Redefining Brain Death

During the controversy over the late Terri Schindler Schiavo many people claimed that the definition of “brain death” should be expended to include persistent vegetative states. On the other hand, there is reason to believe the definition of “brain death” should be scaled back (seen via Transterrestrial Musings).

Transterrestrial Musings then applied the reasoning to cryonics. For some reason, I'm reminded of the well-known H. P. Lovecraft quote:

That is not dead which can eternal lie.
And with strange æons even death may die.

On a more serious note, I disagree with the common assumption among transhumanists that religious people (like those defending Terri) are the enemy … unless, of course, they happen to be blithering idiots. (We must recall that secular blithering idiots are also not our allies.)