[AdventureRacing]

I think we will see some people living significantly longer life spans than what we have seen in the past but we wont be seeing anything like immortality.

[cametall]

This thread reminds me of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained.

We'll need to develop wormhole technology soon after immortality.

[Air]

I'm skeptical. Life extension seems like a guarantee, but I don't know about immortality.

[Conciliator]

I'm skeptical. Life extension seems like a guarantee, but I don't know about immortality.

Yeah we're really talking about biological 'immortality'. And even if you live for billions of years, eventually the universe will end, so. You're totally fucked anyway you look at it! Ha!

[Bisnic]

Unless some genius scientist finds a way to stop cells from aging, it wont happen.

Then, there would be the problem of overpopulation getting impossible to manage unless we send people on the moon or Mars after building ships and bases for those people, which isnt close to happen either.

[Cookie18]

I don't know about immortality but I watched a BBC documentary last year that said the first person to live to the age of 150 is probably already 50 now.

It's looking good!

[Bisnic]

I don't know about immortality but I watched a BBC documentary last year that said the first person to live to the age of 150 is probably already 50 now. It's looking good!

People at the age of near 100 already looks very weak and frail. I can't imagine how a 150 years old human would look like. A walking corpse?

[Subprime]

If I can't have it, no one will.

Do you see nothing wrong with a caste of undying rich people? Social promotion is bad enough as is. If something like this happened it should come with a histerectomy / tying of the tubes. Our population is bad enough without the people that consume the most in the world living forever and producing even more offspring.

[Cookie18]

People at the age of near 100 already looks very weak and frail. I can't imagine how a 150 years old human would look like. A walking corpse?

Well medicine would be good enough so that a 150 year old could essentially be the equivalent of a current 80 or 90 year old.

[DarkKyo]

I don't know about immortality but I watched a BBC documentary last year that said the first person to live to the age of 150 is probably already 50 now. It's looking good!

The biggest issue will be the cost of life extension. People will pour their life savings into extending their lives and we're gonna have to figure out what to do about the retirement age. I guess if you end up living 300 years you can work for 250+ but since not everyone will be able to afford life extension technologies it will be different for everyone. Kind of creepy, actually.. the idea of some people being able to afford hundreds of years. And others being doomed to the grave at an inferior age.

[Xun]

Probably the day after I die.

[eravulgaris]

src: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1968

There really is a comic for everything.

[AdventureRacing]

People at the age of near 100 already looks very weak and frail. I can't imagine how a 150 years old human would look like. A walking corpse?

I have had a couple of patients who are over 100 who actually aren't looking all that bad really.

[Cookie18]

The biggest issue will be the cost of life extension. People will pour their life savings into extending their lives and we're gonna have to figure out what to do about the retirement age. I guess if you end up living 300 years you can work for 250+ but since not everyone will be able to afford life extension technologies it will be different for everyone. Kind of creepy, actually.. the idea of some people being able to afford hundreds of years. And others being doomed to the grave at an inferior age.

I think that was actually part of the documentary (I'll try and find it). Basically people could potentially pay to have X amount of years added onto their life by rejuvenation processes.

[Crag Dweller]

I would love to have what some people in this thread are smoking.

[DarkKyo]

I think that was actually part of the documentary (I'll try and find it). Basically people could potentially pay to have X amount of years added onto their life by rejuvenation processes.

Man, if you can extend it indefinitely there will be people who never stop going after money for the sole purpose of living longer. That's kind of the problem though. Less attention will be paid to improving the welfare of the world if life becomes a never-ending quest for self preservation. To the rich and powerful in our time the lives of others are already inconsequential-- now just imagine what will happen when the rich and powerful of the future compare their perpetual lives to the lower classes who fade in and out of existence in what the rulers would consider to be 1/8 of their lifespans. It's something out of a dystopian future horror fiction.

Well medicine would be good enough so that a 150 year old could essentially be the equivalent of a current 80 or 90 year old.

