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Can you transplant a head to another body? - Max G. Levy

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TEDEd Animation

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In 1970, neurosurgeon Robert White and his team carted two monkeys into an operating room to conduct an ambitious experiment. The objective was to connect the head of Monkey A to the body of Monkey B, in what he considered a whole-body transplant, with the ultimate goal of one day performing this surgery on humans. Is such a feat even medically possible? And is it ethical? Max G. Levy investigates

If you transplant a person’s head to another body, what do you think will happen to their consciousness and “soul”?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Max G. Levy
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Composer Greg Chudzik, Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Produced by Gerta Xhelo, Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Shannon Odell
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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