How To Academy Podcast Neuroscientist Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston - How and Why We Should Abolish Death
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Dec 17, 2024 
Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, an Australian neuroscientist and science communicator, challenges our views on mortality and consciousness in this intriguing conversation. He discusses groundbreaking methods that could preserve human minds beyond death, sparking a debate on the ethics and implications of immortality. Ariel explores humanity's complex relationship with death and suggests a hopeful outlook for the future, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational connections and ethical considerations in advancing these technologies.
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Defining Consciousness
- Consciousness is commonly defined as the subjective experience of feeling.
- This definition is widely accepted but remains controversial in neuroscience and philosophy.
Challenges in Studying Consciousness
- Studying consciousness is challenging due to the divide between subjective experience and objective scientific methods.
- Scientists rely on self-reports, which can be unreliable, especially with subjects unable to communicate.
Challenging Death's Inevitability
- Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston argues against the inevitability of death and proposes we have a moral obligation to prevent it.
- He believes most people, given the option of extended life with good health, would choose it.