In the popular British Television Series, Doctor Who, an interesting theory was invented and proposed, the theory of Regeneration. The Doctor, who is the main character in Doctor Who, is a Time Lord. The Time Lords are a race of technologically advanced aliens from Gallifrey who possess two hearts and the ability to, you guessed it, regenerate. This ability allows the Doctor to be reborn every time he dies up to twelve times, except in the case of The Doctor who apparently can regenerate many more times now. The question becomes, what is regeneration and how is it possible? In this paper I am going to put forth my own theory on the Doctor’s regeneration and answer some of the objections that have been proposed against it. My theory of regeneration includes some simple Organic Chemistry, specifically the theory of Stereoisomerism, which I will try to explain here, so as the Doctor would say Allons-y!
In the early 1900’s Organic Chemists were faced with a problem. They found that certain chemicals, with the same molecular formula seemed to have different physical properties (Melting points, Boiling points, Molecular weights). They could not figure out how a chemical could be two things at once. After several experiments, they came upon a conclusion that still rocks the minds of college students today. They theorized that two chemical solutions with the same atoms in their makeup could be different, because the atoms were connected in different manners. This theory is called stereoisomerism and it is a major theory in Organic Chemistry. What does this have to do with Doctor Who you ask? Well, I believe that the Doctor is a living stereoisomer. When he regenerates, he is not becoming someone different, but he is the same as the docto...
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...way the electrons are present at every piece of the molecule at every moment in time. My stereoisomerism model works only from a Perdurantistic point of view. Perdurantistic meaning that one looks at a being in slices from beginning to end. When her Resonance hypothesis is added to my model, one can view the Doctor from an Endurantistic point of view as well. Endurantistic meaning that the being is complete every moment.
In Conclusion, I believe my theory when combined with Sarah’s hypothesis is an adequate way to view regeneration. The Organic-Regeneration Theory, as I have named it, states that the Doctor is the same through time since, no new matter is added or old matter removed, but only a chemical rearrangement takes place. It works well from a Perdurantistic or an Endurantistic point of view, and I believe I have answered the challenges to it successfully.
Hippocrates believed that macrocosms, often designated the universe and environment, could influence and effect microcosms, like that of the human body. The Hippocratics reasoned this was because all things in the macrocosms and microcosms derived from the same materials. Empedocles, a Greek philosopher, communicated the first four-element theory of matter which delineated the four essential building block to be air, water, fire, earth. All of these elements corresponded with the four humors that, in conjunction with the theories of the contraries (hot, cold, wet, dry), formed Hippocrates’s practice and concept of humoralism (Lecture 3, [FIND DATE]). Hippocrates asserted that each human being contained unique combinations of the four distinctive humors, being yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood, which shaped individuals’ temperaments. Patients fell ill when the balance between these humors was compelled to shift out of equilibrium. Thus, Hippocrates, and his students like Galen, understood that physicians had to have a full understanding of the patient and must subsequently tailor their treatments to achieve the highest form of care (Airs, Waters, Places, 90-91). Consequently, physicians practiced healing with a counterbalance therapy which returned the individual
Phelan, J. (2011). What Is Life? A Guide To Biology with Physiology. New York: Peter Marshall.
So far, various techniques have been used for reconstruction and regeneration of maxillary and mandibular bone defects. Autogenous bone grafting, guided bone regeneration (GBR), distraction osteogenesis and nerve transpositioning are among these regenerative techniques (1-8). Decision making for the treatment could be influenced by the type, size and location of the bone defects (2, 3, 9, 10). GBR had high success rate in treating small alveolar defects such as dehiscence or fenestration. Regenerative bony walls around the defect with ingrowing blood vessels can begin osteogenesis (11) larger bone defects with insufficient regenerative walls and an low quality avascular bed need varied amount of autogeneous bone graft from extra oral or intra oral donor sites, however, the patient may suffer from complications in donor site as well as bone graft resorption.(10, 12-15)
As an extension to the short story “Where am I?” by Daniel Dennett, Dennett is taking the government to court, claiming that NASA owes him a new body, because he is currently forced to share his body with another person (Hubert). Wanting to make usage of my philosophical expertise, the government called upon me to give my recommendation to the court as to what validity, if any Dennett’s claim has, and whether or not Dennett should be awarded a second body transplant. After careful consideration on various philosophical issues pertaining to this case, I have concluded that there is absolutely some merit to Dennett’s claim, and that Daniel Dennett should be given a new body. I will expand upon the details of each specific issue that I investigated,
By 1866, several distinct positions on Reconstruction emerged. These were divided into three opposing camps: Conservatives (democrats), Moderates, and Radicals. The Conservatives believed the South should be readmitted into the Union as soon as possible, but the Radicals and Moderates believed there should be consequences for succeeding.
