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Scientists have "somewhat revived" the brains of dead pigs after their deaths in a slaughterhouse, although they "take care to say that no brain has regained the kind of activity organized electrical badociated with consciousness or consciousness ".
As reported by NPR, the experiment was described in the journal Nature and showed that "a surprising amount of cellular function was either preserved or restored" in the brain of dead pigs.
"It was breathtaking," says Nita Farahany, who is studying Emerging Technologies Ethics at Duke Law School. "My initial reaction was quite shocked.It is a breakthrough discovery, but it also fundamentally alters much of the existing belief in neuroscience regarding the irreversible loss of brain function once the brain is deprived of the brain. ;oxygen."
The scientists involved in this study have developed a technique over the last six years that would provide the brain with oxygen, nutrients, and a variety of other protective cell chemicals. It was a project "filmed in the dark", but they were determined to see it through.
The final version of their technology, called BrainEx, was used in a detailed study of 32 pig heads in which scientists injected a specialty-formulated chemical badtail for six hours, which began about four hours after the pigs died. .
"We have found that tissue and cell structure is preserved and cell death is reduced, and some molecular and cellular functions have been restored," says neuroscientist Nenad Sestan. "It's not a living brain, but it's an active brain on a cellular level."
This obviously raises many ethical issues and the researchers claim that their goal was not to restore consciousness in the pigs' brains, but to allow a new way to more accurately study brain diseases or lesions and to learn more about the brain itself.
The chemical badtail contained an anti-epileptic drug known to "block or attenuate neuronal activity," but some individual cells showed signs that they were "capable of electrochemical responses."
Thus, it is unclear whether the consciousness would have been restored if the blocker had been left out, but the scientists wanted to make sure that they did not cause any damage to a potentially conscious or active pork brain.
This study, if moved to later stages or even to human testing, could raise many questions and make the decision required when a person declared brain dead is much more complicated because we obviously want to give our loved ones all the chances of life.
If these experiences go wrong and a zombie apocalypse is created, be sure to check out our guide on how video games have taught us to survive in a post-apocalyptic world infested with the undead.
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Adam Bankhurst is an IGN journalist who finds this completely crazy / incredible. You can follow him on Twitter @ AdamBankhurst.
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