Can We Bring The Dead Back To Life?

Can we bring people back from the dead? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice discuss restoring dead cells, the nature of consciousness, Frankenstein's monster, zombies, and more with neuroscientist, David Andrijevic and consciousness expert and anesthesiologist, George Mashour.
If you can bring cells back to life, can you restore consciousness? You’ll learn about recent progress in the restoration of dead cells in pigs. How far along are we? Is “reanimation” the correct term for what was done? Could we one day bring a whole being back to life? We learn about the technology used in the experiment and the practical application of the methodology in organ transplantation. Is death more of a spectrum?
What is consciousness? George walks us through some of the fundamentals of consciousness and how we define it. Is there a scientific basis for a near death experience? We discuss the surge of electrical activity in the brain right before death and whether you can set a time limit for how long a brain can be dead. Can we explain consciousness? Is there a quantum element? We discuss Roger Penrose, whether anesthesia uses quantum mechanics. Is consciousness reproducible?
Is consciousness an emergent trait? We discuss the nature of consciousness and how anesthesia works in making people unconscious. How does it make you unconscious without killing you? Are you the same person after you come to? We explore zombies and whether reanimating the brain in its entirety would be possible. Is there such a thing as an objective reality? Is our perception all in our head?
Thanks to our Patrons Darrell McClendon, Baby Daddy, Chip Towner, Marylee Dewey, and Michael Brockman for supporting us this week.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
About the prints that flank Neil in this video:
"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. inuit.com/
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #neildegrassetyson
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Restoring dead cells
5:30 - Is it “reanimation”?
6:44 - The Death Spectrum
9:10 - Organ Transplants
11:15 - Reanimate the whole being
15:17 - Ethics
19:30 - Intro: Consciousness
20:32 - What is consciousness?
22:03 - Near Death Experiences
31:25 - Is consciousness quantum?
36:20 - Recreating consciousness & Emergence
40:00 - How anesthesia works
42:15 - Can you reanimate a brain?
45:54 - Zombies
47:50 - Are you still you?
52:10 - Drugs & Objective Reality

[@StarTalk]

If you could bring anyone back from the dead and take them to one dinner, who would it be?

[@MadLicha]

Carl Sagan would be a good one

[@d.k9097]

Hey Neil, I have invented a 100% clean energy electricity generator. It works. How can I contact you ??

[@KiingDa3rd]

Jesus

[@JamielPridgen68]

Anyone who didn’t get a fair chance at life like Emit Till

[@bm3211]

My mom.

[@scottbruner9987]

I'm a little bit more amazed by Chuck every video. He is the smartest comedian/actor I know about. His level of insight and understanding is phenomenal.

[@EM-qx3hx]

Totally agree!

[@anthonycraig274]

I think he is a totally different person from when he first started, he has definitely grown. I envy his job.

[@popithoe2212]

Yes he's come a long way. I feel like the audience is Chuck. Curiosity fuels us!

[@angusmacbride9867]

No doubt

[@ryanforgo3500]

It is also showing how if you keep communicating with smart people you get smarter, or something like that.

[@EnlightenedEyes11]

Neil and Chuck are the cure to my insomnia! They are my fav "bedtime story" narrators! Every night I play a video, close my eyes and let them be my personal tour guides to the universe 😁

[@sarfrazshah6604]

I do the same to cope with my insomnia

[@givemeacutenickname1500]

You and me both hey!😊😊😁😂

[@niifty9696]

I do the same thing. This and Time Team really help me sleep

[@Unkl_Bob]

So.. y'all are saying these guys bore y'all to sleep ?? 🤣LOL. It is an interest holding and entertaining distraction ... (from the annoying thought keeping you awake ?)

[@EnlightenedEyes11]

@@Unkl_Bob did you find bedtime stories boring as a child? If yes, then maybe you were being read the wrong stories? 😉

[@dmd7472]

I just want to celebrate and appreciate the Chuck. I’ve no doubt about the preparation, reading and thought he puts into each show. He respects the format, the guests and subjects. I find his questions incisive and poised but also humble.

[@josechavarria6140]

that's kinda on the "script"

[@prckata]

@@josechavarria6140 jh j9j

[@prckata]

Ijjhjijjij

[@stevenmichaelcunningham4760]

The Stranger His name is Chuck 💪

[@user-tc1fw5ms5s]

Chuck is dope. He brings the humor, he's very smart. He knows when to pull back or tell more jokes. He asks things I am also wondering. Great co-host. He and Neal together make for such a great pair.

