The problems with Immortality

I was watching a documentary the other day regarding the harsh disease Progeria, the documentary followed the lives of a few children suffering from the disease and how they were part of a secret drug trail to try and halt the progression of the disease by acting on the free radicals that cause damage to the DNA within a cell (the same process as we go through although accelerated).

Anywho it just got me thinking that if they manage to halt the degradation of cells in people with progeria then it’s quite probably that the same can be done to normal cells thus slowing down and maybe even stopping the aging process. Maybe this will occur within this generation, maybe within 10 generation but I believe this will one day be possible and to me this raises massive issues for the rest of the world, I just wanted to raise the issue and see how you lot would deal with some of these problems that I forsee.

Who gets it? Possible only the elite, would this make them gods in the eyes of others?

Population control, what do you do with a population of 7 billion+ who just won’t die?

Wars, who would go to war when the price is ultimately higher is completely different

Laws, Murder and life imprisonment, would murder be seen as more or less of a crime and how do you deal with those who commit it, would it be OK to give someone 300 years in prison.

Mortality, with the option of living much longer do people take much better care of themselves or do you get to a certain age and think “I’ve had enough”

Anywho just a few thoughts, I’d like to see what you lot think too.

reply to post by spitefulgod


Interesting thoughts, but honestly, I don't think that anyone's gonna find a way to dramatically slow, or stop, the aging process. I'm sure that we can add 20-30 years, but immortality? Seriously, I don't think that God would allow it. Really, somewhere in the Bible it says something about not living passed 120 years, give or take a few.

reply to post by mr. wildflowers


I don't know, Parrots (in the wild) can live to their 90s (almost 3 times longer than a similar size mammal) due to the ability to repair DNA damaged by free radicals (produced from the give off of mitochondria), the same I think should be possible in humans, hopefully in my time I need the extra years to perfect my doomsday device.

A combination of Vitamins A, B1, B6, C, E, and F also help with protection against free radicals

Originally posted by mr. wildflowers
Interesting thoughts, but honestly, I don't think that anyone's gonna find a way to dramatically slow, or stop, the aging process. I'm sure that we can add 20-30 years, but immortality? Seriously, I don't think that God would allow it. Really, somewhere in the Bible it says something about not living passed 120 years, give or take a few.

As for only 20-30 years check out info from the following people:
Ray Kurzweil
Michio Kaku
Aubrey DeGrey

People will, or at least there will be the possibility, (if it doesnt already exist), to live as long as you want.

Science is there, you just have to understand it.

As for God, what do we know about God that wasnt taught to us from various denominations and religions. What do we know past all the parables and stories told to us children, as we are way to young to understand the higher meanings of something...lets say, Quantum Physics...etc.

Not everything is straight forward whats in the Bible.
This does not take away any validity...but remember it was written to try to get across to the lowest denominator - a lot in there, as Jesus proved, is parables.
So you have to look past the words to where they are pointing...and this goes with everything.

As far as the question some people pose, "Ill get bored".
Well, in light of how modern society works, yes. But if I have all eternity to finish a project, then I can do it as I feel - no rush, and get it right.

People are scared of long life because they dont live the one they currently have.
They cram so much into it and dont live it...they gulf it down and then crap it out without taking in any of its benefits.

Peace

dAlen

reply to post by dAlen


I don't see how you can get bored, I'm extremely lazy and as such take my time with things, I could easily do with another few hundred years.

Although I think people who become immortal should be temporarily sterilised and then when the need arises they can have a child and then be shot.

There was a man who thought of aging as a disease, and when thinking about it, it makes sense, why do normal cells just over time, the body being the power source and the brain the computer. The bodies ways of protecting itself, healing, changing, adapting etc...
maybe he is right

I once rad a scifi short story (by Heinlein I believe) about just this.
As I recall, society (only the rich could afford immortality) revolved around lavish and trendy ´suicide parties´ - where a bored rich person had their final fling before voluntarily taking the plunge into the abyss of mortality.

reply to post by spitefulgod


I'm very immortalistic, and I don't see any real problems, that would deter anyone with the stamina to be very immortal anyways
If it creates an elite, so what, I don't believe in fairness
If it tends to produce surplus people, so what, we have surplus people now, that's why the Children Investing In Genocide will be the next hot new charity
Immortalism is like cloning, in that it's so inevitable...let it be made illegal in the leading decadent herd dupe countries...the rich people will get it quietly in Himalayan clinics, and the adventurous will get it cheap and dirty and risky in Manila...People who want to yap against it should just shut up and get out of the way (I mean if they're getting paid, fine, but it is not going to be stopped...Death is traditional but not required, like business dress, and the future is very casual Fridays)