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00:00 Would you want to live forever?
00:03 Do you think immortality is possible?
00:05 And if it were, then what would you do with infinite days ahead of you?
00:09 In this video, we'll first take a closer look at a theory of quantum physics which
00:13 says that there really is life after death.
00:16 Then we're counting down the ten craziest ways in which real-world people have tried
00:20 to live forever, for better or, more usually, for worse.
00:24 And finally, we'll take an in-depth look at what the future will be like if our lives
00:29 get translated into an immortal code.
00:33 This is Unveiled, and today we're taking a closer look at some theories that prove
00:37 you never die, as well as some failed attempts at living forever.
00:41 Do you need the big questions answered?
00:43 Are you constantly curious?
00:45 Then why not subscribe to Unveiled for more clips like this one?
00:48 And ring the bell for more thought-provoking content!
00:54 What if you knew that you were never going to die?
00:57 Of all the what-if scenarios out there, it's one of the most popular.
01:00 And it's never quite as easy as it first appears.
01:03 Yes, never dying means you can pretty much do anything you want, forever and ever.
01:08 But also, if you never die, then really, what's the point in living?
01:12 We've focused more on the moral dilemmas in past videos, so be sure to check them out
01:16 after this.
01:18 But today, it's all about making immortality actually happen.
01:21 Over the last decade or so, interest in quantum physics has skyrocketed.
01:35 Scientists have unlocked the world of the very, very small, and with it have ushered
01:39 in a new age for things like energy, computing, and medicine.
01:43 More than all of that, however, our growing quantum knowledge has fundamentally reshaped
01:48 what we think life is.
01:50 The theory of biocentrism, proposed by the US scientist Robert Lanza, principally argues
01:55 that rather than the universe creating life, it's actually life that creates the universe.
02:01 What we, in ourselves, call consciousness was actually there at the beginning of everything.
02:06 And it's just that now, almost 14 billion years later, consciousness channels itself
02:11 through us, human beings.
02:14 As such, we've come to view life, the universe, and everything through our bodies, processed
02:19 by our brains.
02:20 But really, to some degree, none of that is necessary.
02:24 In this model, then, our brains and bodies might be viewed more like sophisticated modems,
02:29 catching and translating signals and converting those into our own life experiences.
02:34 But if the brain and body dies - if the modem is destroyed - then the signals don't just
02:39 disappear as well.
02:41 They remain, and might well be rerouted or recycled into some other host.
02:46 In a biocentric reality, life is the signal.
02:49 And while we may think that it's so reliant on our bodies for communication, it actually
02:54 carries on regardless.
02:55 It's life as we don't know it, but it's life all the same.
02:59 So, the theory goes.
03:01 Lanza's ideas have divided opinion since they were first put forward in the late 2000s.
03:06 For some, biocentrism offers a bridge between the philosophical concepts of life and death,
03:12 and the physicality of it all.
03:14 For others, the theory is still far too vague, with little to no evidence as to what consciousness
03:19 really is.
03:21 In subsequent discussions and interviews, Lanza has highlighted the famed "double-slit"
03:25 experiment to back biocentrism up.
03:28 Via the experiment, scientists can show that light and matter can either be wave or particle
03:33 depending upon whether they are observed.
03:36 Consciousness creates the universe, not the other way around.
03:39 Supporters also draw on the fine-tuning problem for further reasons as to why biocentrism
03:44 makes sense.
03:45 The fine-tuning problem shows that there are so many physical conditions to the universe
03:50 that make it just right for life, that it seems impossibly unlikely that we should be
03:55 here in a universe that's so suited to us.
03:58 When viewed biocentrically, though, there is no fine-tuning problem, because consciousness
04:03 obviously would aim for a reality that works.
04:07 According to some, all of this inevitably leads to so-called "life after death".
04:12 To death being an illusion.
04:14 Because life and consciousness no longer end with our bodies and brains.
04:17 Instead, it dissipates out of us like a kind of energy into the rest of the universe - of
04:22 its own making - once the vehicle of a body is no more.
04:26 Again, biocentrism is sometimes criticised for the vagueness of this aspect.
04:31 Although it's not as though this is the first attempt to place consciousness - or a
04:34 soul - beyond our physical means.
04:37 Discussions of that sort go all the way back to René Descartes, at least, in the seventeenth
04:41 century and the Age of Enlightenment.
04:43 More broadly, still, biocentrism suggests that even the underlying principle of time
04:49 is merely the product of consciousness inside our current bodies, creating a means through
04:54 which to understand and remember.