[@Nipplator99999999999]

Maybe it was the 2 month coma afterwards but after I woke up my doctor was complaining about having to revive me multiple times over a few days, but all I remember is the best sleep I've experienced in the longest time. No nightmares, no dreams, no terrors, and no sleep paralysis, just pure peaceful nothing.

[@TwinSpiritTV]

Fascinating! Would love for you to expand more on your experience, if possible (and okay).

[@ianlassitter2397]

No god or after life in other words.

[@lucienetienne5164]

​@@ianlassitter2397people have different experiences and a coma is not heart stopping

[@ianlassitter2397]

@@lucienetienne5164 hmmm…..fair enough…

[@stephenbenner4353]

Those of us who have seen The Princess Bride already know about the death continuum. There is a big difference between “all dead” and “mostly dead.”

[@Emily_M81]

lol that was my thought, that Miracle Max would like a word about this binary

[@jimkurth]

Inconceivable!

[@Chotensai]

yup "mostly dead is slightly alive"

[@chodgson]

I came to the comments to say this if it hadn't already been said. They are working on the miracle pill, complete with chocolate coating!

[@kellyrobinson1780]

And if you DO die, it's okay; you come back in another life; like, say, the Grand Nagus!

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

Bringing knowledge and smiles to people is truly noble work. Thank you.

[@HanTheProphet]

I binged all the episodes and I'm so glad that new ones are coming out fast enough to keep my curiousity satisfied

[@jimmyfouhy6402]

1qq

[@daytonwhite9507]

Be honest.... It will never be satisfied. And that's AWESOME!

[@JS-jk1qc]

@@daytonwhite9507 perhaps there is one thing more awesone and curious and its death

[@daytonwhite9507]

@@JS-jk1qc .... Well... I mean... Maybe? I enjoy life ATM but yes I am curious about what comes with death(if anything). But umm... You seem almost, dare I say, excited. Am I wrong?

[@daytonwhite9507]

@@JS-jk1qc .... Well... I mean... Maybe? I enjoy life ATM but yes I am curious about what comes with death(if anything). But umm... You seem almost, dare I say, excited. Am I wrong?

[@SoldierKnowsBest]

Being able to laugh and learn at the same time is so underrated. Keep up the great work. 👍🏽

[@thevoicewithin9845]

Studies show this is the best way to learn! If you find something funny, you are more likely to remember it. Neil wants to teach people, enter Chuck to prevent us from forgetting by making us laugh. Genius.

[@anthonycraig274]

This is a special show. Exploring the bleeding edge of biological technology.

[@EdwardHowton]

As someone who's had brain surgery, I also wake up sometimes wondering if I'm still myself. Because one of the possible consequences of my surgeries were, quite literally: "loss of personality". It's also a question I'm entirely unable to answer; I still feel like myself, and my friends haven't really noticed too many changes from their perspective... or they could simply be unwilling to tell me. I used to avoid any spicy foods and cheese, now I don't mind them at all and even like spicy wings. I used to be terrible about doing the dishes, now I do them without prompting or even much procrastination. I'm also, generally, a much happier person, which I wasn't before. But... is that because "I" died on the operating table and this current version of me is what's left? Or did I just learn how to enjoy life a little bit more as a result of almost losing it, by my count, more than a dozen times? Of all the possible side-effects of brain surgery, the scariest was loss of personality, but even that didn't bother me too much because I figured: if I "died" on the operating table and someone else took over my body as a result of brain damage, whoever that person would be might not care that they're an impostor. Pragmatism is handy like that. But still. I wonder. Am I still me, or am I a different me who's mostly similar to the old person I was before brain surgery killed me and left me in my place? Yes, that sentence was extremely fun to write. It's still something I wonder about years later, and it does extend to things like sleep. I'm never sure if I'm going to wake up, and after having someone cut open my skull and cut out bits of my brain _twice,_ it makes you wonder what 'alive' even means. Then stuff like zombie pigs happen.

[@johnathanmartin1504]

Your personality isn't you. You are the thing that experiences things. Even if you were blind, devoid of feeling, and deaf, there would still be "you" experiencing the nothingness.

