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There is also a huge body of knowledge indicating that change is characterized by the loss of molecular fidelity. Eliminating aging would require finding a solution to each of these causes, a program de Grey calls engineered negligible senescence. There are three main causes of death: aging, disease, and injury Such issues can be resolved with the solutions provided in research to any end providing such alternate theories at present that require unification.Īubrey de Grey, a leading researcher in the field, defines aging as "a collection of cumulative changes to the molecular and cellular structure of an adult organism, which result in essential metabolic processes, but which also, once they progress far enough, increasingly disrupt metabolism, resulting in pathology and death." The current causes of aging in humans are cell loss (without replacement), DNA damage, oncogenic nuclear mutations and epimutations, cell senescence, mitochondrial mutations, lysosomal aggregates, extracellular aggregates, random extracellular cross-linking, immune system decline, and endocrine changes. Modern scientific trends, such as cryonics, digital immortality, breakthroughs in rejuvenation, or predictions of an impending technological singularity, to achieve genuine human physical immortality, must still overcome all causes of death to succeed: Pursuit of physical immortality before the advent of modern science included alchemists seeking to create the Philosopher's Stone, and various cultures' legends such as the Fountain of Youth or the Peaches of Immortality inspiring attempts at discovering elixirs of life.
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It can mean the unending existence of a person from a physical source other than organic life, such as a computer.
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Physical immortality is a state of life that allows a person to avoid death and maintain conscious thought. Similar beliefs that physical immortality is possible are held by Rastafarians or Rebirthers. In Mesopotamian and Greek religion, the gods also made certain men and women physically immortal, whereas in Christianity, many believe that all true believers will be resurrected to physical immortality. In traditions, such as ancient Egyptian beliefs, Mesopotamian beliefs and ancient Greek beliefs, the immortal gods consequently were considered to have physical bodies. Immortality in religion refers usually to either the belief in physical immortality or a more spiritual afterlife.
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