I even read that age rejuvenation therapies will be able to bring a 90 year-old back from the brink and give them the appearance and vigor of a 20-30 year-old. If you can repair all the cell damage, why not?

[Cookie18]

Visions of the Future is the name of the documentary. The episode is The Biotech Revolution. I can't find a link to the actual program but here is the BBC page and Wiki page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0088yjf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visions_of_the_Future

The episode is really good and essentially answers this question in full and in incredible detail. It may only be the guess work (albeit educated) of one Dr but it is really interesting, I'm sure it can be found on YouTube or something.

[Bisnic]

I even read that age rejuvenation therapies will be able to bring a 90 year-old back from the brink and give them the appearance and vigor of a 20-30 year-old. If you can repair all the cell damage, why not?

I really doubt about this one, even more than stopping cells from aging. You can't make a 90 years old look like a 20 years old one.

[Cookie18]

I really doubt about this one, even more than stopping cells from aging. You can't make a 90 years look like a 20 years old one.

I believe a lot of the rejuvenation predictions are based on the assumption that Scientists can copy the genes of this jellyfish and implement it in humans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

[DarkKyo]

I really doubt about this one, even more than stopping cells from aging. You can't make a 90 years look like a 20 years old one.

I know it sounds hard to believe, but I think it's been done to some extent in mice. If you can actually repair the 70+ years of damage, I really don't see why the old body would stay looking old.

[Dave Inc.]

This thread reminds me of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. We'll need to develop wormhole technology soon after immortality.

The trilogy that follows really drops the ball on their immortality. You can't write characters that are 1400 years old and have them behave as contemporary people.

"Oh yeah, I've spent about 800 years of my life with a quasi-spatial AI running my thought-patterns but I still talk and act like a 30 year old person."

Yeah, okay Hamilton, whatever.

[DarkKyo]

I believe a lot of the rejuvenation predictions are based on the assumption that Scientists can copy the genes of this jellyfish and implement it in humans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Yeah, the idea is that at first we will be able to extend lives so people can live to 120-150 years, and those same people should in theory be around by the time we create age reversing technologies, allowing them to return to feeling/being a "younger" person. If you are alive right now you just have to live long enough to be able to live forever.

[Cookie18]

Just a thought. If you could theoretically live for say 20 thousand years then there isn't much stopping us from sending people to the planets that are lightyears away because the 1000 years of their life that it would take to get there (give or take) would be nothing to them.

[Fafalada]

I guess it gets us into a whole Ship of Theseus argument (is that the right reference?), but my main retort as ever is simply - make a copy of me, then kill me - I'm dead, and I don't care that there's a copy of me.

Thing is - when people say copy they talk computer terms (eg. bitwise copy of your memory state) which I agree - makes no sense as an extension of consciousness.

But think of it from organ replacement perspective. If you connect artificial neurons to your brain (assuming they seamlessly emulate natural ones), brain won't mind, and you've just expanded your mental capacity. Add enough - and it becomes difficult to tell which part of brain contains the personality.

[dem]

Immortality should come at the cost of sterilization.


The money cost shouldn't be too concerning.. you will have plenty of time to pay it off.

New slavery begins!

[Trurl]

Once I turn 30 I'm going to begin a CRON regimen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRON-diet

[Marleyman]

In reality, scientists aren't even close to figuring out cancer. One step at a time.

This is what I want to see in my lifetime.

[hydragonwarrior]

I've heard people say many different things, and I'm wondering if it's possible that we may reach immortality withing our lifetime, or extend our lives enough that we reach it in our extended lifetime. What do you guys think?

Hm, how tho? Nano tech on each and every one of our cells to somehow stop the aging component?

I can only see that possible before someone's born (where you can manipulate their gene right away).

[jetjevons]

No. You'll all be dead and non conscious in an average of 70 to 80 years.

[operon]

No thanks, I already got to work til I'm 70 before I can qualify for an absolute shit state pension, there's no possible way you could survive on that low amount of money for ever

[RukusProvider]

Mental stability would be a bigger issue.