[@EdwardHowton]

@@johnathanmartin1504 You're doing what a lot of people these days are doing: confusing "what" and "who". Yes, I'm still _what_ I always was. At least, from what I can tell; who knows if brain damage messed with my recollection. The question is if I'm still _who_ I was. That's not a question _I_ can answer, and I'm me! Maybe. See previous. You're hardly in any position to tell me who I am, especially not when you're arguing for me still being what I am. This is deep philosophy about the nature of self. A rock is a rock is a rock, but who someone is can change with the right kind of brain damage, just ask Phineas Gage, and it's difficult to argue that you're still the same _who you are_ if you're nothing like who you used to be anymore. That even goes for growing up; most of us aren't the same people we were when we were fresh out of diapers and will likely not be quite the same when we're back in them. Ask yourself: is a clock still a clock if you smash it to bits? _It depends on what you consider a clock is._

[@justwannabehappy6735]

You are still yourself. You're just the next version of yourself.

[@GetUrOwnHandle]

@@EdwardHowton Very interesting mind-provoking subject. But I have to agree with the guy above me. You're brain has always changed, since birth, and still is changing til this day, right up until the moment one dies. Removing a small piece of it only creates yet another version of you. But there's enough of it for you to carrying on being you. Your personality has always naturally evolved over time, and it will continue to do so. But It doesn't stop you being you. It's just another version of yourself. I think a clock stops being a clock when you smash it to the point of it being indistinguishable from something else.

[@EdwardHowton]

@@GetUrOwnHandle And that's the contradiction I've been trying to point out. Brain damage caused by someone literally taking a knife to you or zapping you with radiation is hardly "naturally evolved over time". What I'm talking about here is a very old idea. The ship of Theseus. You're right in a way; we're all very different people over the years than we were in our youth, and our personality does evolve as we grow, just like you can replace parts of the ship and still call it the same ship. In another way, if you replace every part of a ship, or the ship sinks and breaks apart and is rebuilt after being salvaged, there's still a very real question of if it's the same ship. In a sense, it isn't; raise the Titanic today and rebuild it and it won't be the same but it will be but it won't. Like I said, this is not a definitively answerable topic. The nature of Self is not easy to stick into a fortune cookie or a self-defeating KZbin comment about surgical trauma being natural evolution. See, this is the point everybody's been missing. You said: "But there's enough of it for you to carrying on being you" while ignoring the massively open question of what exactly "you" means. A dismissive _You means you, duh_ doesn't even try to _answer_ it, let alone explain it. How can you say there's enough of me left to carry on being me without knowing what any of those words mean? Do you really think you've solved the philosophical nature of personhood? In a single, short, vapid paragraph? I'm not trying to insult you, but this is a topic far more complex than you can armchair-philosophize out of the human need to answer uncertainty.

[@TheDentalHobbyist]

I can't believe Chuck missed Frankenswine. I mean, it was just sitting right there.

[@dungzoom4236]

Or Baconstein.

[@typicalyapese7553]

😂😂

[@GodsMan500]

Oinkenstien

[@j_vo]

I need an episode all about Chuck, his comedy, his work in climate change, and how he fell in love with science. He's very integral to the show and ,even when he pretends he doesn't, he knows so much about what Neil and the guest are talking about. Where that authentic love for science comes from is very interesting to me.

[@meridiantouchyoga]

Good one Chuck! You made Neil think at the end of the video about the FACT that some realities are NOT measurable at present! 🙂

[@dmd7472]

Now I want to fast forward!

[@dillonbledsoe7680]

@@dmd7472 I'm about to lol Alright I can't find it gues I gotta listen to the rest

[@aregs11]

Now I want that star talk cuz what really is objective when you deal with the brains perception

[@anthonycraig274]

Today I heard the term - Save someone’s life. I think you can’t save a life, you can only postpone death.

[@user-mj5bl5dy1b]

That's the truth

[@lysan1445]

I really love Chuck's kind of humour, but also his genuine interest in these topics. His questions are really intelligent. This makes him my favourite comedian on the show. And while I am on it, this is by far my favourite show on the internet. Neil deGrasse is always so enthusiastic; it makes science really fun. I signed up for MasterClass because of him and enjoyed his class immensely. Learned a lot from it for my own work.