Chapter 22 in the novel Regeneration by Pat Barker is very significant to the development of the character Dr. W.H.R. Rivers, through the symbol of control throughout the book. In this chapter, Rivers returns to his home after witnessing Dr. Lewis Yealland’s horrific treatment of his patient Callan through the use of electrotherapy. Being displaced by the incident, Rivers finds it difficult to do any work because throughout the night recollections of the treatment continue to haunt him. After deciding to go to sleep, Rivers has a nightmare where he is treating a patient with electroshock therapy, just as Yealland did, except after attempting to shove the electrode into the patient’s mouth several times, he realizes that what he is holding is not an electrode, but a horse’s bit. Rivers awakens and reflects on this dream, noting that instead of trying to cure a patient of mutism by stimulating the patient with electroshock therapy, he was really trying to get his patient to stop speaking, and to rather become mute. The passages in chapter 22 serves to force the reader to question wether or not Rivers and Yealland are actually helping their patients, as well as to develop Dr. Rivers’s character by showing how he and Yealland are quite similar despite their differences in treatment through the exhibition of the element of control that both of these characters possess.
Lack of regeneration can be seen by the way that birth fails to bring hope and death constantly fails to validate life or create any sense of community. Aaron Kelly states that ‘funerals reassure community of its own regeneration’ (49) as do births.
The body is composed of cells. Normally, these cells divide at a composed and calculated manner. If cells die or are destroyed, the body creates more cells through the division of existing cells. However, occasionally, problems with some cells in the body may occur.
Mitchell, Dr. Elizabeth. "Human Clones: Created To Die." - Answers in Genesis. N.p., 30 May
If we have to look at regeneration as healing and more specifically, the process of healing the mind, then it implies that the patient has a mentally unstable condition and has to be helped back to a normal stable mental condition. The definition of a normal stable mental condition in every human falls within the range of this person's ability to access situations rationally and objectively, parallel with a sense of responsibility and duty towards the fellow people, the law and the social standards of the place, time and condition of the society that this person is a part of. The reaction, behavior or response to a given situation should bring balance or maintain balance in the situation for the sake of being reliable in the protection of security measures and the advancement of the generally understood purpose.
I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. (56)
...ows both Rivers and Prior to embrace the present. By denying the past, many of the characters in Barker's novel struggle with the present. Many are unable to deal with the horrors of war witnessed and experienced in their recent past. Others, such as Rivers and Prior, struggle with issues from their childhood as well. Regeneration shows that by making a connection with the past and accepting it for what it is, the characters are able to continue their lives with some sense of order and purpose.
Truly the body was a mechanical thing that responded to specific stimulus and could be counted on to respond the same way every time. Wonderful news, the body did not respond as intended. Science has tried to brush aside or explain away this phenomenon y saying, "Oh, it’s just the placebo effect" or "It’s spontaneous remission" as well as other innocuous terms seemingly to lessen it’s importance. It is human nature when something is not understood to either dismiss it, diminish it or ignore it all together. This search to seek out answers to this reoccurring phenomenon is the basis for PNI, the way the mind-body connection is made and how
... the end of the rainbow and a desperate thing to go in search of it. But as with all developments in science and technology, successful cryonic rejuvenation and animation is another boundary that is yet to be broken and exploited to its full capacity. If, in time, reanimation and rejuvenation become tenable then it will not be long before funeral homes are out of business and the cryonic home is established.
For billions of years, there has been life. Our planet consists of countless numbers of living creatures. Unfortunately, all living creatures have a limited life span which can range anywhere from a few hours to the ripe old age of 113 years old. Each individual has its own biological clock, and when the clock stops, our time is up. But what if we could rewind or stop our biological clock, rejuvenating ourselves to a time when we were totally content? In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", he describes one man's experiments in the pursuit of longevity and eternal youth with water from the legendary Fountain of Youth. Although these secrets have been pursued for centuries, but never has man found such an elixir. However, throughout history there has been numerous attempts to extend life: the Egyptians and Romans ate garlic in large quantities in an attempt to lengthen life and increase strength, and several Chinese emperors hired alchemists to discover the secret to eternal youth. Unfortunately, these alchemists prescribed doses of gold and mercury only to later discover that their patients were not living longer healthier lives, but living shorter, more painful lives. Regardless of these experimental failures, the research and experimentations continued.