From: mk_thisisit
Human cells can be immortal [00:00:00] and can be subjected to hibernation [00:00:02]. The scientific exploration into the limits of biology suggests that reversing the aging process might be possible [00:00:20].
The Concept of Aging
The process of aging is considered an irreversible process [00:05:25]. This is seen as a “trick of mother nature” to ensure species stability [00:05:30]. When individuals are mortal but new generations appear, the species remains stable [00:00:14], [00:07:21]. If humans were immortal, there would be no need for children, which would lead to an unstable species [00:07:07], [00:07:35]. This perspective aligns with evolutionary considerations, where individual mortality serves the greater purpose of species continuity.
Reversing Aging
Despite the natural tendency towards mortality, some scientists believe that reversing the aging process is biologically possible [00:07:45], [00:08:43]. The argument posits that there is no fundamental law prohibiting the purification of cells or the exchange of used proteins [00:08:50], [00:08:57]. An analogy is drawn to a car, where all parts can be replaced, allowing it to “drive and drive” as long as there is an owner willing to maintain it [00:09:03]. This perspective fuels the longevity trend, aiming to extend human lifespan in optimal condition [00:08:20].
The idea of “cleaning” cells is explored as a potential path to immortality [00:22:21]. Cells accumulate “garbage”—proteins that have ceased functioning and form aggregates [00:21:01], [00:21:15]. This accumulation slows down cellular processes and impairs cell function [00:22:11]. If substances could be administered to dissolve or prevent the formation of these aggregates, cells might be able to cope on their own [00:22:27], [00:22:41].
Cellular Hibernation and Survival Strategies
Cells can enter a state similar to hibernation to survive harsh conditions [00:00:02]. When starved of glucose, cells have less energy to survive [00:01:00]. To conserve energy, they limit the consumption of ATP (the energy carrier) [00:01:08]. Their strategy involves expelling water from their interior volume, causing the inside to “chew” and form a gel [00:01:24], [00:01:35]. This gel makes it difficult for molecules like ribosomes to move, thus halting protein production, which is an energy-intensive process [00:01:35], [00:01:45]. By stopping movement, the cell is able to survive [00:01:51], [00:01:55].
This survival strategy is attributed to natural selection: those cells that did not adopt this method under hunger simply did not survive, passing on the successful genotype to future generations [00:02:02], [00:02:39].
Distinguishing Hibernation from Freezing
True “perfect hibernation” involves stopping the movement of all atoms [00:03:21]. Freezing, however, is destructive because water expands when it freezes, destroying cell walls [00:03:00], [00:03:05]. When defrosted, the result is “something that is broken” [00:03:16].
The observation that hungry cells can form a gel presents an interesting avenue for developing human hibernation [00:03:35]. While current experiments have kept cells on hunger for 96 hours [00:03:46], the goal for human application would be in terms of years, enabling long-distance space travel [00:03:53], [00:03:55].
Energy, Movement, and the Nature of Life
Energy is considered the primary and most important concept governing systems [00:12:03], allowing systems to remain far from equilibrium [00:12:18]. Systems generally treat energy “like a hot potato,” trying to reject it [00:12:41], [00:13:31]. While energy is a conserved quantity in the universe [00:13:12], systems change their structure to rid themselves of as much energy as possible [00:13:51]. This suggests that energy, rather than just movement, “rules the world” [00:13:56].
Randomness and Determinism in Cells
A fascinating aspect of cellular processes is their apparent randomness [00:15:30]. Molecules move randomly, and reactions occur randomly [00:15:48]. However, from this chaos, something that looks like determinism arises [00:00:30], [00:15:59]. This implies a principle of nature that dictates how these random processes adjust and synchronize [00:16:19]. This “adjustment” is a key area of future research interest [00:19:41].
Defining Life
Life is broadly defined as the adjustment of all biochemical cycles to work in harmony, primarily for the purpose of division [00:25:33]. Viruses are considered to be at the border of what is alive and dead because they do not draw energy on their own but rather use the resources of a host to carry out their mechanisms and multiply [00:24:20], [00:24:33].
The question of how life came into being on Earth is linked to the spontaneous formation of complex molecules. Experiments, like Miller’s from the 1950s, showed that simple chemical molecules, when subjected to currents, could produce most amino acids [00:18:37], [00:18:41]. More recently, it has been observed that these amino acids can spontaneously combine into protein chains [00:19:01].
Scientific Progress and Organization
Science strives for truths that are constant across time and repeatable through experimentation [00:29:28]. The stability of scientific laws is founded on the expectation that experiments will yield the same results today as they would in 1000 years, within a margin of error [00:29:39], [00:29:55].
Scientific progress is greatly influenced by organizational structures. A critique of traditional hierarchical systems, inherited from German models, is that they stifle effective work [00:30:24]. In contrast, American universities, which empower young scientists with freedom and independent research groups, foster greater effectiveness [00:31:28], [00:31:43]. Such flat structures, where position is decided by achievement rather than hierarchy, significantly increase grant funding, publication quality, and international collaboration [00:31:55], [00:32:05], [00:32:37].
Impact of Closing Academic Centers
Historically, the closure of academic centers has had devastating effects on civilizations. For example, in the 10th century, Arab countries closed their universities due to religious authorities gaining dominance over secular ones [00:26:59], [00:27:02]. This led to a collapse of their culture of science [00:27:15], [00:27:26]. While private companies might initially absorb some research functions if universities closed today, the long-term consequence would be a halt in new knowledge creation and product development [00:27:38], [00:28:16].