[@notmr.niceguy216]

We are all entangled with the physical and spiritual, the music and the silence, enjoy the observing of things and getting involved in them, Chuck love your open mind sir and ability to keep composure under fire from any direction is admirable, hope to see Neil and Chuck for a long time to come.

[@TheOldHippiebilly]

Damn, I LOVE these guys! Always informative, enlightening, and delightfully entertaining. Keep up the great work.

[@r.katiekane252]

Neil, you should talk to my cardiologist. The medical team restarted my heart twice, after coding me for a sum total of nearly 2 hrs. No ECMO or synthetic blood, but they did have an IABP, external pacer and vent on me for 2 days while they kept me in a medically induced coma. I was at normal temperature (no mammalian diving reflex active)...and I returned with no notable neurological deficit. As a side note Chuck...the more accurate explanation of human consciousness is: I am, therefor I think. Your "presence" does not determine your ability to think, however your ability to think IS determined by your presence.

[@thevoicewithin9845]

Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum

[@jcash49]

Thanks to Chuck, I may want "I'm on the death spectrum" written on my headstone.

[@Frog_Man_]

Love the questions you guys are doing! Can't wait until the future! (Both the future of your videos and the future of technology)

[@Ravoks]

Agreed! David A. responded well to them too!

[@meridien52681]

This conversation could go on for hours as far as I'm concerned. Can't get enough! Being in the room and asking my own questions is something I'd truly love to do!

[@hollandhenry7517]

Chuck is insanely smart, and can wrap his head around a lot of ideas I still have trouble grasping

[@SuperDibbya]

"I'm on the death spectrum!" 🤣😂😂 That is UNBELIEVABLE line by Lord Nice.

[@peterlyall4448]

Great talk as per usual I love the banter between Neil and Chuck

[@peteredwards2318]

I've been alive nearly 4 decades. I cannot really say I desire my life extended beyond the length that can be attained by natural means. I mean, sure if I can be SAVED from death medically, great. But being bought back from the dead? No thanks. One turn of this living game we play, I think is probably going to be enough.

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

Neil and Chuck for 2024

[@sylviaguice169]

I LOVE Star Talk. It really makes me want to go back to school. I’m grateful Neil shares his knowledge with us and is so down to earth.

[@Jerryberger9235]

Psychedelic’s definitely have potential to deal with mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression, I would like to try them again but it’s just so hard to source here

[@sarahh321]

[_James_tray] Got psychs

[@Jerryberger9235]

@@sarahh321 Where to search?? Is it IG?

[@sarahh321]

@@Jerryberger9235 Yes

[@Jerryberger9235]

@@sarahh321 Thank you, I’ll check him out

[@davidevans3227]

acid and shrooms always made me more anxious.. so i don't touch them anymore..

[@DieouaasPlanet]

Love it! Always love an episode of startalk. I hope everyone has a blessed day! 🖤🖤

[@TheGriffon22]

Wonderful show! Thank you for all you do Neil!

[@TheGriffon22]

Could our consciousness be in an entangled state with a black hole.

[@peakrider4886]

Another highly fascinating discussion with cutting edge research and science from experts in their field. So much we don’t know or understand about the brain and how it works, it’s an amazing topic to discuss.

[@matthewlawton9241]

For what it's worth, I had a not-too-near death experience. I went into anaphylaxis and my BP bottomed out. I remembered back to health class where they taught us to keep warm and pulled a blanket over myself as my friends drove me to the hospital. I saw the white light start shining out of everything. And yes, Chuck...it WAS exceptionally bright, yet did not hurt...thanks for making fun of it...And there was this extreme sense of peace that replaced the panic I had experienced as the bee venom first began messing up my system. It actually came to a point where it was like I was being invited to sleep. Like...it was the safest, coziest place in all existence, and it was okay to just let go of it all, there was a ... for lack of a better term, a pull. I never got to see what happens when you surrender to that feeling because we made it to the hospital where doctors freaked out at my condition and ran me back down the hall. Truth be told, in that moment, as my team was panicking around me, I just thought it felt good to FINALLY lay down. Spiritual or just a simple biological trick of chemistry, I really can't say. What I CAN say is if my experience is in any way representative of the common experience of dying, you have nothing to fear. It's...quite nice, despite what the body may be going through in it's (possibly failing) attempt to stay alive. I'm not a Buddhist, but I've sat under the bodhi tree, thanks to some angry bees.

