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Although many scientists would challenge the feasibility of this process, few would say that it is not eventually possible given current research into Organ Transplant and Human Cloning . Some Bioethicists would argue that there are difficult moral problems involved in either harvesting a brain-dead body, especially one deliberately created using Human Cloning , or otherwise acquiring a body (say, of a criminal due to be executed for a crime, or an individual who is not dead but is soon to die of a brain-based illness). Whole-body transplant is similar in some ways to the idea of Downloading Consciousness promoted by Marvin Minsky and others with a mechanistic view of natural intelligence and an optimistic outlook regarding Artificial Intelligence . It is also a goal of Raelism , a small cult based in Florida, France, and Quebec. However, while the 'downloaders' see the ultimate receptacle of the human brain as a repairable manufactured body made by Robotics , the 'transplanters' see the ultimate receptable as a new body optimized for that brain by Genetics and maybe Proteomics . It has been pointed out that the age of a body that a brain could be transplanted into should be sufficient - the adult sized brain could only fit into the skull of a body post 9-12 years old as that is when the head reaches adult size. The procedure seems to be a far-off goal. However, it should be noted that Human Cloning itself seemed impossible a generation ago. One of the most significant barriers to the procedure is the inability of Nerve tissue to heal properly; Scarred nerve tissue doesn't transmit signals well (this is the reason a Spinal Cord Injury is so devastating). However, recent research at the Wistar Institute of the University Of Pennsylvania involving Tissue-regenerating mice may provide pointers for further research as to how to regenerate nerves without scarring. SEE ALSO
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