Human head transplant will soon be ready

[Still Waters]

The first human head transplant could take place in just two years, it was reported on Thursday.

Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero, from the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, claims the Frankenstein-style procedure to graft a living person's head on to a donor body will soon be ready.

http://www.telegraph...-two-years.html

It seems he's been claiming this for years -

http://www.unexplain...howtopic=250469

[xYlvax]

This is a bit scary to me.. Yet, at the same time I really want to see it get pulled off, if it can be used to help willing heads find new bodies..

[Crabby Kitten]

It's about people with muscle degradation, damaged tissue and bad burns getting new skin.

I doubt it will be anything like Princess Mombi.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Red Moon

[Iron_Lotus]

YES FINALLY! i will have the body i always wanted!!

[Solipsi Rai]

What makes science-fiction interesting to many people: it tends to become reality. Science always finds ways to break barriers and limits. What's the need to transplant a human head on a new body willing to accept a new head (blood type match)? Does it improve the quality of life in the head or society as a whole? Volunteers would have to accept new body shapes and sizes (or genders, that's possible).

[EnderOTD]

I can see a whole new era of cosmetic surgery in the wake if this is possible. Why get butt or breast implants when you can just choose a donor corpse with the posterior and rack you've always wanted! Strange times a-head indeed.

Edited February 27, 2015 by EnderOTD

[gailforce]

wouldn't it be a body transplant, since who you are is the brain and i dont you could transplant a head and put a different persons brain in there

[KevinP]

I remember reading about this back in the early eighties, there was an article in "Research & Development" Magazine. Seems the only problem they couldn't work out was reconnecting the spinal cord. Then there is still the issue with rejection. This was done on monkeys. The spinal cord is still an issue, let's face it if I get a new body then I want to be able to do whatever I want in it. Dance, have sex, walk, run, climb.

Sadly, there are no shortages of available bodies, people are often killed by head trauma and have almost no injury to the rest of the body. It's where we get organs for transplant, if this does come to fruition then it might be a viable alternative.

The moral and ethical dilemma might come with the possibility of something resembling immortality, since we don't know how long a human brain can actually last.

[Q-C]

Reading this kind of stuff (and posters' pics) when you are not fully awake can be quite the experience.

Edited February 27, 2015 by QuiteContrary

[seeder]

I remember reading about this back in the early eighties, there was an article in "Research & Development" Magazine. Seems the only problem they couldn't work out was reconnecting the spinal cord. Then there is still the issue with rejection. This was done on monkeys. The spinal cord is still an issue, let's face it if I get a new body then I want to be able to do whatever I want in it. Dance, have sex, walk, run, climb.

Sadly, there are no shortages of available bodies, people are often killed by head trauma and have almost no injury to the rest of the body. It's where we get organs for transplant, if this does come to fruition then it might be a viable alternative.

The moral and ethical dilemma might come with the possibility of something resembling immortality, since we don't know how long a human brain can actually last.

The spinal cord is the key I agree, or one of the major keys anyway. If he can pull that one off then that alone offers massive hope to paralysed folk. In today's world we lose our faculties as we age, such as eyesight, memory, we can suffer dementia etc, so yes Id go along with the fact that our brains DO age

[spartan max2]

This is atleast decades away from working

Our brains are "plastic" as in all the connections rewire based on our lives. You can't through that on a new body and expect all the connections to match up and work.

[Imaginarynumber1]

This is atleast decades away from working

Our brains are "plastic" as in all the connections rewire based on our lives. You can't through that on a new body and expect all the connections to match up and work.

But you can expect the plasticity of the brain to aid in making it possible. It's arteries, veins and nerves. Not much else connecting your head to your body.

I would think that host rejection would be the biggest problem, assuming the spinal cord issue has been worked out as the "doctor" claims.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Imaginarynumber1

[spartan max2]

But you can expect the plasticity of the brain to aid in making it possible. It's arteries, veins and nerves. Not much else connecting your head to your body.

I would think that host rejection would be the biggest problem, assuming the spinal cord issue has been worked out as the "doctor" claims.

I guess that same plasticity could help. We will have to wait and see.

It just seems to me that after a whole life of brain connections and rewiring with a body that the brain is going to know what to do with a new body.

But who knows if it acceptance the body maybe it will adapt faster then I give it credit for

[Imaginarynumber1]

But who knows if it acceptance the body maybe it will adapt faster then I give it credit for

I think this. I could be completely wrong, but I will think this cause I want my new gorilla body when i get too old to do things on my own.

[LV-426]

Seems like an opportune moment for a tune...

[+OverSword]

This is complete malarkey IMO. They will have to test it first (probably on chimps) and I can't imagine any ethics board signing off on the tests these days.

[maximusnow]

So you don’t like working out and dieting? Go to the body farm, where a team of our top growers will mate you with a lab grown body, imagine 8 percent body fat! Your spouse will love all the new features cloned from the nation’s top athletes. If you’re not totally satisfied, we have a body back guarantee.

[KevinP]

The spinal cord is the key I agree, or one of the major keys anyway. If he can pull that one off then that alone offers massive hope to paralysed folk. In today's world we lose our faculties as we age, such as eyesight, memory, we can suffer dementia etc, so yes Id go along with the fact that our brains DO age

The question becomes one of plumbing where the brain is concerned. Arteries can clog up just like the ones in our hearts do, leading to stroke. I think it would be interesting to see what effect a new body might have on an aged head and brain.

[back to earth]

It does work .... I mean ... look at me !

[back to earth]

The question becomes one of plumbing where the brain is concerned. Arteries can clog up just like the ones in our hearts do, leading to stroke. I think it would be interesting to see what effect a new body might have on an aged head and brain.

A bit like this combination perhaps ?

[Harte]

Maybe it would work if you simply had your head grafted onto someone else who's still alive.

This technology would revolutionize prostitution.

Harte

[acute]

Great! I can't wait for my new head!

(As gailforce pointed out, it's a body transplant, not a head transplant)

[+joc]

The question becomes one of plumbing where the brain is concerned. Arteries can clog up just like the ones in our hearts do, leading to stroke. I think it would be interesting to see what effect a new body might have on an aged head and brain.

Hmmm...like putting old wine in new bottles?

[DieChecker]

The first human head transplant could take place in just two years, it was reported on Thursday.

Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero, from the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, claims the Frankenstein-style procedure to graft a living person's head on to a donor body will soon be ready.

http://www.telegraph...-two-years.html

It seems he's been claiming this for years -

http://www.unexplain...howtopic=250469

The spinal cords would then be cut and the recipient's head moved on to the donor body. The ends of the spinal cord would be fused together using a chemical called polyethylene glycol, which encourages fat within cell membranes to mesh.

Even if the spinal cord joins back together, that is like two copper cables of a hundred wires together, the routing of what controls what could very well be screwed up so the person might never even start breathing, or their heart beating, again.

I don't think this is ever going to really work other then perhaps putting someone into incredible pain for years and being able to barely move.

[+Shooter McGavin]

This is complete malarkey IMO. They will have to test it first (probably on chimps) and I can't imagine any ethics board signing off on the tests these days.

Didn't the Soviets conduct head transplantations on dogs?