It's been a while but as I recall, if you could make the body cell continue to regenerate at youth like levels, the brain would eventually get old, unstable and practically useless due to it's non regenerative properties. And if it could regenerate, it would have to do so with the ability to pass it's information without disrupting anything else. The complexities of the brain would likely be the biggest hurdle to overcome and progress would be slow as it'd take centuries of data to analyze effects.

[kswiston]

If biological rejuvenation or immortality is ever obtained, it will be too late for everyone posting in this thread. There is a big difference in biology and complexity of a jellyfish and a human. Also, most genetic chimeras are created at the gamete stage. Not as adults.

In the distant future, it would be genetically engineered newborns with these properties. Not your old asses.

[Tawpgun]

Population Control.

First, lets become a multi-planetary society in some way. Or be able to build ocean cities without disrupting their eco-systems. Then figure out a way to create artificial food and have it be sustainable for everyone. Clean energy is a must too.

Then we can begin distributing immortality.

All I know is I want it so bad.

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

Forced castration (both woman and man) after first child. Problem solved.

[jonezer4]

Better question. Do you WANT immortality within your life time. We already are going to hit a massive problem with overpopulation and supply shortages. If we add a bunch of immortals to that, chances that you'll standing in line for delicious Soylent Green-crackers on your 215th birthday shoot sky high.

This. Human immortality would be the final nail in planet earth's coffin.

[Chichikov]

I hope not.
Human society as we know it will not survive it, and I doubt what replace it will be better.

Forced castration (both woman and man) after first child. Problem solved.

I don't think you've thought that through...

[ElectricBlue187]

Forced castration (both woman and man) after first child. Problem solved.

Why castration and not vasectomy?

[IsntChrisL]

People just don't want to die, so they'd like to think something like immortality is right around the corner.

It's probably not.

[Dave Inc.]

This. Human immortality would be the final nail in planet earth's coffin.

It wouldn't be universal. Only those with means in first world nations would have access to it and the first world nations are already cutting waaaay back on reproduction.

[Emwitus]

NO. Ironic the same thing keeping us alive is one of many things that leads us to aging and dying eventually, Oxygen.

[Emwitus]

It wouldn't be universal. Only those with means in first world nations would have access to it and the first world nations are already cutting waaaay back on reproduction.

So all the slime bugs we have now get to live forever as a bachelor? Hell on earth.

[hawkshockey11]

Wouldn't a longer lifespan just make our world die faster?

[I Push Fat Kids]

I'd be able to take care of my backlog so yes.

[LetsGoKiting]

Imagine being a 1,000 year old virgin.

[Game-Biz]

I don't understand those who do not want immortality. Why not just die now?

[Crunched]

I'd be able to take care of my backlog so yes.

No, your backlog would simply extend infinitely.

Immortality would give us a terrible quality of life. Motivation would go down the drain. There would be no impetus to get things done because there would be an infinite amount of time do them. The economy would turn to shit as people would no longer be retiring and the workforce would be too huge to be accommodated. Overpopulation would lead to scarce resources and whole populations would starve en masse. But as the population is immortal, we would be trapped in a universe of eternal suffering. Other species would die out and the world would become a polluted cess pool where "nature" is a word spoken only in fairy tales.

[SuperEpicMan]

Defiantly will be possible in my lifetime, unless i get ran over by a bus tomorrow lol. Scientists have already recognised several different possible causes of ageing such as free radicals and telomeric factors, its just a case of solving these problems.

The last I heard, they had managed to find proteins which are something like 30% the required efficiency to activate the bodies telomerase gene, to prevent telomere shortening. A company called Sierra Sciences does it.

[pmj]

Hopefully, knowing that you'll live to see the consequences of your actions will encourage people to treat the planet and the people around us better. With our current short lifespans, it's easy for people to go for the short term gains when you know that any potential fallout is far away, and will probably be somebody else's problem.

[Crunched]

Might be worth keeping in mind there is already a human condition involving immortality.

It is called "cancer."

[low-G]

Almost certainly not. Prepare to be dead forever along with all those cute girls you like.