Immortal Jellyfish!

[Captain Utopia]

I was going on the assumption that the age reversion was back to a "polyp" state, or equivalent.  But Nigels point about old memories implanting themselves onto new structure is interesting in that -- how much could you "compress" the size of the brain without losing memories/personality?  Also - how much memory/personality could you lose without anyone else being any the wiser?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Unfotunately I think everything would of been forgotten (If a complex structure with a brain did the reverse age thingy etc), unless there comes a time and age where you can store your brain on a MySQL database

Since well-developed brain parts would be going to mush and not operate in the same way; then they would be accessed differently, wouldn't they? Unless it is as nigel says - it could be possible that things will return in stages as the brain develops.

What is the age the brain stops fully growing? I understand brain plasticity is constantly changing, but is there an age where it just stops 'growing' like our bodies?

Approximately age 18 if I recall correctly.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I was going on the assumption that the age reversion was back to a "polyp" state, or equivalent.  But Nigels point about old memories implanting themselves onto new structure is interesting in that -- how much could you "compress" the size of the brain without losing memories/personality?  Also - how much memory/personality could you lose without anyone else being any the wiser?

Well, I suppose that could be likened to mild to moderate brain damage. I have a cousin who suffered as such, and he was the same person. Just rambled more than he usually did. But that might be due to other factors.

[Captain Utopia]

Does aging count as "moderate brain damage" also?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Does aging count as "moderate brain damage" also?

I'm sure it could. Brain cells don't regenerate, so everyone basically suffers gradual brain damage over time, as I understand it. I think for this sort of conjecture though it would definitely count- pruning off of a percentage of brain matter while returning to the polyp stage, but possibly retaining some significant amount of memories and personality in the process.

Though in practice it might end up being vague memories of the past phase while retaining the essentials learned to survive, interact, and successfully reproduce, with some sort of vestige of previous personality.

[NotPublished]

Hmm perhaps this is where theories such as Cell Memory would shine?

I'm not sure if I am repeating this right - I think I heard that it was theoretically possible to store the world's memories in a grain of sand (Or rather the energy in the atom)

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Hmm perhaps this is where theories such as Cell Memory would shine?

I'm not sure if I am repeating this right - I think I heard that it was theoretically possible to store the world's memories in a grain of sand (Or rather the energy in the atom)

That's pretty interesting. Do you remember generally where you heard this?

[NotPublished]

I'm not sure exactly where I heard this, a memory popped up while talking about it - so I was repeating it here hoping someone might know something.

Perhaps we should eventually split topics if something interesting comes up?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I'm not sure exactly where I heard this, a memory popped up while talking about it - so I was repeating it here hoping someone might know something.

Perhaps we should eventually split topics if something interesting comes up?

Good call, I'd like to hear more about it. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

IIRC, although for many many years the common wisdom was that we stop growing new brain cells at a certain point, it's been recently discovered that we continue growing new brain cells throughout our lives, but most of them just die, unused. However, the more new information you are learning at any given point, the more new cells will survive and be retained.

It's kind of fucking cool.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

IIRC, although for many many years the common wisdom was that we stop growing new brain cells at a certain point, it's been recently discovered that we continue growing new brain cells throughout our lives, but most of them just die, unused. However, the more new information you are learning at any given point, the more new cells will survive and be retained.

It's kind of fucking cool.

I like that even better!