[@Skymannot6939]

Dr. Tyson, Mr. Nice you two bring joy laughter and knowledge thank you.

[@frogz]

it is okay, you can be formal, mr. tyson is only a doctor but mr. nice is a LORD

[@GameTimeRelax]

This is amazing! It's awe inspiring at times, to see where we are scientifically and to see what once was considered pure science fiction being looked at differently.

[@giapenny7581]

Such an amazing videos , grabs my attention every time ,presents information in an understandable way

[@PaulaLJones]

This episode is fascinating! I especially enjoyed Chuck's perspective. In just about every episode, he simplifies some of the tougher to understand theories that the experts try to explain, which is super helpful.

[@heman5954]

I've seen a half a dozen podcasts (only one of which is even remotely scientific ⬆️) discussing uploading consciousness. We must be on the verge of making it possible.

[@meridien52681]

My mother within an hour of her death kept reaching above her head and she died reaching toward something. I often wonder what she was seeing, and do people know when they are actually "in death". Seems that you just slip away without being aware in any way. We'll never know I guess.

[@vegasraiderspetef9883]

When the brain is lacking oxygen and dying you hullicinate and see things that arent there. Some drugs do also .

[@elysiumdevice]

@@vegasraiderspetef9883 true, although the Holy Ghost moves per our own thoughts, as self-aware divine presence- not like a drug or hallucination. makes life livable and whole

[@vegasraiderspetef9883]

@@elysiumdevice lack of oxygen will do that

[@elysiumdevice]

@@vegasraiderspetef9883 Yes, cellular asphyxiation causes neurological atrophy and synaptic dysfunction, progressing to immediate death. Some endocrine molecules may also induce natural or dream state hallucinations, but without the permanent damage.

[@mphomuthubi7363]

I have, for the last three weeks, been watching the Outlander series and have been made to juggle the events that seemed to have happened some 200 years earlier and juxtaposed into twenty real-time ones. Now that I have watched Neil and Chuck on time-traveling, the whole series made more sense than just being an entertaining movie! Now on to this Lazarus-type experience talk, one is prone to want to believe in fifty years or so, life will be extended somewhat when tissues may be brought back to life! Just as we are in awe of those who have constructed the Pyramids and the like wonders, we shall be in awe of those who extend our lives!

[@jamesmorgan1063]

Educational and entertaining episode of explaining conciousness at the current level of knowledge so far.

[@bikkies]

Interesting to hear face blindness discussed. I'm face blind and voice blind. The way I explain the former is that I've known my mother for 55 years but I wouldn't be able to pick her out at an identity parade. The latter is that if she called me on my phone then I wouldn't know it was her voice. In both cases I rely on something to give me the context. I have some physical attribute in mind for a particular person, and when they phone me, caller ID says who it is. If I were asked whether I'd trade this if I could, I don't think I would. This is the only way I've ever experienced the world and the methods I've employed to work around this neurodiversity have been in effect for my whole life. Taking this away and giving me instant visual and vocal recognition would fundamentally and adversely change how I experience my world.

[@betzib8021]

I think you would feel that the world became incredibly noisy. I would imagine that could be disorienting. I am adhd....I have developed my drug free mechanisms....would I like a more focused brain? I think I would miss the diversity of all those extraneous things in my mind....so I kinda get your point.

[@bikkies]

@@betzib8021 I'm diagnosed autistic so I have enough environmental noise and sensory involvement from the world already. Having an off-switch for face & voice blindness would just compound it. I generally find some attribute of a person (gait, accent, movement, dress) that I can key into to identify them and usually I'm able to guess correctly. It's horrid every time I walk past work colleagues in the office. They all know me and gleefully ask how I am & state it's good to see me. I reply with a typically restrained English noncommittal acknowledgmemt while muttering under my breath "...whoever you are".

[@betzib8021]

@@bikkies hey, Graham...don't feel bad about that...I do it all the time. And I can forget the name of someone I know well in a heartbeat. So embarrassing...oh well.

[@rafaelfabian7049]

Nice show. Making learning and useful info entertaining.

[@FallenAnvilForge]

This one is very cool, so many options and possibilities could come from this research.

