Imortality

[Akrid]

This question is more centered towards the atheist and agnostics, but I won't exlude anyone for their beliefs (that would be un-becoming of an American).

Can imortality ever happen? I reaserched some site's on it and there are many org's that work heaivly on way' sto preserve and extent life, Some belief with simple genetic maniplutation, we can defy mortality. I am not a real big follower of this, but I think that it's our only hope. I see nature as mindless, and nature does only what it needs for things to work, to survive. Nature is brutal and no's no care, like we do. Earth life nature and Human evolved nature are diffrent. You think Imortality is wrong? playing god? then let the sick die, let natural disaters kill. I on the other hand think we must resest earth life nature and strive to make human will dominent.

[Peregrine]

Is it possible? Yes, for all relevant purposes, eventually the average lifespan will probably go up to what can be considered immortality. Sure, living a billion years won't happen, if only because that's far too long to reasonably expect to survive all the ways besides aging that you can die. All the anti aging technology you can dream of won't stop a bullet or a car crash. And if you live for that long, eventually the odds are going to catch up with you. But living a thousand years or more? Probably just a matter of making the right discoveries.

As for being wrong, I'd say that's questionable. Not for the idea of "playing god", but for the consequences of a massive lifespan increase. I consider the "don't play god" objection to new technology to be one of the more insane ideas I've ever heard, but that's an entirely different debate. And of course there's my own selfish desire to live forever. But can we afford to have even doubled lifespans? Our population is already too high in many places, and keeping the older generation around much longer than in the past means the population is going to increase extremely fast. Which means unless we either expand off this planet or start strict population control, we'd self destruct by creating this new immortality.

[Mojlnir]

I think that immortality is probably not achievable because the human body is simply not designed to last forever. If you want to take the approach of "Bicentennial Man" and replace parts with bionic implants until there is little difference between man and machine, thats fine. It still will not provide us with eternal life. A doubling of lifespan is probably achievable in the not too distant future. However, such advances come with a price that is inescapable. Human greed will undoubtedly lead to perversion of new technology. "Playing God" is a legitmate concern here because of the access that scientists will have to the human genetic structure. Genetically engineered warriors, geniuses, and other created beings sound great to start with, but it wouldn't stop there. Also, we may face a "Gattaca" like world of discrimination based on genetic makeup. The dangers of such technology are many, and to ignore them is fool hardy.

As for living forever, I think we would get bored. And boredom can lead to all sorts of unpleasent things. I also think that increases in population would not occur (following an initial population spike), but that we might actually experience the opposite. With people living longer, there is less pressure to produce children to survive you, hence lower growth rates.

[Akrid]

I mentioned two types of nature, Earth nature (mother nature) and human nature. Human nature came around the time man got smart. The two oppose each other. I think that if we found a way to live say 1000 year lifspan, mother nature would fight back, like we lose fertility or we start dieing from stupid stuff like colds. In any case I think we could eventually win, but probaly not in our lifetimes. Human nature is not natrual as per the rest of the world. And overpopulation is big consern of extended lifes. Look at how through some medical break throughs already people are living longer, in medivel times you where a man at 16. You can see the effects of fertility today. So maybe if we all where immortal, there would be new definitions to law, we would have to be brutal and the world would suffer chaos, but it may be a not be a option. Overpopulation is a consern and as the billoins go up, the resourses go down, Chaos occurs, war's begin the value of life is diminished aside for the select few who control everything. Now politics have everything to do with Immortality, Goverments would no doubt screw the worlds population, and Human rights would be a thing of the past. I belive my country would try to maintain order, but how? It's already bad enuff the human race is a existance where men control other men, witch I belive is against both human and mother nature. But we deal with the cards we get. maybe a massive immortal chaos anarchy wold end in utopia for a couple hundred years, who knows. (spellcheckall!)

[Faust870]

I think immortality has a chance... If there is a Will, there is away, but it would probably take quite some time to find a way to make one immortal...

 

You said something about "playing God" now.. See, IF god created us, he gave us the intellegence to play god right?... and you may question "Well why would God want us to be as intellegent as him" the answer is "God wants all to be equal, so therefore (s)he is allowing us to be equal with him"...we just have to reach that intellegence still :P

 

So I do not think it is playing God at all...Wouldnt giving someone medication for a serious disease playing God? because that person should have died...

 

Immortality would be awesome, but in a sense it would be a curse

[Akrid]

Yep I'd say we got this thread pretty well drawn out, good point by all. Now how about a lock before some idiot comes along and says some junk like "I think we already are immortal, as long as your rememberd" BLah! :sick: dumb people, quick lock!

[Zmid]

I think we already are immortal, as long as you're remembered.

 

Sorry, couldn't resist. :P

 

Seriously, I reckon that eventually we will be truly immortal, but not for one hell of a long time, because, in order to do it, we will have to evolve to the point where physical bodies are no longer necessary, which will probably take millions of years.

 

For a less complete 'immortality', it is inevitable that as medical science advances, the length of our lifetimes will steadily increase until we develop the technology to grow replacement organs and skin of any kind and replace them as they wear out. When this occurs, old age will no longer kill us, but all other ways of dying still will.

[Akrid]

No! LOL,

 

I saw that coming, I want to be a cyber demon, like in doom. :veryangry:

[Ancalagon]

I wouldn't want to be immortal, I think that all things must have an end and nothing lasts for ever. Honestly, why live for ever if none of your friends or family will be immortal or live a thousand years as you? I think that is what Tolkien's Elves would call 'Grief', since all other things persih and fade, but you are destined to live on. The weight of sadness at the loss of all of your family and loved ones would be hard enough, and some say 'well you can make new friends' but then someday they will die as well! Unless there were some way to give Immortality to my family and loved ones, until then I wouldn't take it, even if it were offered to me freely. Just my two cents...

[Shakkara]

Urghhh... Immortal humans, the thought of it alone nearly makes me throw up! Then again they actually might become somewhat more responsible though, and finally live long enough to see the consequences of their actions. Otherwise I would rather see every last one of them dead before they can spread their filth throughout the universe.