Introduction: An Ancient Game Played Against Time

There are questions that humanity has grappled with for millennia—and each era gazes into them through its own mirror. Wandering through the dusty pages of Istanbul’s old libraries, one encounters that profound, almost desperate longing for immortality: Gilgamesh searching for the flower of eternal life in the forbidden forest; Chinese emperors breathing their last on distant shores, chasing the elixir of life; Egyptian pharaohs constructing monuments to carry their bodies into eternity. This quest is etched into the very fabric of existence—like the layers left by centuries in a city’s silhouette.

Today, this ancient desire is taking on a new form. In the silent corridors of laboratories, among digital codes, humanity’s most enduring dream is being reborn. We no longer search for the elixir of life; instead, we contemplate genome mapping, artificial intelligence simulations, and cryonic preservation techniques. And this transformation confronts us with a profound dilemma: two distinct paths to immortality lie before us—one promises to preserve the body, the other to carry the consciousness. Which would we choose? Which could we choose?

This question is not merely one to be left on the desks of scientists or philosophers. Each of us, in the silence of midnight, when we lose a loved one, or when we gaze into a mirror, feels the shadow of this question. Because the quest for immortality is, in the end, a matter of memory—a question of what we wish to preserve. The familiar lines of our bodies? Or those memories, those thoughts, that mysterious thing we call “self”?

1. Physical Immortality: A Journey to the Limits of Biological Aging

1.1 The Complex Architecture of Aging

Our bodies are like ancient cities—each layer holds a different story, each cell carries thousands of years of memory. Our DNA, the telomeres protecting the ends of our chromosomes, our mitochondria… When all of these come together, they form the multilayered architecture of aging. As time advances, telomeres shorten; DNA damage accumulates; senescent cells settle into the corners of our organs. And we, without fully realizing this process, one morning look in the mirror and feel estranged from ourselves.

Anti-aging research seeks to discover various paths toward understanding and transforming this complex structure:

Telomere rejuvenation is perhaps one of the most promising areas. The telomerase enzyme protects the ends of our chromosomes, enabling cells to continue dividing. However, this hope has not yet found a definitive answer in human trials. While promising results have been obtained under laboratory conditions, the effects on the human body and potential side effects remain uncertain.

Senolytics aim to eliminate aged cells by targeting them. These drugs may help clear the “dead” cells accumulating in our bodies, but the transition to clinical application is still in early stages.

Genetic intervention involves editing genes associated with aging through CRISPR technology. This is like changing the infrastructure of a city—it can be done, but the risks are enormous and the outcomes unpredictable.

Regenerative medicine aims to repair damaged organs…