[@johnypaulify]

Am I the only one who wishes they said FrankenSwine

[@jeffcooke4213]

As a person with epilepsy, I find it can take a moment, and sometimes up to several minutes after a seizure for the brain to function in a way that allows me to recognize that I just had a seizure. It can also be difficult to know what day it is, as well as other simple aspects like where I live and so on. However, while there is definitely a percentage of brain function that is limited, a deeper awareness is always here. If the mind is asking "who am I?", the thoughts are asking thoughts, but a deeper level of consciousness is required for the thoughts to occur in the first place. the mind cannot grasp this deeper consciousness because it is not a thing. It is an aliveness that exists in all living forms, but is not the form that consciousness lives through. I feel that at some point in the future science will be able to measure this phenomenon. However, probably not until scientists themselves recognize the difference between a thought about ourselves, and the deeper "I" that is observing the thoughts. Thank you all for this program, star talk helps people learn in many ways.

[@lesmoore6912]

I am touched by your plight and anyone suffering. Have your tried CBD for your condition? I hear it works wonders.

[@jeffcooke4213]

@@lesmoore6912CBD is great for Epilepsy, it helps different people in different ways, but can range anywhere from helping someone feel better after a seizure, to fully preventing them, depending on the individual.

[@jeffcooke4213]

I take CBD for other reasons, but it unfortunately doesn't prevent seizures for me.

[@peggysmiley1053]

I had a NDE during a 5-day comatose state caused from a car wreck. This also caused extensive amnesia (who am I, etc). My memory is built from ‘triggers’ (hearing an old song, driving past a house, etc) which cause me to remember pieces from my past. I didn’t remember having a NDE until someone mentioned years later. As soon as this person repeated the words I said (while still in the hospital), suddenly an image seemed to crash into my mind and I remembered my NDE: All I remember is wandering around like in a dark cave, also being in a totally white place where I didn’t see anything but sensed a presence on my left, and then seeing flashes of light/looking out at light through cracks in a wall. That’s all of my NDE that I remember. I don’t know if I could remember more if the person I told about my NDE would’ve told the nurse what I had said, and the staff would’ve followed up on it. Some people are just totally unconscientious!

[@zenseed75]

Love Chuck & Neil chats.

[@gtbkts]

Thanks for the awesome content and great video!!

[@kurtcobain.20]

Love you man thanks for dedicating this topic on me

[@Ravoks]

The questions y'all started with were awesome. I was kind of thinking of the same things to but y'all kept firing. I think he was flatter with the level of questions yall brought.

[@USAtoElsewhere]

Always ask for ECMO whenever possible to sustain life. Also if having a medical procedure where the patient will be asleep, especially with general anesthesia, ask for the BIS monitor to be used. This bispectral index monitor shows if the patient needs more or less anesthesia. One of the problems it prevents is paralytic alertness while asleep during the procedure.

[@markmartin5248]

Did you need lightning?

[@j72ashley]

Had a relative with brain cancer and he was just an amazingly wonderful person. His behavior was irregular as he did some things that he would never do and made irresponsible and harmful decisions that didn't match who we knew him to be. That was how he found out he was sick, by going to the doc and asking if something was up with him. It is amazing how we can become completely different people when our brains get modified in some way.

[@strangetimez]

I hope your relative is doing well and also to add on that so many times we hear about people with traumatic head injuries that had their personalities completely transform (usually for worse sadly)

[@geraldinemaxwell6391]

Very fascinating discussion. Much respect to the guests - they let the questions get asked completely before they answer. No interruptions. ❤

[@codingfinance6080]

Chuck’s comments are funny and also insightful. Thank you Chuck! 😀

[@olencone4005]

I'm hoping that cryonics ultimately works out as a way to "bring the dead back to life" -- if it actually does work, then I'll get to "live again" at some point further down the timeline... and if it doesn't work, then I'll be dead anyway so I won't really complain :P

[@emobassist]

I mean the technology we have available at the moment pales in comparison to what's really out there

[@F_L_U_X]

If you can afford it.

[@F_L_U_X]

@@emobassist It's the only tech that we know of, so it's the best we know of.

[@chandlerbing3211]

@@emobassist out where ?

[@alexanderlaplante5477]

Life must be finite, or it will not will itself to change. And if made immortal, self cultivation will become irrelevant, leading to stagnation of evolution, meaning total stasis, which may as well be annihilation. But that's just my very tired talk and text opinion.

