91–100 of 499 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nothing stopping you from dying. You make your personal decisions and let others make theirs.
Don't worry you'll die just as they will It doesn't matter how much you like sci fi, even if it was technically possible it would be reserved to the 0.001% and you'd still be grinding your whole life just as you are doing now
Ultimately, I am going to quote one of my favorite writers [0] and say that I am not afraid of a life that ends. I don't want to be a brain in a jar. Or in a computer either. I enjoy experiencing physical sensations and interacting with the world in meatspace. And if I can't enjoy either, then just let me die. And I apply this to not just brain preservation, but any attempt to artificially prolong the quantity of my…
> (…) and a prohibition against anyone amputating any of my limbs or sensory organs even if it's necessary to save my life. > I will make sure I die with my autonomy and my dignity intact. Amputees have autonomy, dignity, and rich lives. To believe that the loss of a limb is so severe that death is preferable is absurd and insensitive. What if instead of requiring an amputation, he loses faculties by accident like su…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To be frank, the extent to which the very old now dominate science, business and politics is already unhealthy. I shudder to think what our world would look like if our most important positions of power were dominated by men born 110 years ago. They say science advances one death at a time. Looking at congress, I think you can say the same for politics as well.
We could just have mandatory brain preservation at 50. Have to be a biologic to be in a position of authority.
How our brain works may rely on more than the structure of the brain. When you are brought back (booted?), things may not work the same.
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I wonder how much of a relief the belief that when you sit on your deathbed you will be woken up again would provide. Even if the tech doesn't work, I wonder how much relief from suffering the idea that it will in a hundred years could be
Isn't that the main promise of most religion?
They don't seem to care about that, and the only rational explanation is that they don't believe there's anything after death. They're nihilists. We all are.
Ultimately, I am going to quote one of my favorite writers [0] and say that I am not afraid of a life that ends. I don't want to be a brain in a jar. Or in a computer either. I enjoy experiencing physical sensations and interacting with the world in meatspace. And if I can't enjoy either, then just let me die. And I apply this to not just brain preservation, but any attempt to artificially prolong the quantity of my…
I was particularly struck by:
> if I ever get cancer, I will refuse chemo and let myself die
And figured this quote must be at least 20 or 30 years ago? Cancer isn't necessarily a death-sentence, and many treatments are much less harsh than they were 20+ years ago.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
General anesthesia is not good for the brain.
replying to myself to provide more context. In my PhD work, I helped conduct the human portion of a study on this topic, contributing to some discussions at the FDA [1]. The idea was a bit controversial then, and I've had a few anesthesiologists get mad at me for it, but the general pattern has now been replicated quite a few times now, such that the field has largely moved on from 'Is something bad happening?' to 'W…