Can Humanity Handle Immortality?

[Blake]

I think the real question is whether YOU could handle immortality? Could you?

Me personally, I don't want it. Well it is worth noting that I believe in reincarnation, so to me immortality would be a great loss of experience, why live just one life when you can live a thousand more? And more down to earth - immortality would remove that pressure to experience all that you can, it would mean less intensity... unless of course you decide to start testing the limits of immortality...

A trickier question for me, is why someone would want immortality? I mean lack of kooky spiritual beliefs about the circle of life aside...

[Eli]

I want immortality because in this short life I don't have time to experience all I want to experience.

[Adagio]

Overpopulation could become a serious issue, because you might still be around when you grandchildren gets grandchildren
And I wouldn't be surprised if doubling your life (where you can live to 160+ and doesn't get "old" before you're 100) would increase number of children each couple gets as they can still get pregnant when they're 60-80. This could encourage people to get more children when their first children are out of the house (they'll still be alive when their new children becomes grandparents anyway)

[TheStinger]

I'd like to be given the opportunity to comment

[Krill]

So long as I could opt to die by lethal injection at any point in my life I'd like the idea of Immortality ie stopping aging at age 30.

[Krill]

Well yeah, if immortality became reality, we really need more space and more resources...really need those space elevators

[Geronimo]

Assuming that the current downtrend in birthrates didn't continue to drop towards the new death rate, eventually reproductive rights would end up becoming reproductive privileges as a matter of survival.

However, just because people would no longer all be terminally ill with the aging process would not mean they wouldn't continue to die of everything else.

You end up with with a death rate that approximates the current death rates of the 0-30 age group.

In some countries I suspect no special regulation of reproduction would be necessary at all and existing population growth could be managed by exotic long term sci fi approaches (space colonies, etc).

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Blake
I think the real question is whether YOU could handle immortality? Could you?

Me personally, I don't want it. Well it is worth noting that I believe in reincarnation, so to me immortality would be a great loss of experience, why live just one life when you can live a thousand more? And more down to earth - immortality would remove that pressure to experience all that you can, it would mean less intensity... unless of course you decide to start testing the limits of immortality...

A trickier question for me, is why someone would want immortality? I mean lack of kooky spiritual beliefs about the circle of life aside...

I don't think the OP was referring to 'classic' immortality (you cannot die) but rather was referring to a removal of the existing aging process. You stay biologically 'young' but eventually your luck runs out and you croak.

[Wycoff]

Increased lifespans would greatly advance the project of colonizing the galaxy. Right now the option is appealing to me, but I think that it could have very negative consequences if realized in the near future. Just think of the trouble that will be caused when rich people & celebrities are able to live for 200+ years before starting to decline, but the common person still lives a normal life span. Greatly expanding the average lifespan will only be a viable project after we have solved our severe social inequity problems

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Wycoff
Increased lifespans would greatly advance the project of colonizing the galaxy. Right now the option is appealing to me, but I think that it could have very negative consequences if realized in the near future. Just think of the trouble that will be caused when rich people & celebrities are able to live for 200+ years before starting to decline, but the common person still lives a normal life span. Greatly expanding the average lifespan will only be a viable project after we have solved our severe social inequity problems

The severity of that problem depends on how expensive the remedy for aging is.

[Cort Haus]

There are more and more people not wanting to have children these days. On some fronts these people are berated for not carrying out their biological destiny blah blah. However, a longevity based on extended active life, rather than extended inactive old age, would be compatible with such changing trends.

When it is considered how much experience and knowledge could be aquired by a prolonged productive life, the benefits to humankind are all too obvious.

[LordShiva]

Especially if it means that women stay attractive for longer

Sugarmamas

[Wycoff]

Right now I think that some memory enhancement therapy would be as beneficial as extended life. How much of our time is wasted reviewing things that we've already read / learned? Some people seem to have photographic memories (molly bloom comes to mind), but the majority of people could definately use the memory enhancement. Productivity would rise greatly, and it wouldn't come with the concommitant scarcity concerns that accompany extended lifespans.

[Lul Thyme]

Originally posted by Adagio
Overpopulation could become a serious issue, because you might still be around when you grandchildren gets grandchildren
And I wouldn't be surprised if doubling your life (where you can live to 160+ and doesn't get "old" before you're 100) would increase number of children each couple gets as they can still get pregnant when they're 60-80. This could encourage people to get more children when their first children are out of the house (they'll still be alive when their new children becomes grandparents anyway)

Not really.
In fact, if you look at the world right now, most countries with higher life expectancy are those which have the lowest rate of population growth.
It's a very close correlation.

Of course there's a lot of sociological issues involved, and it depends what happens to the society , but all trends are exactly the opposite of what you describe.

Right now, in most countries, life expectancy is rising, number of children per person is decreasing, age of first kids is rising, age of last kid also.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Especially if it means that women stay attractive for longer

Exactly. Without the fear of ageing, everyone can relax in the knowledge that they're not about to become obsolete.