# Is this girl the world's first "immortal"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741 "2009-06-23T17:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/21 "2009-06-24T00:35:12Z")
This girl has been sick many times. She has been close to death at least four times. She will probably live less than a normal lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/22 "2009-06-24T00:46:57Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > If by age 12 she has already battled seizures, cancer, ulcers, et multiple cetera, that doesn’t sound like the path to immortality. Why, if she’s gone through all that in such a short span and still come out on the other side kicking, it sounds like she’s indestructible! (I’m only kidding; don’t bother retorting) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/23 "2009-06-24T04:55:50Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > I personally had not heard about the case of Henrietta Lacks and found it both very interesting and relevent to the conversation. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/24 "2009-06-24T05:05:47Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > we can be pretty confident that Henrietta Lacks will never die. You mean except for the fact that she died in 1951? I mean, it’s interesting that some of her cells are still around and all, but I would hardly call that immortality. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/25 "2009-06-24T05:37:23Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > Thaw and pour out the test tube and your blood cells will die just like anyone else’s. What makes Hentrietta Lacks’ cells so special is that they survive and thrive outside her body, and that they do not age. The cells can fission indefinitely. Serious question–I haven’t heard of this case either, and it _is_ interesting. But where do these cells get their energy? You certainly couldn’t just plop a blob of them down in the back of your closet and have them still be “alive” and reproducing centuries later, right? Surely they must be cultured somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/26 "2009-06-24T06:32:34Z")
> [@troub](#): > > Serious question–I haven’t heard of this case either, and it _is_ interesting. But where do these cells get their energy? You certainly couldn’t just plop a blob of them down in the back of your closet and have them still be “alive” and reproducing centuries later, right? Surely they must be cultured somehow? Yes, HeLa cells have to be maintained in culture. I haven’t worked with that line personally, so I’m not sure of the specific media they need, but it’s bound to be one of the common ones, providing sugars, amino acids, etc., and they’ll need to be maintained in a 37C/5% CO2 incubator. And if I grabbed a vial of HeLa cells from liquid nitrogen and just thawed and dumped out the contents, those specific cells would die just as readily as a vial of ordinary blood handled the same way. The other thing to point out is that while HeLa is a very widely used, well known cell line, it’s far from unique. There are [countless](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_culture#List_of_cell_lines) immortalized [cell lines](http://www.atcc.org/CulturesandProducts/CellBiology/CellLinesandHybridomas/tabid/169/Default.aspx) out there, from pretty much any species you can think of, including many, many human-derived lines. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/27 "2009-06-24T06:36:53Z")
> [@](#): > > yet still has the physical and mental capabilities of a toddler Correction…her physical and mental capabillities are more akin to a baby, rather then a two or three year old. In syndromes which cause severe or profound MR, it’s actually not too unusual to see adults who look like they are still little kids, due to failure to thrive or whatever. > [@](#): > > This girl has been sick many times. She has been close to death at least four times. She will probably live less than a normal lifespan. Yes, most profound MR people have a reduced lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/28 "2009-06-24T06:41:37Z")
Youtube comment: “In a few more years, she’s legal…” Shocking, I know. I mean, a youtube comment with proper capitalization and grammar… ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/29 "2009-06-24T07:09:19Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > You mean except for the fact that she died in 1951? I mean, it’s interesting that some of her cells are still around and all, but I would hardly call that immortality. I depends what you mean by ‘she’. Her consciousness ceased to persist in 1951, however her DNA persists as a cell line. If you consider life to be persistence of conscious memory then ‘she’ has died. If you consider life to be persistence of DNA then ‘she’ has not. I think most people would consider immortality as perpetual consciousness, just as ‘life’ in common discussion is considered as persisting consciousness. Using this definition, Henrietta Lacks (the conscious collection of memories) is not immortal. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/30 "2009-06-24T12:53:29Z")
HeLa cells are so ubiquitous and as mentioned have gotten into so many other cell cultures that it is not impossible that someday they will develop the ability to live outside the usual culture media. One day a human-shaped glob of cells will come stumbling out of the lab, wondering what happened to Harry Truman and where to catch a streetcar downtown. _Up past dawn Bruised my arm Sat down laughin’ at the fire alarm I was immortal That’s what I said (Immortal) For a minute_ - NRBQ ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/31 "2009-06-24T14:19:06Z")
