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It's Alive!!!: Zombie Pigs Edition


Mr. Chatywin et al.

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I came across this story earlier today:

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A team of Yale University scientists were able to restore some function to a dead pig’s brain four hours after it’d been decapitated, a new study published in Nature on Wednesday said.

While consciousness or awareness was not restored to the brains, many other parts of the organ and a lot of cellular function either came back or were preserved in the study, creating an ethical conundrum for bioethicists and scientists who are struggling to understand how this will change what separates the living and the dead, the research team told NPR News.

“It was mind-blowing,” said Nita Farahany, who examines the ethics of emerging technology at Duke Law School.

“My initial reaction was pretty shocked. It’s a groundbreaking discovery, but it also really fundamentally changes a lot of what the existing beliefs are in neuroscience about the irreversible loss of brain function once there is deprivation of oxygen to the brain.”

The scientists gathered around 300 pig heads from a local slaughterhouse, removed the brains, placed them in an experimental chamber and, using their developed technology “BrainEx“, pumped them with a special formula of chemicals for six hours, starting around four hours after the pigs died, NPR reported.

“We found that tissue and cellular structure is preserved and cell death is reduced. In addition, some molecular and cellular functions were restored,” said Nenad Sestan, a neuroscientist at the Yale School of Medicine.

“This is not a living brain, but it is a cellularly active brain.”

However, the team was “actively worried about” it getting close to the activity of a living brain, Stephen Latham, a Yale bioethicist, told NPR.

https://nypost.com/2019/04/17/zombie-pigs-could-help-restore-brain-cells-study/

 

I have such mixed feelings on this story. On the one hand, it's absolutely hilarious in a morbid way, but on the other it's extremely frightening. I figured it was worth creating a topic for due to the possible pros, cons and ethical dilemmas. 

In the words of @Ser Scot A Ellison, "Discuss."

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Between pigs with re-activated brains and apes  given brain cell implants and developing improved skills, the future envisaged in science fiction is unfolding.

Not to worry, though, climate change will wipe out the planet before you need to worry about it.

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1 hour ago, Fragile Bird said:

Between pigs with re-activated brains and apes  given brain cell implants and developing improved skills, the future envisaged in science fiction is unfolding.

Not to worry, though, climate change will wipe out the planet before you need to worry about it.

 

To be honest though BIRD!, given that you’re more than twice my age, I doubt you’ll see the true horrors of the future.

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35 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

 

To be honest though BIRD!, given that you’re more than twice my age, I doubt you’ll see the true horrors of the future.

Hey, I have often said I expected that I would be dead before the worst effects of climate change were felt, but now I figure I will actually live long enough to see really nasty stuff happen. Climate change is happening much, much faster than expected.

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12 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

Hey, I have often said I expected that I would be dead before the worst effects of climate change were felt, but now I figure I will actually live long enough to see really nasty stuff happen. Climate change is happening much, much faster than expected.

But will you be around when we introduce “freedom” to your country and liberate your water?

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I've been dabbling Warhammer 40K a fair amount recently, so my first thought was "Oh, alright then. I guess servitors are going to become a real thing after all."

Beyond that, I totally understand the ethical implications, but I think, if properly used, this technology could be incredibly exciting, if it advances far enough. Being a living brain in a jar seems terrifying, but being a living brain in a cyborg body, I'd give consent to have that happen after I die. So long as there's legislation giving me the same rights as a human; I've read enough science fiction.

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19 minutes ago, Fez said:

I've been dabbling Warhammer 40K a fair amount recently, so my first thought was "Oh, alright then. I guess servitors are going to become a real thing after all."

Are you talking about the old table game where you have to paint the little creators? Or is there some newer version?

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Beyond that, I totally understand the ethical implications, but I think, if properly used, this technology could be incredibly exciting, if it advances far enough. Being a living brain in a jar seems terrifying, but being a living brain in a cyborg body, I'd give consent to have that happen after I die. So long as there's legislation giving me the same rights as a human; I've read enough science fiction.

You’re in luck my friend. I read an article a year or so ago that projected that anyone born after the mid 80’s will likely live long enough to become a cyborg. The world is ours!!!

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8 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Are you talking about the old table game where you have to paint the little creators? Or is there some newer version?

