Canavero moved out of sight. But the idea of a head transplant is not going anywhere. Instead, he says, the concept has recently received a fresh look from life extension enthusiasts and shadowy Silicon Valley startups.
Career path
It wasn't easy. After he began publishing his surgical ideas a decade ago, Canavero says, he received a “pink slip” from the Molinette Hospital in Turin, where he worked for 22 years. “I'm a non-establishment guy. So I have to say that made things difficult,” he says.
Why does he persist
There is no other solution to the problem of aging in sight. “It has become very clear in recent years that the idea of creating some incredible technology to rejuvenate older people, implemented in some secret laboratory like Google, is not really going to lead to anything,” he says. “You'll have to do anything.”
All this nonsense?
He means getting a new body, not just one new organ. Canavero is fluent in English idioms and an unexpected Southern accent. He says this is due to his fascination with American comics as a child. “For me, learning the language of my characters was of paramount importance,” he says. “So I can chat.”
Cloned bodies
Now an independent researcher, Canavero advises entrepreneurs who want to create brainless human clones as a source of DNA-matched organs that won't be rejected by the recipient's immune system. “I can tell you that there are guys from top universities involved,” he says.
What's next
Combining the necessary technologies, such as reliably accurate surgical robots and artificial wombs to grow clones, will be difficult and very, very expensive. Canavero lacks the funds to implement his plans, but he believes that “the money is there” for the commercial project: “I tell the billionaires: “Unite.” Each of you will have your own share, plus you will become immortal.”