[@YM-zz5qq]

My mother’s heart stopped during an operation when she was very young and she did have a near-death experience, including the long tunnel with the light at the end. She remembered hearing a loud explosion, (no doubt the sound of the defibrillator shock.) This was in the 1930’s, so she never told anyone because she knew no one in those days would’ve believed it, of course. It wasn’t until decades later that people started talking about their own new-death experiences. So there was no listening to others talk about it in the 30’s to influence her. It actually happened.

[@cneuhauser1]

Great observation at the end Chuck...

[@AnserOne]

Amazing and insightful episode’

[@omni4652]

Spotify heard it first😎 awesome content!!!

[@jacobokpara7618]

Besides black holes and space topics on star talk this has been one of the best. Very informative.

[@tenouttatendoes3843]

Chuck is so good at leading to the next segment love him 💜

[@reidsmith9073]

How did they not call it "FrankenSwine" I'll never know

[@jenncross4139]

I literally immediately turned to my boyfriend and shouted frankenswine, utterly enraged that if my tiny mind can come up with it then the 6-digit combined IQs of these three bams should have beaten me to the pun-ch. 🫣

[@dangerusslee5054]

You had Frankenswine RIGHT THERE and none of you took it.... shame

[@SeeressJade]

😂

[@kylelantan9220]

Missed the chance during the death spectrum part to quote The Princess Bride. Fun episode and great questions for your guests, every entertaining as well.

[@williamlopez8676]

As a retired transplant professional, I was intrigued by this discussion. I was a bit surprised that cornea transplant was not specifically mentioned. Corneal transplant is the only form of tissue transplant that actually transplants living cells. The endothelial cells are critical in maintaining the water pressure within the thickest part of the cornea. That water pressure, in turn, is critical in maintaining the positions of the collagen fibers within the cornea to allow the passage of light between them. These cells are preserved within six hours of death (as measured by asystole, or the ceasing of the heart to contract) by cooling to temps below 40 degrees F, and immersion in a nourishing preservative called Optisol. This cocktail contains chondroiten sulfate ( made from shark cartilage), antibiotics, and insulin.Temperature is actually quite significant in preserving cells from the degradation of cellular death. Literally all tissues and organs recovered for transplant are cooled immediatly. Consider that people in full cardiac arrest from drowning in very cold water have been successfully resussitated after prolonged periods of asystole. In fact, in open heart surgery, to help stop all cardiac movement during the procedure, ice is packed around the heart. In any case, it must be remembered that the resussitation of individual cells, or even some groups of cells is a far cry from the reanimation of entire complex organisms. The physiology of muscle contraction ( and thereby locomotion) alone is dependent on many body systems functioning correctly.

[@LEDewey_MD]

Food for thought...your mitochondria pump protons across their 6nm-wide membranes, generating an electrochemical potential difference of 150-200 millivolts...which translates to an electric field strength of 30 million volts per meter - equal to a bolt of lightning. that's in every mitochondria of your body - one quadrillion - whose convoluted surface area is about 14,000 square meters. Have a great weekend!!

[@Wilfoe]

The neurological disorder that prevents you from recognizing faces is called Prosopagnosia. I have it too. I usually recognize people by their hair, which gets confusing when someone changes their hairstyle or wears a hat. It is crippling, but it's a part of who I am.

[@kanemud]

That got heated towards the end there. Loved it

[@apacha2004]

1 year on this channel and i learned more than i did in school for 12 years

[@thevoicewithin9845]

I took all three sciences at higher in hopes I'd learn at least some of these topics and... I didn't. I didn't learn any of this until university and after. Actually, I have learned more through work than I ever did through education. I feel education takes a very narrow-minded approach and doesn't prepare you very well for the working life. Once you start working as a scientist, you use what you learned at school/University as a foundation and build on that. Work experience is by far the best knowledge you can gain in this field. Most people leave school or university with degrees etc. and think they know EVERYTHING. Well, they don't. And thinking they do is the first major mistake they will make in their working career.

[@apacha2004]

@@user-xy1ex2qf6k they tryna stop our evolution ..they need just brainless workers

[@theonetrueman666]

Commander Shepard was brought back to life, so why not?

[@anewman]

Lazarus project yep, rebuilt cell by cell

[@leonyame2254]

Maybe some people would prefer death. That decision gets taken out of the deceased person's hands with this technology.

