Immortality in 25 years?

[C0ckney]

Re: Immortality in 25 years?

Originally posted by Odin
This may sound like science fiction....

mostly, one suspects, because it is.

[Patroklos]

I think what you would find, rather than rich or poor, is niche monopolies.

Eventually there will be people who are naturally better at things in every category, and combined with cloning you will end up with a few million doing everthing.

Read Glory Season

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by JohnT
Those bastards had better hurry up!

You know, they don't have to do it all at once, JT. If they could, say, extend our lives twenty years, and then while we're living that extra twenty they figure out a way to extend it fifty years, well hey, thirty more years, and if they figure our the immortality drug while we're still alive, it's all good.

This is why I think I'm going to live a good, long time, so long s I don't get killed.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove

Do you relish the idea of going to the same old job for eternity?

We'll have plenty of time to get another degree and try something new.

[Starchild]

One step closer to The Culture

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
One of the problems with life extension is that what researchers geberally mean is that it may be possible to nullify the natural mechanism through which cell lines automatically die.

The cell lines don't automatically die per se rather they reach the Hayflick limit and cease dividing. Cellular division has more to do with growth (either in repair or growth of the entire organism) than it does with cellular longevity

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Once that's done then it would also be necessary to find some way to counteract the effects of a lifetime of accumulated mutations, which may be one of the causes of cancer or as the population ages the rate of cancer would also probably increase. The population which had their biological clock removed would not be immortal, they just live a few more years.

they probably would also enjoy a longer span of youthful health which most people would find worthwhile in and of itself regardless of any increase in overall lifespan.

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
In order to make "immortality" worthwhile we'd also have to conquer the diseases of aging, including arthritis. Some of these diseases may simply be the result of accumulated wear and tear, so there may not be a way of eliminating them via manipulation of the genetic code. Would you like to live for hundreds of years crippled by arthritis?

I certainly would. I'd look forward to a treatment for arthritis, but really, pain has to be quite excrutiating before it even begins to make death seem appealing in comparison to continuing to live.

You greatly underestimate people's will to live. for example look at the extreme hardship Mark Tatum was prepared to endure for a chance to live a few more years. there are countless other examples of living in the face of extreme physical pain, disfigurment and disability.

[Ben Kenobi]

so long s I don't get killed.

and that's the thing. We will become incredibly more risk-adverse should we gain this, and people will take advantage of the fact that people would now do anything to preserve their life.

Suppose you got kidnapped, who wouldn't give up all their possessions to remain alive?

I see those without this immortality gaining a significant advantage over those who do, just because those who don't will have the initiative.

That also being true, I think it would also be advantageous to someone to conceal their status as an 'immortal' so to speak, and that such status would only be divulged on the pain of death.

Savings raises an interesting point. Retirement happens when someone has enough money to live on in perpetuity. So what happens, when you achieve this, and have the ability to live as long as you would like, while amassing wealth?

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


and that's the thing. We will become incredibly more risk-adverse should we gain this, and people will take advantage of the fact that people would now do anything to preserve their life.

Suppose you got kidnapped, who wouldn't give up all their possessions to remain alive?

I see those without this immortality gaining a significant advantage over those who do, just because those who don't will have the initiative.

That also being true, I think it would also be advantageous to someone to conceal their status as an 'immortal' so to speak, and that such status would only be divulged on the pain of death.

Savings raises an interesting point. Retirement happens when someone has enough money to live on in perpetuity. So what happens, when you achieve this, and have the ability to live as long as you would like, while amassing wealth?

nothing special happens really. Since 'death taxes' have been removed (in the US at least) such self perpetuating estates already are retained indefinately by bestowing them upon an heir. 'immortality' would simply change this to the estate being retained by the individual who actually earned the fortune rather than it simply being a silver spoon in some undeserving brats mouth.