http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/canadian-gets-the-nod-to-help-with-first-ever-human-head-transplant-1.3195262

If the first-ever human head transplant goes off without a hitch, a Canadian grad student will have earned a special nod of recognition. William Sikkema, a Rice University chemistry student from B.C., is preparing to lend his expertise to the landmark (and radical) procedure in the near future, with a tool designed to reconnect a severed spinal cord.

"The idea is you very carefully take the head off, we cool it down, and then you reconnect it," Sikkema told CTV News Channel on Thursday. "The plumbing is pretty easy," he added, explaining that all the circulatory system connections will draw on existing heart transplant techniques.

Science fiction, becomes reality. This operation could really help many people.

More breaking news from the Doctor....

I saw a similar story a few months ago. I thought it was just PR for Metal Gear Solid V.

that's both cool and gross at the same time

once again ricky gervias gets btfo by karl. when will manlets learn?

At 12/11/16 03:30 AM, Zornuzkull wrote: I bet 10 dollars he ends up dead...

Somebody has to perform the first success transplant. It will be an amazing day for science and medicine.

At 12/11/16 07:44 AM, Nickisabi wrote: More breaking news from the Doctor....

I do like to entertain and inform with my topics. Glad that you are enjoying it.

Decent flick for it's time, MST3K did a good job of riffing it, back in the day.

At 12/11/16 09:51 AM, Chdonga wrote: I saw a similar story a few months ago. I thought it was just PR for Metal Gear Solid V.

Yes, It is a real thing, not just PR. Did you see the video in the link?

At 12/11/16 03:30 AM, Zornuzkull wrote: I bet 10 dollars he ends up dead...

Due to a genetic predisposition towards esophageal cancer?

Suppose we'll know in a few years if this really worked or not.

At 12/11/16 03:15 PM, SolXeroEraser wrote: Lol, times futurama predicted the future

They did. Better watch out for Nixon as President again.

At 12/11/16 07:44 AM, Nickisabi wrote: More breaking news from the Doctor....

I kinda was hoping he would talk about himself this time.

At 12/12/16 12:32 PM, Haggard wrote:

At 12/11/16 07:44 AM, Nickisabi wrote: More breaking news from the Doctor....

I kinda was hoping he would talk about himself this time.

Doctors should definitely talk about themselves more.

OY VEY. I want a new body!

He will probably die. If by some microscopic chance he survives, imagine the complete mindfuck of literally having someone else's body. There'll be some pretty severe body dysmorphia,

At 12/14/16 05:26 PM, ManDeep wrote: Why do people refer to this as a head-transplant?

It was the title of the article, and it just sounds awesome.

At 12/11/16 09:57 PM, VicariousE wrote: Decent flick for it's time, MST3K did a good job of riffing it, back in the day.

Who can forget hats for disconnected heads.

That was a great episode.

At 12/14/16 05:37 PM, ChillyCheese wrote: He will probably die. If by some microscopic chance he survives, imagine the complete mindfuck of literally having someone else's body. There'll be some pretty severe body dysmorphia,

We will see what happens. It could be a huge success. Just imagine when you get old. Putting your head on a younger body would be amazing.

At 12/16/16 06:40 PM, DoctorStrongbad wrote:

At 12/14/16 05:37 PM, ChillyCheese wrote: He will probably die. If by some microscopic chance he survives, imagine the complete mindfuck of literally having someone else's body. There'll be some pretty severe body dysmorphia,

We will see what happens. It could be a huge success. Just imagine when you get old. Putting your head on a younger body would be amazing.

Amazingly horrifying. I could never do that.

I have a hard time believing the head wont just reject the body, or vice versa. Imagine that experience, I'd rather die than live through that.

At 12/17/16 08:36 AM, ChillyCheese wrote: Amazingly horrifying. I could never do that.

People send that about organ transplants once they first suggested.

I have a hard time believing the head wont just reject the body, or vice versa. Imagine that experience, I'd rather die than live through that.

They make drugs that will help the body except the transplant.

At 12/17/16 05:49 PM, DoctorStrongbad wrote:

Amazingly horrifying. I could never do that.

People send that about organ transplants once they first suggested.

You don't wake up from an organ transplant with someone else's body.

I have a hard time believing the head wont just reject the body, or vice versa. Imagine that experience, I'd rather die than live through that.

They make drugs that will help the body except the transplant.

This is fresh territory, they barely know what the fuck their doing, its a shot in the wind. Mark my words, this guy will die. It's just a matter of what they learn from the experiment.

At 12/17/16 06:11 PM, ChillyCheese wrote:

At 12/17/16 05:49 PM, DoctorStrongbad wrote:

Amazingly horrifying. I could never do that.

People send that about organ transplants once they first suggested.

You don't wake up from an organ transplant with someone else's body.

If that was the only way to survive, you would do it. Humans want to survive.

I have a hard time believing the head wont just reject the body, or vice versa. Imagine that experience, I'd rather die than live through that.

They make drugs that will help the body except the transplant.

This is fresh territory, they barely know what the fuck their doing, its a shot in the wind. Mark my words, this guy will die. It's just a matter of what they learn from the experiment.

Even if he does die, the next one might survive. Technology and medicine will always progress.

The best thing about it is the method of reconnecting the spinal cord. If that works, thousands of paralyzed people could get their lives back.

what if your head rejects the body? what if you are hardwired wrong and you're not as strong.

This kind of reminds of the death Isaac gets in Dead Space, where that thing just takes his body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4zo8QT_p0g

At 12/18/16 12:09 PM, DoctorStrongbad wrote: If that was the only way to survive, you would do it. Humans want to survive.

Yes, humans like any other animal have a natural tendency to want to survive (surprise!) But that's as far as you can take that argument. People sometimes choose death too. I cant say for certainty that I would turn down the treatment at deaths door as I would be under significant duress, I can say from where I stand now this is ultimately a crude treatment option.

Technology and medicine will always progress.

Not always for the betterment of humanity though.The amount of money that will go into research and development for a head transplant is astronomical, which will save a handful of lives a year at my guess. Not that I think saving lives is bad if it costs a lot of money, just that businesses don't invest in something without a return. There's definitely some unsavory applications to this technology should it flourish. I never thought I'd pull the "science has gone too far" argument, but here I am. At what cost will this technology bring? Everyone is obsessed with moving forward for money or fame they don't stop to think if its really necessary.

At 12/18/16 05:54 PM, wildfire4461 wrote: The best thing about it is the method of reconnecting the spinal cord. If that works, thousands of paralyzed people could get their lives back.

Yes, being able to repair spinal cords would help many paralyzed people walk again.

At 12/11/16 03:10 AM, DoctorStrongbad wrote: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/canadian-gets-the-nod-to-help-with-first-ever-human-head-transplant-1.3195262

If the first-ever human head transplant goes off without a hitch, a Canadian grad student will have earned a special nod of recognition

Ohmy we are all doomed now, So they are testing Canadians now I see lol.

~X~

At 12/11/16 03:10 AM, DoctorStrongbad wrote: "The idea is you very carefully take the head off, we cool it down, and then you reconnect it," Sikkema told CTV News Channel on Thursday.

That's a cool story, bro. Wonder why noone thought about that earlier.

At 11/7/17 10:39 AM, RightTime wrote: It looks like this "procedure" has been delayed again until 2018. I guess that's just as well, although I wouldn't hold my breathe about it happening next year either. There has been talk the potential patient has pulled out and that the new patient will be Chinese, but honestly there's been so much smoke around this story that who even knows.

Wow, they are delaying it again. If the new patient is Chinese, that really shouldn't change anything. If it works, it would be the next major medical breakthrough.