I once pondered upon what I would consider to still "be alive".
Some of these people who are in a coma can, as has been shown, still hear sound and react or even answer by activating certain brain regions which can be measured.
But what if you can't hear anymore? It doesn't seem to imply you're dead. For instance, I could imagine, purely hypothetically, that someone could use your sense of touch to input a bit-pattern or even Morsecode to initiate communication, to which one might be able to react by thinking (communicate back).
Of course, that seems highly impractical and unlikely to happen, but it is an interesting meditation to contemplate what one would consider for themselves to "be alive".
This reminds me of a joke I once saw acted out on Spanish television. A proud father is at the hospital waiting for his son to be born. The doctor comes out and says, "I'm sorry sir but it seems your son will be born without feet." The father answers "He's my son and I'll love him no matter what." The doctor comes out a few minutes later "I'm sorry sir but it seems your son will be born without legs." The father continues "He's my son and I'll love him no matter what." The doctor comes out again "I'm sorry sir but your son will be born without arms or hands." The father again says "He's my son and I'll love him no matter what." The doctor comes out again "I'm sorry sir but your son will be born without a torso, and will be blind and mute." The father again maintains "He's my son and I'll love him no matter what." At last the doctor comes out cradling an ear--"Sir I present your son". The father proclaims " My son! I love you!" The doctor responds "I'm sorry sir, your son is deaf."
Some of these people who are in a coma can, as has been shown, still hear sound and react or even answer by activating certain brain regions which can be measured.
But what if you can't hear anymore? It doesn't seem to imply you're dead. For instance, I could imagine, purely hypothetically, that someone could use your sense of touch to input a bit-pattern or even Morsecode to initiate communication, to which one might be able to react by thinking (communicate back).
Of course, that seems highly impractical and unlikely to happen, but it is an interesting meditation to contemplate what one would consider for themselves to "be alive".