Has anyone looked at her [telomeres](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomere)? Telomeres are at the end of a chromosome and keep the DNA from unraveling. Each time a cell divides the telomere gets shorter until no further division can occur, thus telomeres are directly related to the aging process. If her telomeres are like those of a 12 year old, then she is “aging” normally. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/32 "2009-06-24T18:49:06Z")
Telomerase activity in cancer cells is an active field of research. ---
**Author:** ![tgan3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@tgan3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tgan3)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/33 "2009-06-25T06:18:20Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Immortality? She obviously has a genetic defect that is preventing normal development but the flip side is that this defect has crippled her mind and (apparently) many other organ systems. Being growth stunted many look baby like but it does not equal young or immortal or even healthy in this case.. In what way does not it not equal young? Technically shes 16, her bone age is like 10 years old while her teeth remains baby teeth. Definetly very unusual. It definetly is “not healthy” in a sense but look she has battled tumors and come out alive? Seems like her body has some kind of resistance. ---
**Author:** ![tgan3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@tgan3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tgan3)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/34 "2009-06-25T06:21:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I don’t want to start a hijack, but if you believe Aubrey De Grey, you’ll believe anything. I dont really believe him totally, but what he says make sense. Aging definetly is a diesease a process where it can be stopped. Only the scale of which trying to stop it would be ursurmountable. As for the timeframe that by mid-century we will be able to stop aging. It seems ridiculous but it is probable that 40 years from now we would be able to do something like that. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/35 "2009-06-25T07:21:11Z")
> [@tgan3](#): > > As for the timeframe that by mid-century we will be able to stop aging. It seems ridiculous but it is probable that 40 years from now we would be able to do something like that. The Singularity is upon us, and in 40 years I doubt there will be anything resembling what we recognize as “human” left on the planet. Certainly consciousness as we know it today is failing, with rising levels of depression, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder; an operating system designed to work in small agrarian communities cannot deal with the sheer volume of information we are expected to know by age 12. Just as consciousness arose to deal with the complexity of agrarianism, a new story cycle is due to be invented to allow us to take up the mantle of our new post-human godhood. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/36 "2009-06-25T07:44:13Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > The Singularity is upon us, and in 40 years I doubt there will be anything resembling what we recognize as “human” left on the planet. Certainly consciousness as we know it today is failing, with rising levels of depression, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder; an operating system designed to work in small agrarian communities cannot deal with the sheer volume of information we are expected to know by age 12. Just as consciousness arose to deal with the complexity of agrarianism, a new story cycle is due to be invented to allow us to take up the mantle of our new post-human godhood. Cite? Some evidence for this guff please. You can start with your peculiar claim that non-agrarian people are not conscious. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/37 "2009-06-25T07:53:08Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Cite? Some evidence for this guff please. You can start with your peculiar claim that non-agrarian people are not conscious. Jaynes, Julian, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1976). ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/38 "2009-06-25T08:02:42Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > Jaynes, Julian, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1976). It doesn’t say anything like that. Can you please quite where you believe that it does? And can you explain how it is that Australian Aborigines (as one example) are quite obviously conscious despite being non-agrarian and having no agrarian ancestors? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/39 "2009-06-25T08:03:52Z")
Indeed, within forty years we will transcend mere humanity and our pathetic three-dimensional world and transform ourselves into infinite-dimensional creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741/40 "2009-06-25T08:06:18Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Indeed, within forty years we will transcend mere humanity and our pathetic three-dimensional world and transform ourselves into infinite-dimensional creatures. Do I detect just a hint of sarcasm here Wendell? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-girl-the-worlds-first-immortal/500741.md?page=3)