The tabletop game (I've played a few of the video games over the years, most aren't very good); the 8th edition came out a couple years ago and seems to be going strong. Never thought I'd get into assembling and painting miniatures, but turns out I still have something of a creative side. My record actually playing the game leaves something to be desired so far though. 

 

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You’re in luck my friend. I read an article a year or so ago that projected that anyone born after the mid 80’s will likely live long enough to become a cyborg. The world is ours!!!

Yeah, let's do this!! Who needs breathable air when you've got titanium lungs?!

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11 minutes ago, Fez said:

The tabletop game (I've played a few of the video games over the years, most aren't very good); the 8th edition came out a couple years ago and seems to be going strong. Never thought I'd get into assembling and painting miniatures, but turns out I still have something of a creative side. My record actually playing the game leaves something to be desired so far though. 

I used to love playing it as a kid. I was a spoiled brat and had the complete set of Tyranids, which was arguably the best class at the time. My friends and I hung out at a comic book/card game store and in between tournaments we’d play 40k. Some games lasted for days and we’d just leave our stuff there.

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Yeah, let's do this!! Who needs breathable air when you've got titanium lungs?!

I’m more worried about the other hypothetical immortality: having your consciousness uploaded to a computer.

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3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

I used to love playing it as a kid. I was a spoiled brat and had the complete set of Tyranids, which was arguably the best class at the time. My friends and I hung out at a comic book/card game store and in between tournaments we’d play 40k. Some games lasted for days and we’d just leave our stuff there.

I’m more worried about the other hypothetical immortality: having your consciousness uploaded to a computer.

I'm ok with both, and will happily draft your undying will for you so that you can choose which version you would prefer.  Also, I have something of a vested professional interest in the singularity occurring - at that point, the only thing that is inevitable will be taxes :P

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Yeah, depending on the exact circumstances, I'd also be okay with becoming a bunch of digital data. Although, that one seems a bit tricky in terms of ensuring that it's still me and not a copy of me and also that there don't end up being two mes; the fleshy original and the sleek digital.

But none of this gestalt group mind stuff, I wanna be my own, independent mind; free to waste all my processing power, if I so choose, playing video games incredibly quickly.

What a time to be "alive".

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12 minutes ago, Fez said:

Yeah, depending on the exact circumstances, I'd also be okay with becoming a bunch of digital data. Although, that one seems a bit tricky in terms of ensuring that it's still me and not a copy of me and also that there don't end up being two mes; the fleshy original and the sleek digital.

But none of this gestalt group mind stuff, I wanna be my own, independent mind; free to waste all my processing power, if I so choose, playing video games incredibly quickly.

What a time to be "alive".

See, both "yous" would be taxpayers.  Isn't it grand?

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39 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

I'm ok with both, and will happily draft your undying will for you so that you can choose which version you would prefer.  Also, I have something of a vested professional interest in the singularity occurring - at that point, the only thing that is inevitable will be taxes :P

But once you get sucked into the digital space, taxes will cease to exist.

Also, there are three inevitabilities in life: death, taxes and Phillip Rivers being down 7, needing to drive the length of the field with a minute left to play.

There’s your daily dose of sport ball, MZ.

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26 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

See, both "yous" would be taxpayers.  Isn't it grand?

As if we'd still have a need for squishy meatbags to do anyone's taxes.  Or even that anyone will still have any taxable income once the robots take all our jobs.  

No, you, I'm afraid, will be manacled to a hamster wheel down at the battery factory, just like the rest of us filthy breathers. 

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Just now, The Mance said:

As if we'd still have a need for squishy meatbags to do anyone's taxes.  Or even that anyone will still have any taxable income once the robots take all our jobs.  

No, you, I'm afraid, will be manacled to a hamster wheel down at the battery factory, just like the rest of us filthy breathers. 

Oh, there will always be taxable income.  Your imagination is limited.  And I'm old enough to be chief robot in charge.

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3 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

Oh, there will always be taxable income.  Your imagination is limited.  And I'm old enough to be chief robot in charge.

A day will come, capitalist swine, when mankind will have no need for money!!!

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52 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

A day will come, capitalist swine, when mankind will have no need for money!!!

Yep. After the Zombie Pigs eat us all. Or I should say, you all.

My zombie hideout is impenetrable. Unless........

Wait, can Zombie Pigs climb?!

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