04:56 Time, and specifically the arrow of time, is then explained as a tool of our minds.
05:02 Rather than some kind of higher, immovable quality of the universe.
05:06 But finally, Lanza's biocentrism isn't the only such idea towards living forever, either.
05:11 The succinctly named "quantum immortality model" relies on that other underpinning central
05:17 concept of modern theoretical science - the multiverse.
05:21 Developed out of Hugh Everett's "many worlds" interpretation, the idea is that for every
05:26 choice or split that's ever made, a new branch of reality is formed.
05:30 These branches never cross over, but run closely alongside one another, reflecting minor to
05:36 major differences as a direct result of whatever caused the split in the first place.
05:41 Over the years, science fiction writers have had a lot of fun with the story potential
05:45 here, suggesting that huge events could well be determined upon a person's fleeting decision
05:50 to buy an apple or a banana, for example.
05:53 But what the multiverse could mean for life after death is something that science fact
05:57 has pondered, too.
05:59 The basic premise of quantum immortality is that, in a multiverse, there should always
06:04 be a split possible through which a person survives.
06:08 A rerouting through reality, which means that again and again and again, they live rather
06:14 than die.
06:15 The idea can once more be linked back to key studies like the Double Slit Experiment, which
06:19 apparently suggests that all options are always possible… until they're observed and then
06:25 are not.
06:26 Death is still death.
06:27 It's still final, and it's not as though, even in the multiverse, you could rewind time
06:32 to make it not happen.
06:33 But after death, and if you follow the multiverse, it could be that on another level of the model,
06:39 in another version of the endless realities, that particular death didn't happen, and
06:44 life still wins out.
06:46 The question to combine both biocentrism and quantum immortality is… could consciousness
06:51 create not just the universe, but the multiverse as well?
06:55 Can life move between multiverse strands, even if physical bodies cannot?
07:00 When we're gone, will some kind of awareness - a soul, by some definitions - still remain?
07:06 And if that were to be the case, then could we, as we are, ever hope to know or understand
07:11 what was happening?
07:13 Physically speaking, death is the end of our bodies and brains.
07:17 Our vehicles for life are no more, and so perhaps we could never hope to understand
07:21 life in quite the same way again.
07:24 Not unless our consciousness were to end up in another human being.
07:27 But that's a theory for another video.
07:29 What's clear is that still, nothing is certain.
07:34 Biocentrism has divided opinion in recent times, yes, but it cannot truly claim to have
07:39 cracked the mystery of life and death just yet.
07:41 The same for quantum immortality, which is much more of a thought experiment than a physical
07:46 shorty.
07:47 Again, for modern-day humanity, it can feel as though the search for eternal life is an
07:52 everlasting quest.
07:54 And that's good and encouraging in some ways, but not so much in others.
07:58 With or without a meaning or explanation for life, we do all at least have a life to lead.
08:04 With emotions to feel, roles to fulfil and experiences to share.
08:09 There are some massive and fundamental unknowns still outstanding, but until that fog eventually
08:14 lifts, we can all spend our lives looking out for each other, enjoying the good times
08:19 and savouring the things that make us happy.
08:22 We might well ponder our quantum condition, but life's still what we make of it.
08:27 And remember, it could yet be that our consciousness created the universe.
08:32 And that's pretty special, don't you think?
08:38 Perhaps though, tying immortality to the vague unknowability of quantum physics just isn't
08:43 for you.
08:44 Next, then, we'll take a whistle-stop tour through some of the extreme lengths that others
08:49 have gone to in history, all to try to preserve themselves.
08:53 It should be said though that many of the attempts listed are gruesome.
08:57 And as many of the people we've covered here in fact died, there are also attempts that
09:01 ultimately failed.
09:12 Number 10.
09:13 Brian Johnson.
09:19 As a tech founder and venture capitalist, Brian Johnson has made millions creating and
09:23 funding companies that drive scientific process.
09:26 Since 2021, however, a lot of his money - $2 million a year, precisely - has gone towards
09:32 an experimental anti-aging program called Project Blueprint.
09:40 Johnson made headlines for his extreme attempts at immortality, which include consuming over
09:45 100 daily supplements and adhering to a strict dietary and sleep regimen.
09:55 At one point, the tech CEO even tried to freeze his biological clock by receiving blood plasma
10:00 transfusions from his teenage son.
10:03 Despite being in his 40s, Johnson claims that this project has given him "the heart of a
10:08 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old, and the lungs of an 18-year-old."
