Cognitive Conversations #7 On Brain Preservation and Existential Optimism with Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

Brain preservation. It sounds like science fiction, right? Neuroscientist and author Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is determined to prove otherwise in his recent, game-changing book, The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death.This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neuroscientist, author and passionate advocate for brain preservation, Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Over at Monash University’s Neuroscience of Consciousness Lab (MoNoC), Ariel is investigating the ways in which we characterise the nature of consciousness, or what it is like “to be”— from the decline, preservation and rescue of cognitive function at different stages of the lifespan, through to comparing our conscious embodied experience. This line of enquiry, of course, passes through the chasm of life and death. But should we accept the natural, inevitable way of things? Or is there another path our future could take?The Future Loves You makes the medical, scientific, philosophical and ethical case for how we can preserve the dying to enable their future revival. Contributing to cutting edge research in the field, Ariel clarifies the neurobiological, cognitive, and emotional basis of what it is to be alive, and he hopes to accelerate the development of the medical infrastructure that will help prevent him and everyone else from dying.Join Ariel and SWN host, Bianca Millroy for a fascinating tour of the brain: our source of self, memory and consciousness, and how our understanding of it is radically redefining death.Show notes: visit scienceritenow.com/listen/cognitive-conversations-7-on-brain-preservation-and-existential-optimism-with-dr-ariel-zeleznikow-johnston for the full show notes, including further resources and recommended reading. Ariel's book, The Future Loves You is available now in hardback, ebook and audiobook.Connect with Ariel and find out more about his research on his website (including supplementary material), and follow him on Bluesky @arielzj. Ariel's Substack blog is Preserving Hope. Listen to Ariel speak on ABC's Conversations with Richard Fidler, and on All In The Mind with Sana Qadar live at World Science Festival Brisbane!Content note: This episode discusses topics such as death and terminal illness, as well as descriptions of biological function and medical procedures.Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide. Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.