Is resurrection scientifically possible?

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   andrew savageposted 12 years ago

   Is it possible to resurrect a dead organism?

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      bBereanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      If the materialist's world view is correct, it would have to be possible to reanimate something that just died but still has everything materially required for life, present.
      If, as others believe, it is a spirit that animates the material then no, it is not possible without divine intervention since science cannot detect, manipulate or control the spirit.

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      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Define "dead".  As in no heartbeat for a few minutes?  Sure.
      
      As in no heartbeat for 3 days?  Not a chance.  You'd have to start with a complete organ transplant of every organ (including the brain) and then move on to all muscle tissue and a complete new nervous system.  You can wrap it up with new bones (or a least the marrow) and all new ligaments and tendons.  Hair might survive, but will need new follicles.  Fingernails probably OK, but will need new beds.

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         andrew savageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         What if you were able to reverse the process of decay?

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            wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            You mean make entropy run backwards?  Or force the bacteria to regurgitate what they "ate", molecule by molecule?  Force them to reverse their own reproductive process that all the food allowed them?
            
            And then stitch the cell walls back together with thread 1000 times the size of the cell?  Reproduce somehow the contents of each individual cell that has fallen apart and recombine all the atoms of each DNA string in those cells?
            
            Much easier, I think, to simply make a clone from any intact DNA, collect the soul and stuff it into the clone.  We're not very good at reversing entropy at the atomic level.

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               andrew savageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               No. I mean applying an energetic force, or a chemical that forces conscious arousal and muscular movement, that stops the decay and puts the immune system into a hyper accelerated state in which the bacteria becomes digested and broken down by the body in a gradual reawakening. There are plants that die and come back to life- I posted this question to receive an informed answer, not an opinion.

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                  andrew savageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Cell wall restitch themselves every day. It is a process of cell repair and mitosis or myeosis.

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                     andrew savageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Also, the soul is the brain- the psyche that is has been studied by ancient Greeks and pagans. Perhaps the proper word you were reaching for is "spirit." Science has already proven the existence of the soul- it is the spirit that eludes many of us.

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                        wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        If you wish to redefine the soul as the physical brain, fine.  I doubt that the religious will agree with you, but it's fine with me. 
                        
                        And yes, the word would seem to be "spirit" then.  Or psyche, take your pick.  Just don't try to convince me that psyche also means brain tissue because the flat earthers millenia ago said so.

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                     wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Yes.  Yes they do.  Of course, they need food supplied by blood, oxygen and other chemicals as well.  Unfortunately, when the cell nucleus has fallen apart and the molecules have disintegrated into other chemicals than what a living cell has, it becomes a little tougher to regenerate or reproduce.

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                  wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Well, you could apply an energetic force by dropping a car on the body but I don't think it will help.  You can stop the decay by submersing it in formaldehyde but I don't think that will help either.  It's a little tough to force the immune system into a hyper active state without blood being pumped, air and oxygen moving and all the rest.  Better get it back to life before attempting to meddle with the immune system.
                  
                  And you got an informed answer - you can't make entropy run backwards.  You can't speak a magic word and repair cellular damage.  You can't force complex molecules to reform, at least without destroying the cell they are in (I refer to DNA molecules).
                  
                  You may not want to agree with me, but if not you might give it a try.  Kill a frog, wait three days (without freezing it) and see if you can coax it back to life.  Solve the problems I've listed and you might have at least a start on the problem.

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                  wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I might add that it's a little tough to achieve conscious arousal when all the nerves and nerve interconnecions in the brain have broken.  Electricity doesn't flow well down broken and/or disconnected conductors.  You'll have to repair each and every nerve and connection before the brain can operate the body again, or even operate itself.  Which it doesn't do too well at without oxygen and food.

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