10:13 Coon is 45, but he wants the body of his 18-year-old self.
10:18 Number 9.
10:19 Pope Innocent VIII.
10:21 Back in the 15th century, there was very little known about the practice of blood transfusion
10:25 and its actual benefits.
10:27 One of the earliest recorded instances of this practice reportedly involved the Catholic
10:32 Pope Innocent VIII.
10:34 He would drink the blood of children.
10:37 Need it be said that this was a time of evil, corruption, and devilry?
10:41 The story goes that in 1492, the Pope became deathly ill and could hardly ingest any substance
10:48 other than a woman's breast milk.
10:57 Apparently believing that blood itself held the essence of life, the Pope's physicians
11:01 attempted to restore his health by feeding him with the blood of pre-teen boys.
11:06 It is said that many young boys were drained of all their blood, killing them in the process.
11:11 Tragically, this effort not only failed to revitalize the yelling Pope, who eventually
11:15 succumbs to a fever, but it also reportedly claimed the lives of his young blood donors.
11:29 Number 8.
11:30 James Stroll.
11:32 The Coalition for Radical Life Extension is an American non-profit that strives to eliminate
11:37 the suffering of aging.
11:39 To his credit, the organization's founder, a real estate investor named James Stroll,
11:43 actually walks the talk.
11:50 Stroll's quest to significantly increase human longevity was reportedly inspired by his grandmother's
11:55 death during his childhood.
11:57 He has since become a life extensionist with a rigorous health regimen.
12:01 "Why not have a metamorphosis of your own body, like a caterpillar has out of its cocoon?"
12:10 Stroll ingests about 70 supplements, including a diabetic drug held as the "aspirin of anti-aging,"
12:16 as well as pills that nourish his brain and energize his mitochondria.
12:20 He also claims to bolster his immune system by taking a cold swim every morning, and frequently
12:25 uses a pulsating electromagnetic mat that he insists "opens up the veins."
12:36 Number 7.
12:37 Diane Deportier.
12:39 Just like the outrageous regimen of tech billionaires today, the elite in 16th century France had
12:45 their own miracle product for eternal youth - drinkable gold.
12:48 Diane Deportier, a royal mistress to King Henry II and a highly influential figure,
12:53 may have met her end due to this so-called elixir.
12:56 "It has took root in Henry's heart.
12:58 She embodied the archetype of the ideal gentlewoman."
13:02 Deportier reportedly consumed the substance regularly to preserve her famed beauty.
13:07 "I will need more gold if I am to continue supplying you."
13:10 "I can get you more whenever you need."
13:13 She is said to have had the looks of a 30-year-old even well into her 60s, seemingly lending
13:18 credence to the drinkable gold's power.
13:20 "The startling revelation came in 2009 when her exhumed remains revealed high concentrations
13:26 of gold.
13:27 The drinkable gold elixir, believed to be the fountain of youth."
13:31 However, in 2009, experts analyzed her remains and discovered unusually high levels of gold
13:37 in her hair.
13:38 They believe that, instead of granting her immortality, ingesting the substance actually
13:42 led to Deportier's demise.
13:52 Number 6.
13:53 Alexander Bogdanov The quest to preserve life through blood
13:56 transfusions may have started with Pope Innocent VIII, but it certainly didn't end there.
14:00 "Alexander Bogdanov is in the midst of conducting experiments with one ultimate goal in mind,
14:06 human rejuvenation."
14:09 In the 1920s, Russian revolutionary and physician Alexander Bogdanov began working on a method
14:15 to achieve eternal youth through blood transfusions.
14:17 "To initially fund would be the world's first institute of hematology and blood transfusion."
14:22 Following a series of experiments, Bogdanov claimed that infusions of younger blood had
14:27 not only rejuvenated his appearance, but it also significantly improved his declining
14:32 eyesight.
14:33 "After undergoing 11 transfusions using the blood of younger donors."
14:36 However, these transfusions would ultimately prove fatal for Bogdanov.
14:41 In 1928, he received blood from a student who had both malaria and tuberculosis.
14:46 Although the student eventually recovered from the illnesses, Bogdanov wasn't as fortunate.
14:51 He passed away in April of that year.
15:05 Number 5.
15:06 Peter Thiel
15:07 Following in the footsteps of Alexander Bogdanov, American billionaire Peter Thiel seems to
15:11 have zeroed in on blood transfusions as the way to extend his life.
15:16 Estimated to be worth over $9 billion, Thiel reportedly aspires to live until he is 120
15:21 years old.
