Listen "#27 The mind-blowing science to bring you back from death - neuroscientist Ariel Zeleznikow‑Johnston"
Episode Synopsis
When is someone really dead? What does it mean to survive? Is mind-uploading really a possible future way of surviving? These are some of the questions we are discussing with Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston.Dr Ariel Zeleznikow‑Johnston is a neuroscientist and Research Fellow at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, whose work delves into the neural basis of consciousness - from understanding how genetics and environment shape cognition to exploring the subtle qualities of perceptual experience such as color qualia. A 2019 PhD graduate from The University of Melbourne, he has published extensively on how cognitive function changes across the lifespan. He is the author of The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death, which advocates for brain preservation technology as a means to suspend death and revive individuals in the future.Check out Peter's review of the book here: https://reachlevity.com/p/a-clear-case-for-cryonics-a-review-of-the-future-loves-youHis multidisciplinary approach combines rigorous neuroscience with philosophy and ethics, positioning him at the forefront of contemporary debates about identity, mortality, and the future of human life.🔍 In this conversation:✅ When do we consider someone to be dead?✅ What is vitrifixation?✅ Cryonics.✅ Palliative philosophy.✅ Personal identity and the connectome.✅ Are neurons the same over time?✅ Teleportation as a test of the information view of personhood.✅ How do we make the future love us?✅ Survival and medical priorities.🚀 Special offer for our LEVITY audience: Join Vitalism today and receive a 30% discount on your membership using the code LEVITY at checkout. https://www.vitalism.io/membership🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com🚀 LEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author.CHAPTER00:00 Intro03:45 Jonathan is 190-years-old07:00 Learned helplessness10:00 Incoherent medical strategies11:30 Aging is unhealthy14:22 Palliative philosophy20:44 The book in brief - how to cheat death23:30 Different ways of biostasis - vitrifixation35:01 Digital snap-shot emulation of our essense37:59 What is a person? Connectome preservation43:30 Do neurons stay the same over a life?47:00 Is mind-uploading preserving personal identity?01:03:52 We are not our brain - is the connectome model a dualist view?01:07:50 Teleportation and survival I01:14:19 Duplicate myself to increase utility01:15:31 Teleportation and survival II01:24:30 "Dead people" may not be dead01:33:30 Saving lives by biostasis brainpreservation01:36:04 Priority of medicine01:38:05 Saving everyone that can be saved01:40:07 Justice and survival - an unusual angle01:43:36 What kind of world will we wake up to?01:44:48 How to make the future love us01:44:59 What are the odds of today's cryonics working?01:49:10 What year is resurrection?01:56:33 Ariel's book recommendations🗞️ SUBSCRIBE to the LEVITY newsletter: reachlevity.com/subscribeGet all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode)📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524-----Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com/subscribeLEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.