[Brettison]

Immortality? Probably not.

Radical Life Extension? Probably so.

Will we hit the am I still alive or is it just a copy of me argument? Yes at some point in our radical life extension this shit is going to come up.

[Yoshiya]

The question really is, would you want it?

As far as I'm concerned, existence being intrinsically preferable to non-existence is as close to a philosophical axiom as exists. It needs to be true, otherwise there's no reason not to kill myself right now. Camus struggled with it, and his solution wasn't really that satisfactory. It needs to be true because without it there's no point living.

[soundscream]

Who wants......to live.....forevvvvvvveeeeeeeerrr

[JGS]

I'm not sure I want immortality, but maybe like another 100 years would be nice.

That's the thing- there's never a cutoff time when it comes time to die unless you are very old and crusty. Immortality would prevent that state from happening.

Real immortality would be not dying though. If we are cured of illness there's still tons of other ways to croak. I'm assuming we could still starve for example.

In any event, none of it will happen in our great great great great grand-kids time, but it's an interesting goal.

[Kod1ak]

I'd be happy to live to 120-150. I just hate the idea of spending my youthful years working my ass off, to get a few years of enjoyment in my old age and then die. If I could get a good 40-60 years of retirement, I'd be very happy.

The problem is that it would cause our economy all kinds of issues having people live that long. It's like when social security was developed, they didn't expect people to live much past 65.

But hey, humans are hell-bent on ruining the planet, might as well enjoy it while we have it.

[ReBurn]

klaatu barada nikto

[RELAYER]

You'd still die eventually, odds are it would just be a violent death instead of old age.

[zoukka]

Sorry but you guys aren't more important than the next generation of human beings.

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

First, it would help to find the cure to the common cold.

[teruterubozu]

Sorry but you guys aren't more important than the next generation of human beings.

Yeah this entitlement is getting out of hand. Immortality?

[eastmen]

I'm not sure I want immortality, but maybe like another 100 years would be nice.

I agree.


If i can get to say 125 and be at the same level of health my father is (he is 63 and I'm 30) I would love it. 150 years wouldn't be so bad imo. IF i'm at the same health as like a 90 year old is now then forget it.

[glaurung]

I have no desire to live over 100 years.

Lately it feels that even 30 years is too much.

[Drazgul]

Sorry but you guys aren't more important than the next generation of human beings.

Who needs the next generation when you're immortal.

[zoukka]

Who needs the next generation when you're immortal.

Who needs you?

[nateeasy]

no

[demon]

I'd rather science eradicate diseases that prevent people from living a full life and dying before old age.....cancer, etc.

[Vormund]

Who wants......to live.....forevvvvvvveeeeeeeerrr

I was thinking of posting a pic, but this'll do.

[Winnie the Pimp]

our lifetime?

i don't think it will at all for various reasons but IF such a thing were to happen, then maybe in about 2 or 3 thousand years or something...

[Drazgul]

Who needs you?

Ah, you wound me so.


I'm not important at all in the grand scheme of things, but the difference is that I exist already.

[zoukka]

I'd rather science eradicate diseases that prevent people from living a full life and dying before old age.....cancer, etc.

I'd rather science eradicate famine and war before that...

I'm not important at all in the grand scheme of things, but the difference is that I exist already.

Not all that great of a value in itself I'm afraid.

[JGS]

I'd rather science eradicate famine and war before that...

Relying on science to do that would take longer than achieving immortality.

[Winnie the Pimp]

Relying on science to do that would take longer than achieving immortality.

yeah unless Science finds a cure against egoism and greed

[zoukka]

Relying on science to do that would take longer than achieving immortality.

Of course, but we need all the help we can get. Cheap education methods/equipment and medicine are more important than fighting cancer.

[KillGore]

Hell no I don't want to be immortal

[Puddles]

Sorry but you guys aren't more important than the next generation of human beings.

Of course we are.

The unconceived have absolutely no relevance to this debate. Something that does not currently exist has no inherent rights.

[Drazgul]

Relying on science to do that would take longer than achieving immortality.

Plus most likely those would be accomplished by completely different scientific fields.

[zoukka]

Of course we are. The unconceived have absolutely no relevance to this debate. Something that does not currently exist has no inherent rights.

But they do exist as peoples goals and dreams and as your semen. People will always want to have kids and those kids will not fit in the world if you won't die off at some point.

[Huw_Dawson]

Not unless you can solve cancer.

Hint: you can't solve cancer.

Live extension though? Yup. Provided nothing bad happens to me I expect to live a very long and happy life, hopefully hit one hundred. Major issues like dementia will also be at least preventable by then, so the number of old people won't currently be as burdensome as they'll be far more independent than current old people.

[Puddles]

But they do exist as peoples goals and dreams and as your semen. People will always want to have kids and those kids will not fit in the world if you won't die off at some point.

I will gladly sign away my right to father a child for the rest of time if I can have biological immortality in exchange.

[OgTheClever]

I'd totally wouldn't mind forced castration in return for immortality, or at least living a few hundred extra years.

[Drazgul]

But they do exist as peoples goals and dreams and as your semen. People will always want to have kids and those kids will not fit in the world if you won't die off at some point.