15:22 "What causes people to age?
15:24 Why does it happen?
15:25 What could you do about it?
15:26 And so I think that's a very promising."
15:27 This desire drove him to invest in anti-aging research from as early as 2006.
15:33 He has also admitted to ingesting human growth hormone pills to maintain his bone and muscle
15:38 health.
15:39 Thiel has since focused his attention on parabiosis, which is the scientific term for the rejuvenating
15:44 blood transfusions.
15:51 He has even taken further steps to cryogenically preserve his body, hoping to be revived in
15:56 the future if he doesn't hit his longevity goal.
16:05 Number 4.
16:06 Sam Altman
16:07 "The billionaire founder of OpenAI paid millions to be killed."
16:11 Paying a company to kill you so you can live forever might sound bizarre, but that's
16:16 what tech billionaire and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is doing.
16:20 Well, for the most part.
16:22 Precisely, Altman paid $10,000 to the startup Nektome to end his life and upload the contents
16:29 of his brain to a computer, where they can be stored forever.
16:32 "In 2018, Sam invested in Nektome.
16:34 It's a startup that wants to upload human brains into the cloud to give them eternal
16:38 life."
16:39 The company claims that with their special embalming fluid, they can "preserve your
16:44 brain well enough to keep all of its memories intact."
16:47 The biggest issue in consciousness transfer isn't the time or being able to read or write,
16:51 but it's going to be mapping the brain accurately.
16:54 But this technique is only viable if the brain is fresh.
16:57 Hence, Nektome has to terminate the patient's life beforehand.
17:00 In 2018, Altman became one of only about two dozen people to sign up for the procedure.
17:11 Number 3.
17:12 Charles-Édouard Braun-Sekar
17:14 This Mauritian scientist gained notoriety for his unconventional methods and eccentric
17:19 behavior.
17:20 In the world of hormone study, he is famous for the "Braun-Sekar elixir," which he
17:25 claimed could make people look younger and live longer.
17:28 "It is hardly possible to explain the effects I have observed on myself otherwise than by
17:33 admitting that the liquid injected possesses the power of increasing the strength of many
17:38 parts of the human organism."
17:40 In his later years, Braun-Sekar began injecting himself with extracts from the testicles of
17:46 guinea pigs and dogs.
17:52 He posited that these substances boosted his strength and enhanced his sexual performance.
18:00 However, as he was the only participant in his experiment, and there was no way of validating
18:07 his results, the elixir was derided in the scientific community.
18:11 Braun-Sekar's testicular extracts may have made him stronger, but they failed to grant
18:16 him any substantial longevity as he died at the age of 76.
18:20 Number 2.
18:21 Elisabeth Báthory
18:23 Regarded by Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer, Elisabeth Báthory
18:28 is said to have tortured and killed as many as 650 girls and women.
18:33 Due to her status as a countess in Hungary, Báthory seemingly evaded the law for years,
18:38 until she was finally arrested in 1612.
18:41 During her trial, numerous witness statements were presented, though many have since been
18:45 disputed as they relied on hearsay.
18:54 One popular claim among witnesses was that Báthory regularly bathed in the blood of
19:00 her young victims in order to maintain her youth and beauty.
19:12 As punishment for her alleged crimes, Báthory was confined to a castle for the rest of her
19:16 life, eventually passing away at age 54.
19:20 Number 1.
19:21 Qin Shi Huang
19:22 Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in China, ruling from the age
19:26 of 13 until his death at 49.
19:30 This is the first emperor's army.
19:32 The emperor was reportedly so terrified of leaving this world that he actively sought
19:37 the elixir of life in his later years.
19:48 His quest reportedly led him to ingest mercury, thinking that it would grant him immortality.
19:53 Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with finding an elixir of immortality and consumed large amounts
19:58 of mercury pills in his quest for eternal life.
20:00 Needless to say, this failed to work.
20:03 In 2010 BCE, after serving as emperor of a unified China for 11 years, Qin Shi Huang's
20:09 worst fears came to pass, as he fell ill and ultimately passed away.
20:17 Although the exact cause of death is technically unknown, it is believed to be linked to mercury
20:22 poisoning.
20:23 Clearly, there's been a lot of grisly goings-on in history, all in the name of living forever.
20:32 But for the most part, the predictions for the future aren't quite so… unpalatable.
20:38 Particularly when it comes to bridging the gap between our organic bodies and the vast,
20:42 glimmering landscapes of technology.
