What's a concept you've been thinking about lately that you find particularly interesting or challenging
And how have u responded to that
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BlueVeins · 22-25
Someone on Reddit told me that even if we cured the aging process in humans, and all disease, we wouldn't be able to live forever because of the "inevitable death clock."
I asked him why that is, and he responded that every cell in your body is dividing all of the time. The cells are making copies of copies of copies of copies until eventually, all of the little mutations build up. Over time, our cells become more and more different to their original purpose. Even if we could cure cancer, it would be constant. We would no longer be human.
Someone then asked why cells can't create functional copies of themselves indefinitely, considering that humans can create functional copies of humans indefinitely. He didn't answer, but I pondered that question for a while. The reality is that we DON'T create functional copies of humans indefinitely. Many of those copies are defective, those copies die, and the functional ones create functional copies of themselves. The only reason why this doesn't work for our individual cells is that the body as a whole supports many of the cells that aren't functional. And it supports them for years and years until the body collapses entirely, and the cells die with them.
That's a mind fuck, ain't it? We really are screwed.
I asked him why that is, and he responded that every cell in your body is dividing all of the time. The cells are making copies of copies of copies of copies until eventually, all of the little mutations build up. Over time, our cells become more and more different to their original purpose. Even if we could cure cancer, it would be constant. We would no longer be human.
Someone then asked why cells can't create functional copies of themselves indefinitely, considering that humans can create functional copies of humans indefinitely. He didn't answer, but I pondered that question for a while. The reality is that we DON'T create functional copies of humans indefinitely. Many of those copies are defective, those copies die, and the functional ones create functional copies of themselves. The only reason why this doesn't work for our individual cells is that the body as a whole supports many of the cells that aren't functional. And it supports them for years and years until the body collapses entirely, and the cells die with them.
That's a mind fuck, ain't it? We really are screwed.