[@jayjaychadoy9226]

In grade nine I spoke on class on the topic: does our hair grow after death? The kids were kinda weirded out, which kinda surprised me, I thought it ws a captivating topic. 😁. Aftervresearching a bit I learned yes, hair grows a little after death, but also the skin around the hair shrinks so then it appears to look like hair grows. 😄 It was an English class.

[@mikewilliams4750]

Yes

[@Rexy3388]

Thank you Dr Tyson and Chuck!! Love you tons!!

[@aaronjaggan]

Congrats on 2 mill subs.

[@jfreshh330]

David looks like one of the youngest scientists on startalk. He looks like hes 21 lol

[@brandonyoung-kemkes1128]

Good job Chuck keep Neil in check.

[@xyzxyzxyzxyz636]

I do not have enough tumbs down for tyson. I respect and appreciate Chuck, for his ingenuity and effort, putting up with this, for all of us!

[@PremadevaMaraj]

Frankinswine!!! Not Frankinpig...just saying

[@atamaya96]

"ischaemia" when Neil DeGrasse doesn't know a word that you've known for like 8 years now. I smiled. 🙂😂

[@thevoicewithin9845]

It isn't his field or area of expertise. Also, every day is a school day. Even for Neil. Why do people seem to think that if you are a scientist in one field, you must know everything about all other fields of science too or you aren't a real scientist... Makes no sense. I'm sure there are many words in Astrophysics I don't know. But, at least I know pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis! And even better, I know how to spell and say it! Haha Also, it's within my area of expertise, so there's that...

[@atamaya96]

@@thevoicewithin9845 you're taking my joke too serious.

[@thevoicewithin9845]

@AJ probably. 😄 Doesn't make what I said any less true though. And btw, it was a generalised question/statement. Although, you did come across as quite egotistically proud of getting 'one up' on Neil! Haha

[@nizamahmad6879]

Been waiting for this !

[@thatdudeinasuit5422]

One thing I reckon would be interesting regarding uploading consciousness. Is if everytime a conciousness was duplicated it doesn't lose awareness of its previous state. So if I took my consciousness and copied it into a thousand clones of myself I will have created essentially a hive mind.

[@frogz]

Im sorry but i am spending the year dead for tax purposes

[@VictorPanainte]

Great topics love you wise people

[@MrPAULONEAL]

You are the product of your experiences and memories.

[@carlatteniese2]

The brain is a colony of interacting cells whose cooperation causes the emergence of consciousness. I think this was being discussed by Dr. Dan Dennet of Tufts - and when she was discussing life itself, not the brain in particular - with another neuroscientist. But they didn’t actually call it a colony. My understanding of what they were talking about and what you said now coalesce than this phraseology.

[@elbossman95]

Once something is dead, it's dead

[@larryschuitema7493]

Well done chuck, good referances,

[@thoomin1926]

Weirdest thing about psychodelics like lsd is that it really feels like it expands my consciousness and I can remember memories from my childhood as if they happened yesterday.

[@paulymac5513]

Yeah, that last comment by Chuck hit the nail on the head for me. There are SOME things that can't be measured.

[@daytonwhite9507]

But if it actually can't be measured (or observed) then how can you show it to be real?

[@ProfGlitch]

"...not yet."

[@stephenbennett6529]

Whomever does your titles need a raise i love the click and stick for neil and all his amazing guests

[@normancompton3014]

I’m having just the best time with you all! Keep up the great work👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@gustimebird8603]

Oh nooooo, that episode ended at a very interesting topic! Excellent episode anyways but please have another one discussing if there is objective reality, how measurable it is and how big is the part our brains play

[@ErnestGonzalez-mp2yx]

Do not ever change, Chuck!!!!

[@pzkoldone423]

Chuck was spot on when he said 'People believe that something happened because they heard that people believe it happens.

[@fellipemarques1247]

Best hour of my day!

[@scootscootriot]

Chuck, that comment back about objective reality was profound. I wish the guest could’ve hit upon that before the show ended.

[@eNigma011]

Would like to see Neil do a episode on Cryonics. Both my parents and the family pets (2 dogs and a cat) are in cryonic suspension and I hope to have it done for myself when the time comes.

[@gerriemcgill3630]

I always enjoy a good Neil degrease talk

[@Tggfdbhfbb]

Nobody: Neil: I like to sometimes start my mornings with existential dread 😊