20:44 So, finally, what if we could digitize ourselves in the future, as a growing number of pioneers
20:51 believe we will?
20:59 A complex organic machine, this structure that we call home is capable of functions
21:05 and feats that, although usually taken for granted, are nothing short of awe-inspiring.
21:10 From its basic automated processes like breathing, to its ability to respond to a person's
21:15 specific needs, like those of a long-distance runner or bodybuilder, the human body is both
21:21 incredible and incredibly adaptable.
21:24 And yet, it is not without its shortcomings.
21:26 The human body can heal itself, but it can't replace a severed limb.
21:31 When appropriately cared for, the body can be kept running for decades, but ageing and
21:36 illness are inevitable.
21:37 Blessed as we are with highly developed brains, we navigate our time on this Earth carrying
21:42 a weighty mental burden; the knowledge that our corporeal existence is fleeting.
21:47 We're doomed to die, and we can't help but think about it.
21:50 And so, for millennia, humans have endeavoured to extend their lives as long as possible,
21:55 or better yet, indefinitely.
21:57 It's a long and storied history of attempting to cheat death.
22:01 In the early 20th century, doctor and philosopher Alexander Bogdanov claimed to have found the
22:06 key in blood transfusions, only to later die from one.
22:11 Qin Shi Huang, the legendary emperor who unified China, died in 210 BC, reportedly as a result
22:18 of drinking a mercury-based elixir of life, and he wasn't the only Chinese emperor to
22:23 meet this fate.
22:25 Even Sir Isaac Newton spent significant time in the field of alchemy, pursuing the philosopher's
22:30 stone, and by extension, immortality.
22:34 While we can laugh at these ludicrous concepts in hindsight, we're still pursuing the same
22:38 goal today.
22:40 Regenerative medicine is already doing things that sound like they're straight out of
22:44 science fiction.
22:45 Artificial organs, both inorganic and lab-grown, are in development, giving rise to hopes that
22:51 when crucial organs begin to fail, they might soon be easily replaceable.
22:56 Other researchers, like geneticist Dan Rockshaw, are looking into sea anemones for the answer,
23:02 given that these animals are functionally immortal.
23:06 Researchers yet are developing anti-aging drugs to tackle the issue at its very root,
23:11 rather than combating its symptoms.
23:13 But what if the key isn't in preserving the body, but moving beyond it altogether?
23:19 As we develop an even greater understanding of our brains and how they function, it becomes
23:23 increasingly less hard to imagine that we could eventually transfer not just our memories
23:29 to a digital medium, but our entire consciousness.
23:32 It's called "digital immortality", and depending on who you ask, it's inevitable.
23:37 According to futurist Ian Pearson, it will be a reality as soon as 2050.
23:42 Meanwhile, Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov is committed to making it happen by 2045.
23:50 Of course, these progressive thinkers have their work cut out for them.
23:54 Considering Moore's law of ever-rapidly increasing computational power, we will likely
23:58 have the machines to handle it, but biotech capable of interfacing with the brain and
24:03 transferring all that organic information?
24:06 That's a whole other story.
24:08 Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs for short, are being tested, but with more straightforward
24:14 tasks in mind, like helping to bridge the gap between brain and limb following neural
24:19 damage or a stroke.
24:21 Such developments are undeniably groundbreaking, but seem rudimentary compared to a full brain
24:27 transfer.
24:28 There are pioneers out there, like Theodore Berger, pushing BCI development in the direction
24:33 of memory storage, but until we can figure out how to safely preserve brains at death,
24:38 digitally map them and design programs allowing said consciousness to run, digital immortality
24:44 still feels far away.
24:45 While we're waiting for science to catch up to science fiction in that regard, leaps
24:51 and bounds are being made in the world of digital archiving.
24:55 Data-oriented databases preserving the thoughts, memories and feelings of individuals are already
25:00 a reality.
25:01 It doesn't scratch the immortality itch, but it does take the concept of legacy in
25:06 interesting directions.
25:08 Facebook profiles and other such social media accounts already live on as digital windows
25:13 into the lives of the recently deceased, but services like Eterni.me are taking it a step
25:18 further by compiling the information about you online for you to curate, add to and should
25:24 you choose, share with your family and friends when you pass on.
25:28 There are even plans to create an avatar that resembles you, who will serve as the interface
25:33 through which those who access can navigate your digital backup.
25:37 That final detail has admittedly made some people uncomfortable.
25:40 In the "Black Mirror" episode "Be Right Back", a grieving woman is signed up for
25:45 a service that creates a chat box simulator based on her departed boyfriend's social
25:50 media.
