Your Head Could Live On for Years After Your Body Dies
We covered the latest in man's quest to become immortal here before, but science just hasn't been able to connect all of the dots when it comes to extending human life indefinitely. Whether it's gene therapy that will make your body regenerate itself and keep you forever young, cybernetic implants that slowly turn you into an immortal machine, or some kind of cryo-suspension that would allow humans to "sleep" for centuries and suspend aging in order to travel among the stars - we just aren't there yet. It might be comforting to know that there theoretically is a way to extend your life with current-gen technology if your body starts to go south on you.
Dr. Alistair Jenkins of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, England, says that decapitated heads can be kept alive for years with the proper procedures and care. According to his interview with The Sun, the consultant neurosurgeon thinks that not only would the head be alive - it should retain most of its functions and abilities. In theory - if the head was intact and removed correctly, then immediately hooked up to the proper support devices (artificial heart, lungs, dialysis, etc) - the head would be able to see, hear, feel, taste, and even speak!
Would you want to live like this? Who would take care of you? Could you get a really awesome robot body? The science theorized here really brings up more questions than answers.