct mind-computer interface . The individual's memory may be loaded to a computer or to a new organic body. Extropian futurists like Moravec and Kurzweil have proposed that, thanks to exponentially growing computing power, it will someday be possible to upload human consciousness onto
4134-447: The machines that maintained them. Transforming a human into a cyborg can include brain implants or extracting a human processing unit and placing it in a robotic life-support system. Even replacing biological organs with robotic ones could increase life span (e.g. pace makers) and depending on the definition, many technological upgrades to the body, like genetic modifications or the addition of nanobots would qualify an individual as
4212-491: The mice to age prematurely and suffer ailments. When the mice were given injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of aging. There are at least eight important hormones that decline with age: 1. human growth hormone (HGH); 2. the sexual hormones: testosterone or oestrogen/progesterone; 3. erythropoietin (EPO); 4. insulin; 5. DHEA ; 6. melatonin; 7. thyroid; 8. pregnenolone. In theory, if all or some of these hormones are replaced,
4290-632: The most well known examples of this, dealing with the short- and long-term effects of a near perfect 80-year-old to 20-year-old body change with mind intact. The less perfect rejuvenation featured in the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson results in long-term memory loss and sheer boredom that comes with extreme age. The post-mortal characters in the Revelation Space series have long-term or essentially infinite lifespans, and sheer boredom induces them to undertake activities of extreme risk. Aging
4368-435: The normal levels of telomerase lived 50% longer than normal mice". In normal circumstances, without the presence of telomerase, if a cell divides repeatedly, at some point all the progeny will reach their Hayflick limit . With the presence of telomerase, each dividing cell can replace the lost bit of DNA , and any single cell can then divide unbounded. While this unbounded growth property has excited many researchers, caution
4446-458: The other hand, scientists hope to be able to grow organs with the help of stem cells, allowing organ transplants without the risk of rejection, another step in extending human life expectancy. These technologies are the subject of ongoing research, and are not yet realized. Life defined as biologically immortal is still susceptible to causes of death besides aging, including disease and trauma, as defined above. Notable immortal species include: As
4524-714: The person healthier or live longer, but the real improvement in a person's appearance may elevate their mood and have positive side effects normally correlated with happiness . Cosmetic surgery is a large industry offering treatments such as removal of wrinkles ("face lift"), removal of extra fat (liposuction) and reshaping or augmentation of various body parts ( abdomen , breasts , face ). There are also, as commonly found throughout history, many fake rejuvenation products that have been shown to be ineffective. Chief among these are powders, sprays, gels, and homeopathic substances that claim to contain growth hormones. Authentic growth hormones are only effective when injected, mainly due to
4602-486: The perspective of Islam but most people believe is that the angels will die and that the Angel of Death will die, but there is no clear text concerning this. Rather there are texts which may indicate this, and there is the well known hadeeth (narration) about the "trumpet", which is a munkar hadeeth (rejected report). alternatively, Jinn have a long lifespan between 1000 and 1500. In some Muslim Sufi mystics, Khidr
4680-518: The physical body is found in 2 Maccabees , according to which it will happen through recreation of the flesh. Resurrection of the dead is specified in detail in the extra-canonical books of Enoch , and in Apocalypse of Baruch . According to the British scholar in ancient Judaism P.R. Davies , there is "little or no clear reference ... either to immortality or to resurrection from the dead" in
4758-672: The point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor". The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom . Cryonics , the practice of preserving organisms (either intact specimens or only their brains) for possible future revival by storing them at cryogenic temperatures where metabolism and decay are almost completely stopped, can be used to 'pause' for those who believe that life extension technologies will not develop sufficiently within their lifetime. Ideally, cryonics would allow clinically dead people to be brought back in
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#17327795644364836-405: The process of internal immortality is delivered within the upcoming years depends chiefly on research (and in neuron research in the case of internal immortality through an immortalized cell line) in the former view and perhaps is an awaited goal in the latter case. From at least the time of the ancient Mesopotamians , there has been a conviction that gods may be physically immortal, and that this
4914-430: The quest for rejuvenation. It was believed that magic or intervention of a supernatural power can bring back youth and many mythical adventurers set out on a journey to do that, for themselves, their relatives or some authority that sent them anonymously. An ancient Chinese emperor actually sent out ships of young men and women to find a pearl that would rejuvenate him. This led to a myth among modern Chinese that Japan
4992-447: The risk of fatal trauma in any finite period is greater than zero. Mathematically, this is an aspect of achieving 'actuarial escape velocity' . Biological immortality is an absence of aging. Specifically it is the absence of a sustained increase in rate of mortality as a function of chronological age. A cell or organism that does not experience aging, or ceases to age at some point, is biologically immortal. Biologists have chosen
5070-407: The risk of the person to be declared dead and thus not be a legitimate owner of his or her property. After this point, the human body could be treated as an optional accessory and the program implementing the person could be transferred to any sufficiently powerful computer. Another possible mechanism for mind upload is to perform a detailed scan of an individual's original, organic brain and simulate