25:51 Things quickly escalate from there.
25:53 Cautionary tales be damned, however, as companies are racing to make this a reality.
25:57 In 2016, a woman named Eugena Kuda brought her dearest friend Roman Mazarenko back to
26:04 life as a chatbot that has been fed his old texts, and according to her, most people close
26:09 to the deceased found conversing with the bot to be therapeutic.
26:13 Though we've still got a long way to go before we can create living backups, it also
26:18 feels like an inevitability.
26:20 And once we have them, it seems unlikely that our digital selves will be content to lead
26:24 an entirely disembodied life.
26:27 The next logical step on the path to digital immortality is digital reincarnation.
26:33 If regenerative medicine will soon be able to grow full-sized, fully functioning organs,
26:38 how long will it be before scientists are growing whole bodies from the ground up?
26:44 Once the computerised brain is perfected, it's just a matter of making it more compact
26:49 and connecting it to a lab-grown body.
26:51 Of course, in this bright future, you may opt for a fully synthetic body with more bells
26:56 and whistles.
26:57 Who knows?
26:58 This idea of "body transfers" is something that has been explored at length in the Richard
27:03 K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series and the Netflix adaptation of these novels, "Altered
27:08 Carbon".
27:09 In this futuristic sci-fi setting, a person's consciousness is stored in a small device
27:14 known as a "stack".
27:16 When in the event of an accident, so long as the "stack", stored at the base of
27:20 the neck, remains undamaged, you can live on in another body.
27:24 It's a thrilling and admittedly tantalising concept, but one that, as seen in the show,
27:29 comes with a lot of consequences.
27:31 Overpopulation is already a growing concern on our planet.
27:35 Flash forward to a future in which this tech exists, and the situation is likely to have
27:40 gotten worse.
27:41 If every person who died continued to exist in virtual space, the digital immortality
27:46 wouldn't really create any spatial problems.
27:49 If everyone had the ability to take physical form, however, overpopulation would likely
27:53 reach a crisis point.
27:56 Much as China has established laws limiting the number of children per household, a world
28:00 in which nobody dies would eventually have no other option but to take similar measures.
28:05 Who knows?
28:06 Even children and kids could even come with the condition that you accept an expiration
28:10 date.
28:11 Then again, with populations currently declining in many countries, this might not prove problematic
28:16 for a very long time.
28:18 Suffice to say, the economics of such a world are difficult to predict.
28:22 As explored in "Altered Carbon", however, the disparity between rich and poor would
28:26 likely be exponentially worsened, as immortality would almost certainly come with a high cost.
28:32 But those who succeeded in life could continue to flourish and see their investments grow.
28:38 Immortality could very well elude all but the richest.
28:41 Of course, at the other end of the spectrum, it would be a whole new world of crime.
28:45 Imagine if, rather than mugging or killing you, someone stole your body.
28:50 The questions posed in this distinct brand of digital immortality are many.
28:54 At the end of the day, however, just like we've done every other time there has been
28:58 a major upheaval of civilisation, humanity would likely adapt and survive.
29:03 But what would happen to the individual, and the concept of personhood?
29:07 Legally, medically, socially and even psychologically, we are defined first and foremost by our bodies.
29:14 Yes, religion has long distinguished between the corporeal and spiritual, but to have to
29:18 process the distinction between body and mind in such a literal and immediate way would
29:23 make for an unprecedented human experience.
29:26 Would your mind even handle such a change, or would it break?
29:30 Even if the process could go off without a hitch, what would that make us?
29:34 Can pure sentience, untethered and capable of hopping from one shell to another, even
29:39 still be called human?
29:41 The future is impossible to predict, and in terms of humanity's quest for immortality,
29:45 it's tough to say what will get there first - more traditional medicine, or computer science.
29:51 Either way, given how long humankind has been struggling to come to terms with their own
29:55 mortality, you can be certain that the hunt for the fountain of youth will continue, and
30:00 that the reality of digital backup is more a question of when, rather than if.
30:22 For now, there's no doubt that human society will continue to strive for life everlasting,
30:48 in one form or another.
30:50 As our civilization tries to survive, it's an essential part of what makes us, us.
30:55 Linking together science, technology, myth and superstition, some believe there's no
31:00 greater challenge.
31:02 Some insist there's no more urgent question than "how are we going to finally beat death?"
31:10 What do you think?
31:11 Is there anything we missed?
31:12 Let us know in the comments, check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you
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