Many of you have heard about this doctor who wants to perform head transplants in the last few years.

A controversial neurosurgeon who wants to carry out the first human head transplant has outlined plans to conduct 'Frankenstein' experiments to reanimate human corpses to test his technique.

thus far they have tried on rats dogs and monkeys.

Speaking last year he said that experiments in rats have only had a 30 per cent to 50 per cent survival rate.

He told Xinhuanet.com: 'Some rats survived a few hours, the longest is one day.'

It starts with "brain dead organ donors"

He said that initial tests will be carried out using the bodies of brain dead organ donors where the spinal cord will be severed and treated to see if it can be repaired.

But where will this lead?

If they can keep someone with a new body alive for even a few years, there will quickly develop a black market in bodies. Young healthy bodies will sell at a huge premium.

The day is coming when a financially ruined man might sell his body to raise money for his family.

I am sure it will be outlawed but some country will allow it.

First taste of immortality

I suspect that bodies often give out before brains. If that's the case, will people blessed with sharp minds live to be 200 years old? If you have Alzheimer's will your relatives sell the body to the highest bidder?

sadly we'll likely start answering these questions in ten years

The "conservative doctors" say

Others said it could still at least eight years before a human head transplant could realistically be carried out.

Well that's one way to get ahead...

Heading for a disaster!

The prohibition of organ trading is what makes it dangerous, not the trade itself. Why is it that everyone except, for example, in the USA, a kidney donor, gets paid, and the recipient pays? But the poor bugger who has to lose a piece of his body, nada, nix.

Anyway, at the rate they are moving on this they will be cloning heads before it gets off the ground. I'm not sure if there is much use in that though.

I was thinking cloning bodies more likely. If you get your body cloned, do you own it or does the clone have rights? Can you cut off your cloned head to use the spare body? I imagine they will figure a way to abort the brain and leave true body to avoid those issues.

I do think everyone should get paid for body part donations but I don't think you should be able to donate your life for money.

if someone with power and money thinks it is a good idea, it has probably already been done. within the limits of technical feasibility.

It's not there yet, but sounds like it will be in next ten years. I doubt a rich person would do it till it last at least a year or two and has high safety rate.

or if they have no other choice. Dick Cheney has no heartbeat. how many people do you think can say that? "he's more machine than man now..."