" The only things stopping heads from being kept alive is the central nervous system (which could theoretically be simulated) and the fact you'd have about 20 seconds to connect each vein and artery to a machine that feeds the blood with nutrients and oxygen otherwise the brain would run out of 02 and die." from the net. ---------------- U.S. neurosurgeon Robert White White's real hope is that, one day, he'll be able to supervise the first human head transplant surgery, but until then, he's not about to discourage curiosity, be it from Scientific American or Hard Copy. Though he retired from clinical surgery a few years ago (he's 74), he still puts on his lab coat frequently for interviews with reporters from all over the world, conducted in a made-for-B-movie "laboratory" in the basement of MetroHealth Medical Center. The dusty relic of the gleaming ward where he performed the surgery is crowded with skull drills, electrodes, and the requisite brain in formaldehyde. Cleveland brain surgeon Robert J. White has a head for transplanting. Article Published Dec 9, 1999 http://www.clevescene.com/issues/1999-12-09/putre.html "Against Nature shows Professor White performing this experiment. After the blood supply has been connected, the head can safely be removed from its original body, with its brain functioning more or less normally. Then the body's original head is disconnected and its new head is attached. Shortly after, the transplanted head appears to regain consciousness. Although the transplanted head cannot control its new body, the head itself appears to be working normally. Its eyes follow Professor White around the room. The monkey will survive for up to a week but could possibly live like this indefinitely if drugs were used to prevent the body from rejecting the head." http://www.ourcivilisation.com/aginatur/prog3.htm Demikhov experiments Vladimir Demikhov, a Soviet scientist In 1946 Demikhov replaced the whole heart-lungs complex of a dog without using the apparatus of artificial circulation of blood. In 1954 he conducted a revolutionary experiment, when created a two-headed dog by grafting a puppy's head to a full-grown pooch. Then scientists even observed the process of rejuvenation of the elder dog. Shown are the two dogs before the operation, Demikhov performing operations, the puppy's head lapping up water, demonstration of the dog on a scientists’ conference… http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=11&did=365&lang=eng If We Can Keep a Severed Head Alive...: Discorporation and U.S. Patent 4,666,425, by Chet Fleming Fleming's patent, granted in May of 1987, was revoked two years later. http://home.att.net/~storytellers/severed.html

Just replace the body with machines. The difficulty, I think, is in microsurgery. It takes too long and there are too many small connections to be made for a head transplant to work at this time.

Theoretically it IS possible but today's science and technology is not advanced enough to achieve this. As others say, the main things the brain needs are Oxygen rich blood and nerve connections. Both can be simulated by a machine but need to be put in place immeadiately. However, i have heard of a man being nearly decapitated who survived and regained 100% of his motor skills. By nearly decapitated i mean about 95% of his neck was disconnected from his shoulders. A medical miracle. I don't remember his name but perhaps someone else can elaborate.

The question is, "Why do you want to know?" Nonetheless, I didn't think it was possible.

It's too late by now. Airbag (slang) is not the place during an emergency (unless you have high speed cable). If you are serious, the best way would be to put it on another body of the same blood type, and keep up mild cocktail of anti-rejection drugs, and an IV. I would use INOSINE to help the nerve connections re-form, becuase there are micro-tubules that supply nutrients through the nerves that are really important to the ganglia in the brane. (if you want it to live a long time). In light of the above I would have to ask how it was severed, becuase it would be important for it to be surgicly done and to have a heart pump circulate fresh blood during the operation. (it only takes 5 minutes to completely die/get irreversable brane dammage.) But even if that happened it would be possible to keep the flesh alive, like a Norman Bates sort of sicko type thing. Are you serious? (if serious I would add some Telemerase to the Inosine).