The Cell

Modern medicine has come so far: our ancestors were victims to procedures like trepanning, bloodletting by leeches, and, frighteningly recently, prefrontal lobotomies.
And yet, modern medicine still has a long way to go.
Stem cell research shows great promise for curing common yet debilitating conditions, like Parkinson’s disease, paralysis due to spinal cord injuries, cancer, and many more.
One day, things like stem cells could even help us re-grow parts of our body, like vital organs and some body parts. This could extend our lives greatly, but could it also change our society?
The philosophical paradox, known as the Ship of Theseus, questions at what point an object that has had its parts replaced becomes a new object (using the example of a boat). As soon as any new part is replaced, is the identity of the object still fundamentally the same? One could argue that seeing it as a new entity is ridiculous, as it serves the same function. You start to question the meaning of the phrase “the same.” In one respect, something can only be the same as itself. Other things can merely share some properties.
If we were to use stem cells to regenerate parts of the human body, is that person ever truly the same as before?
If someone were to acquire a body part that would change their abilities or the way the world saw them, say becoming more athletic, is that person really the same?
Are we the sum of our organs or would changing things about ourselves also change how we treat the world or how the world treats us?
To quote Twilight, the popular teen vampire romance novel, (I apologize in advance), “When you can live forever, what do you live for?”
This is certainly not the first time an author has delved into this topic. The general consensus seems to be how an infinite life span would make things seem meaningless.
Advances in stem cell research have incredible potential for increasing longevity, and will certainly provoke divisive ethical questions. Some even claim...