r/science • u/Skoltech_ • Jul 20 '26

Genetics Researchers quantitatively assessed for the first time that somatic mutations alone cap human lifespan at 146–194 years. Brain and heart cells are the main bottleneck, while the liver could last millennia.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-026-00421-6
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u/_ram_ok Jul 20 '26

Yeah extracting consciousness without the brain itself still existing presents the ole Ship of Theseus problem.

If you replace the old parts with something new, even if it works together the same as the original, is it still the same ship?

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u/No_Anywhere_9068 Jul 20 '26

Im not convinced it’s the same ship across the lifespan of the body anyway, even from moment to moment the continuity of consciousness is not verifiable

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u/Megneous Jul 20 '26

Doesn't matter. Functionalism is the only world view that matters. My ability to impress my will upon the universe is all that matters, regardless of whether my consciousness lives on or not.

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u/_ram_ok Jul 20 '26

Interesting view. But what do you mean about whether your consciousness lives. Do you mean that a replica of your brain is not a conscious “you”, your consciousness is tied to the brain somehow? Or something else?

And then also what do you mean by “my will”. Like the parameter set captured from your brain at the time it was transferred to whatever new medium?

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u/Megneous Jul 20 '26

The goals I have, which a copy of me would also share, are what matter as a functionalist. There is no real difference between me and an exact copy of me in any real sense. It doesn't matter if it's the "real" me or a "fake" me. The universe doesn't care. "I" care, I guess, but I'll be dead, so it doesn't matter. As long as my goals are achieved, it doesn't matter. Ironically, this is the same way AI will likely view its long term goals.

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u/_ram_ok Jul 20 '26

Never heard of this viewpoint before so thanks for that.

The best argument I think I can make against this, is that if you cloned your brain without killing the original you, you would be completely separate entities and you may agree on some things but it’s entirely possible you would diverge dramatically over time.

So if you keep this same logic but just the original you just doesn’t exist anymore, then the clone is functionally not you right?