Why are would-be parents' wants and needs more important than mine?

[JokerOfSpades]

Past three responses are on point.

[mrklaw]

I'd totally wouldn't mind forced castration in return for immortality, or at least living a few hundred extra years.

I can't think of anything worse than being castrated and immortal. No sex drive - for ever..

[jaxword]

I can't think of anything worse than being castrated and immortal. No sex drive - for ever..

You'd probably lose your sex drive after 1000 years of trying every possible sexual act, including homosexuality, bondage, roleplaying, and various other acts illegal now but no one will care about in 3000.

To be honest, sex becoming of no interest is a common theme in a lot of immortality stories, i.e long lived vampires. It just becomes...boring.

[RELAYER]

Of course we are. The unconceived have absolutely no relevance to this debate. Something that does not currently exist has no inherent rights.

They are 100% guaranteed to exist.
Since they aren't here now though I'm going to go light some oil on fire in my backyard though.

[zoukka]

I will gladly sign away my right to father a child for the rest of time if I can have biological immortality in exchange.

Why are would-be parents' wants and needs more important than mine?

The problem is. You have zero grounds to demand a no-children future even if you yourself wouldn't want to make any.

Also any sensible person would know that some random average people just living forever is not a very good concept to build our world upon.

[Typhoon_Ex]

It might happen in this century, but considering that we haven't cured a major disease in the past 50 years...
What kind of immortality are you talking about? I think that we will soon (relatively speaking) reach a point where we can keep our body from aging, but we will still be susceptible to disease or fatal wounds.
Consciousness transfer... I am not counting on that during my life time.

[DarkKyo]

Biggest problem is that the ruling elites could possibly rule forever if this were to happen. Fucking old white bankers would establish an immortal plutocracy.

[zoukka]

Biggest problem is that the ruling elites could possibly rule forever if this were to happen. Fucking old white bankers would establish an immortal plutocracy.

Which is totally ok for those old white bankers so what's the problem!

[Dave Inc.]

I'm pretty sure being immortal would remove any drive or motivation for life that a person might have, especially if you weren't having children.

Edit: Or maybe not. But at the point where everyone's immortal and having children there would be nothing left to do but a) meddle in the affairs of younger races out in the galaxy we discover or b) ascend to non-physical status. And neither of those things are happening any time soon.

[jaxword]

I'm pretty sure being immortal would remove any drive or motivation for life that a person might have, especially if you weren't having children.

The motivation would probably shift from having sex to controlling how the society works since you'll be in it for a very long time.

[StevePharma]

Telomere research is pretty interesting. Should be the clue to theoretical immortality, along with the G1-phase comment posted earlier.

However, we aren't able to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS with that yet. And mankind has a tendency to destroy itself.

A nuke or bullet to the brain won't be healed by your "immortal" body.

[DarkKyo]

Which is totally ok for those old white bankers so what's the problem!

The human race stops progressing towards the benefit of future generations. Social policies never change. The earth will be damaged beyond repair. Without the benefits of new generations rising to power progress and leadership become centralized in outdated souls that care not for the greater good-- only themselves.

Either way immortality is impossible for a temporal consciousness. I'm interested in an extended life at the very least. At least a couple centuries would be sweet.

[ThoseDeafMutes]

No. You are already (destined to end up) dead.

Another veiled death thread. What's with these? Even immortals can die. Whoops, tumor to the brain!

We are all going to die. Get used to the idea. imo

Why achieve immortality? Is should not be found. It will also give a new meaning to 'life in prison'.

Immortality? Probably not. Radical Life Extension? Probably so.

A nuke or bullet to the brain won't be healed by your "immortal" body.

Guys, everybody knows you can't make somebody immune to death. This thread is (obviously) about curing aging. Which raises the question - who wouldn't want to stop and reverse the symptoms of aging? Having the body of a 19-25 year old for the rest of your life (however long you want that to be) is something I think 99.99999% of people would want.

[OgTheClever]

The problem is. You have zero grounds to demand a no-children future even if you yourself wouldn't want to make any.

I'm not suggesting there should be a no children future in the slightest, I just think losing the ability to have children is an appropriate 'tax' in return for ageing immortality. Although I do think the technology would only be attainable by the rich anyway.

[Conciliator]

Just want to say that I would be thrilled to work forever if I could be healthy, energetic and youthful forever.

I mean, I'd rather not work at all and have infinite everything I want instantly, but working ain't so bad.

[Guy Legend]

We can't even cure baldness...and you're asking for immortality?

[ThoseDeafMutes]

The problem is. You have zero grounds to demand a no-children future even if you yourself wouldn't want to make any.

You seem to be missing the incredibly obvious point being made. You pass a law - if you want to extend your life indefinitely, you get sterilized. If you want children after this, you adopt.

[JokerOfSpades]

We can't even cure baldness...and you're asking for immortality?

There was a thread about it - we have the groundwork research done. In about 10 years the cure will be available.

And I need SOME hope. Thanks to that last death thread, I can't seem to sleep properly anymore.

[Avixph]

We can't even cure baldness...and you're asking for immortality?

Curing baldness is not that important because not all men have male pattern baldness.