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We’re closer than ever to being able to upload our minds and become “digitally immortal.” But should we?

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What if our minds could live after our bodies have died? What if mortality became obsolete? Steven Kotler, award-winning journalist and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, has studied these seemingly sci-fi ideas, and it turns out that they’re not so fictional, after all. In fact, mind-uploading technology is expected to be available as early as 2045.

“Digital immortality” would have its upsides; we could preserve the minds of modern geniuses and have their guidance through future conflicts. Or, alternatively, things could get dark, as we have never before interfered with such complex evolutionary processes. Kotler explains that the ability to store human personalities and consciousness on computers poses profound ethical and societal questions.

By developing and using this mind-uploading technology, we are simultaneously redefining what it means to be a human being, pushing the boundary between life, death, and whatever is in between. It seems, whether we’re ready or not, that it is going to happen soon.

Driven by genetic and environmental factors, aging is a physiological process responsible for age-related degenerative changes in the body, cognitive decline, and impaired overall wellbeing. Notably, premature aging as well as the emergence of progeroid syndromes have posed concerns regarding chronic health conditions and comorbidities in the aging population. Accelerated telomere attrition is also implicated in metabolic dysfunction and the development of metabolic disorders. Impaired metabolic homeostasis arises secondary to age-related increases in the synthesis of free radicals, decreased oxidative capacity, impaired antioxidant defense, and disrupted energy metabolism. In particular, several cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging have been identified to decipher the influence of premature aging on metabolic diseases. These include defective DNA repair, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, and dysregulation of nutrient-sensing pathways. The role of telomere attrition premature aging in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases has been largely attributed to pro-inflammatory states that promote telomere shortening, genetic mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase, epigenetic alteration, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunctions. Nonetheless, the therapeutic interventions focus on restoring the length of telomeres and may include treatment approaches to restore telomerase enzyme activity, promote alternative lengthening of telomeres, counter oxidative stress, and decrease the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Given the significance and robust potential of delaying telomere attrition in age-related metabolic diseases, this review aimed to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging underlying premature telomere attrition and metabolic diseases, assimilating evidence from both human and animal studies.

Aging is defined as a physiological phenomenon driven by genetic and biological processes, which are related to the lifespan of an individual and are associated with all age-related pathologies (Li et al., 2021). The aging process increases the susceptibility of individuals to factors leading to death as they grow older. Aging is a complex multifactorial phenomenon that involves the simultaneous interaction between various factors at different levels of functional organization. The role of genetic and environmental factors is represented by the heterogenous aging phenotype across different individuals, hence, these factors influence the lifespan of an individual via the process of aging (Jayanthi et al., 2010). With the deterioration of physiological functions critical to the survival and fertility of humans, the process of aging is known to relate to the notion of natural selection (Gilbert, 2000).

Recent advancements in in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG) suggest that lab-grown eggs and sperm could become viable within the next decade. This technology holds the promise of revolutionizing fertility treatments, particularly for individuals facing infertility and same-sex couples desiring biological children. However, it also raises significant ethical and medical considerations that must be carefully addressed.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s fertility regulator, has reported that the development of lab-grown gametes, known as in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG), may become a practical option within the next decade. This technology involves creating eggs and sperm from reprogrammed skin or stem cells, potentially transforming fertility treatments by removing age-related barriers and enabling same-sex couples to have biological children.

IVG represents a significant advancement in reproductive science. By generating gametes in the laboratory, scientists can overcome challenges associated with traditional fertility treatments. This approach could provide new avenues for individuals with infertility issues and offer same-sex couples the opportunity to have children genetically related to both partners.

Although air pollution is associated with worse cognitive performance, whether these relationships differ by cognitive domain and which sources of air pollution are particularly detrimental to cognition remains understudied. This study examined associations between cognitive scores across three domains in older adults and 8–10 years of exposure to air pollutants (NO2, total PM2.5, and PM2.5 from different emission sources).

Methods.

We used data from the 2018 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol sub-study of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N=1,127). Outdoor concentrations of each pollutant were estimated for 2008÷10−2017 and summarised using means and group-based trajectories. Linear regression models were used to assess long-term air pollution exposure relationships with memory, executive function, language, and global cognitive function after adjustment for key individual and neighbourhood-level confounders.

Aging is a complex, progressive, and irreversible biological process that entails numerous structural and functional changes in the organism. These changes affect all bodily systems, reducing their ability to respond and adapt to the environment. Chronic inflammation is one of the key factors driving the development of age-related diseases, ultimately causing a substantial decline in the functional abilities of older individuals. This persistent inflammatory state (commonly known as “inflammaging”) is characterized by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, an increase in oxidative stress, and a perturbation of immune homeostasis. Several factors, including cellular senescence, contribute to this inflammatory milieu, thereby amplifying conditions such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and metabolic disorders.

Ageing is a scientifically fascinating and complex biological occurrence characterised by morphological and functional changes due to accumulated molecular and cellular damage impairing tissue and organ function. Ageing is often accompanied by cognitive decline but is also the biggest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Emerging evidence suggests that sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles accelerate brain ageing, while regular physical activity, high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), or a combination of both, can mitigate cognitive impairment and reduce dementia risk.

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