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Brain in a jar


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I've been think about something/things. 

The brain is the core of us, our hearts stomavh, and other organs simply fuel it. Sooo what if you put a brain in a jar.. 

Obviously you'd have to give it the necessary material to survive like oxygen, fuel, and anything else the brain needs. My question lies in whether or not the brain could be connected to machines such as a speaker mic and camera. Keep in mind this brain is alive, and I've already done research on brain transplants so I know removing the brain won't kill it and there is a very recent study of a man who was paralyzed given a technological chip to help him move. So I guess my question really is, does anyone think once removed from your body, you'd be able to successfully wake up in the jar, able to see hear and talk?

Sincerely Rick Sanchez ;)

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2 minutes ago, Rick_Rocks67 said:

The brain is the core of us, our hearts stomavh, and other organs simply fuel it.

I don't think it is as simple as that. For example, there are many hormones that affect how we feel and, hence, how we think. Some recent work suggest that even the bacteria in the gut can change the brain function (for example, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mental-health-may-depend-on-creatures-in-the-gut/).

And then there are things like phantom limb syndrome and associated pain.

So the brain might function in isolation but it isn't clear how well. I imagine it could be a pretty horrific experience.

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8 minutes ago, Rick_Rocks67 said:

does anyone think once removed from your body, you'd be able to successfully wake up in the jar, able to see hear and talk?

I do, yes, but with caveats. The brain is just one part of a larger central nervous system, so it largely depends on where you make the cuts and do the actual pruning. 

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9 minutes ago, Rick_Rocks67 said:

I've been think about something/things. 

The brain is the core of us, our hearts stomavh, and other organs simply fuel it. Sooo what if you put a brain in a jar.. 

Obviously you'd have to give it the necessary material to survive like oxygen, fuel, and anything else the brain needs. My question lies in whether or not the brain could be connected to machines such as a speaker mic and camera. Keep in mind this brain is alive, and I've already done research on brain transplants so I know removing the brain won't kill it and there is a very recent study of a man who was paralyzed given a technological chip to help him move. So I guess my question really is, does anyone think once removed from your body, you'd be able to successfully wake up in the jar, able to see hear and talk?

Sincerely Rick Sanchez ;)

Perhaps in the future, but at the moment our technology is far from reaching that level of sophistication.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Given enough time, I have no doubt we could figure out some sort of interface with equipment that allows a brain in a jar to "see, hear, and talk". I don't think that's the point, though.

I think removing the brain from the body would change you as a person enough to raise the question, is it really you anymore? As others have mentioned, we're conditioned both chemically and experientially by being in our bodies. Imagine one person, two timelines. In the first timeline, the person suffers a horrible accident and loses both legs, living the majority of their life as a paraplegic. In the second timeline, the accident never happens, and the same person lives a different life on two healthy legs. But is it the same person? Will what makes you you survive the removal of your body if we put your brain in a jar?

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