5148-415: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Deathless . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deathless&oldid=1002761620 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
5226-869: The solutions provided in research to any end providing such alternate theories at present that require unification. See also: DNA damage theory of aging Aubrey de Grey , a leading researcher in the field, defines aging as "a collection of cumulative changes to the molecular and cellular structure of an adult organism , which result in essential metabolic processes, but which also, once they progress far enough, increasingly disrupt metabolism, resulting in pathology and death." The current causes of aging in humans are cell loss (without replacement), DNA damage , oncogenic nuclear mutations and epimutations , cell senescence , mitochondrial mutations, lysosomal aggregates, extracellular aggregates, random extracellular cross-linking, immune system decline, and endocrine changes. Eliminating aging would require finding
5304-410: The soul was immortal and the souls of good people will be reincarnated and "pass into other bodies", while "the souls of the wicked will suffer eternal punishment." The Book of Jubilees seems to refer to the resurrection of the soul only, or to a more general idea of an immortal soul. Rejuvenation (aging) Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension . Life extension strategies often study
5382-471: The subject of speculation and debate. In religious contexts, immortality is often stated to be one of the promises of divinities to human beings who perform virtue or follow divine law . Life extension technologies claim to be developing a path to complete rejuvenation . Cryonics holds out the hope that the dead can be revived in the future, following sufficient medical advancements. While, as shown with creatures such as hydra and Planarian worms, it
5460-558: The testicles of men while working in France in the 1920s and 1930s. This was one of the first medically accepted rejuvenation therapies (before he was proved to be wrong around 1930–1940). The technique brought him a great deal of money, although he was already independently wealthy. As his work fell out of favor, he went from being a highly respected surgeon to a subject of ridicule. By the early 1930s, over 500 men had been treated in France by his rejuvenation technique, and thousands more around
5538-516: The theory that we will be able to continually create biological or synthetic replacement parts to replace damaged or dying ones. Future advances in nanomedicine could give rise to life extension through the repair of many processes thought to be responsible for aging. K. Eric Drexler , one of the founders of nanotechnology , postulated cell repair devices, including ones operating within cells and using as yet hypothetical biological machines , in his 1986 book Engines of Creation . Raymond Kurzweil ,
5616-537: The time he gives us new hardware to run the software again for ourselves.' That gets to two things nicely: that the period after death (the Intermediate state ) is a period when we are in God's presence but not active in our own bodies, and also that the more important transformation will be when we are again embodied and administering Christ's kingdom ." This kingdom will consist of Heaven and Earth "joined together in
5694-480: The vast majority of speculation on immortality before the 21st century was regarding the nature of the afterlife. The viewpoints of Christianity , Islam , and Judaism regarding the concept of immortality diverge as each faith system encapsulates unique theological interpretations and doctrines on the enduring human nature soul or spirit . Christian theology holds that Adam and Eve lost physical immortality for themselves and all their descendants through
5772-588: The word "immortal" to designate cells that are not limited by the Hayflick limit , where cells no longer divide because of DNA damage or shortened telomeres . The first and still most widely used immortal cell line is HeLa , developed from cells taken from the malignant cervical tumor of Henrietta Lacks without her consent in 1951. Prior to the 1961 work of Leonard Hayflick , there was the erroneous belief fostered by Alexis Carrel that all normal somatic cells are immortal. By preventing cells from reaching senescence one can achieve biological immortality; telomeres,
5850-436: The world record for the oldest-ever mouse; and one to the team that develops the most successful late-onset rejuvenation. Current Mprize winner for rejuvenation is Steven Spindler. Caloric restriction (CR), the consumption of fewer calories while avoiding malnutrition, was applied as a robust method of decelerating aging and the development of age-related diseases . The biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey has initiated
5928-470: The world, such as in a special clinic set up in Algiers . Noteworthy people who had the surgery included Harold McCormick , chairman of the board of International Harvester Company , and the aging premier of Turkey . Rejuvenation technology and its effects on individuals and society have long been a subject of science fiction. The Misspent Youth and Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton are among
6006-464: Was founded by these people. In some religions, people were to be rejuvenated after death prior to placing them in heaven . The stories continued well into the 16th century. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León led an expedition around the Caribbean islands and into Florida to find the Fountain of Youth . Led by the rumors, the expedition continued the search and many perished. The Fountain
6084-745: Was nowhere to be found as locals were unaware of its exact location. Since the emergence of philosophy , sages and self-proclaimed wizards always made enormous efforts to find the secret of youth, both for themselves and for their noble patrons and sponsors . It was widely believed that some potions may restore the youth. Another commonly cited approach was attempting to transfer the essence of youth from young people to old. Some examples of this approach were sleeping with virgins or children (sometimes literally sleeping, not necessarily having sex), bathing in or drinking their blood. The quest for rejuvenation reached its height with alchemy . All around Europe, and also beyond, alchemists were looking for
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