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. https://inuit.com/ Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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