What if death were a type of virus?

This may sound stupid but tell me what you think, ATS. I have this idea that death is something that be conquered like one can conquer a cold. Colds or viruses weaken you and make you feel like you're going to die sometimes but once you conquer them, you come back to life. People used to die from the flu! However, with antibiotics people can survive thru the flu nowadays.

So, I'm thinking "what if death were a type of virus? The ultimate type of virus that completely "stops" the body. I have this idea that death( of course from natural causes) can be suspended or maybe even stopped, temporarily, with the right kind of application(s).

I don't know what that application might be same as I wouldn't have known antibiotics before their creation/induction, but if death itself is a type of virus, then there must be a way to get around it.

What say you, ATS?

reply to post by lostbook


The pituaritary gland makes you bigger. If in the future they could stop or slow down the aging process or put on sort of like a moisturizer for organs to renew them. Then maybe they will stumble on eternal life here on earth. There are always problems like Alzheimer's and things breaking down.

lostbook
So, I'm thinking "what if death were a type of virus? The ultimate type of virus that completely "stops" the body. I have this idea that death( of course from natural causes) can be suspended or maybe even stopped, temporarily, with the right kind of application(s).

Death is built directly into our DNA. It's not a disease. We're programmed to die. The way it works is that we're born, we're exposed to all kinds of viruses and other diseases when we're growing up so we build up an immunity, then we breed and pass that immunity along to our offspring, making them better able to survive. Then we get old and die, giving up our consumption of resources and allowing our offspring to repeat the cycle again, each time strengthening and improving the species.

We're just another very temporary vessel for DNA to sustain itself and pass itself along. If anybody ever asks you what the secret or purpose is of life, you just tell them that.

If you didn't die, and kept hanging around eating and using up resources, then the younger, better generations would be screwed, and when a really super nasty bug showed up, it would kill you anyway but not leave any strong offspring to survive. End of the human race.

Besides, who really wants to live forever? Constantly and forever having to eat and crap and clean and wash yourself and avoid pain? Sounds horrible.

Might be, except you would be in a worst shape later on. Everything dies, period. Humans try to beat Death only to find out later it causes more pain in the long run.

Parts of your body you can live without and have a good life. Being on Life support for years causes more pain for everybody else in the long run. Sure you can beat some sickness, just change your living style! People have done this themselves and either learned to live with it or somehow cured it!

Could you deal with your in-laws forever? Could you deal with the being ran over by a car, over and over again, shot, no way! I will gladly accept Death when its my time! Would you want to be a zombie all your life?

Death should not be a fear in your life! Sure you do not want to hit by a bus, killed in a car, you know; a horrible way yet it is something to actually be greatfull for in the long run.

lostbook
This may sound stupid but tell me what you think, ATS. I have this idea that death is something that be conquered like one can conquer a cold. Colds or viruses weaken you and make you feel like you're going to die sometimes but once you conquer them, you come back to life. People used to die from the flu! However, with antibiotics people can survive thru the flu nowadays.

So, I'm thinking "what if death were a type of virus? The ultimate type of virus that completely "stops" the body. I have this idea that death( of course from natural causes) can be suspended or maybe even stopped, temporarily, with the right kind of application(s).

I don't know what that application might be same as I wouldn't have known antibiotics before their creation/induction, but if death itself is a type of virus, then there must be a way to get around it.

What say you, ATS?

It's not really a type of virus .. from what I've studied, the main cause of ageing and death is Telomeres .. cells have these attached and they eventually break off as cells reproduce.. once they reach their end, the cells stop reproducing and die .. and as they die, we age and fail.. once the telomeres are gone, cell growth is gone .. you can't repair.. your body fails over time.. that then depends on your healthy living..

Not a disease.. but if you can prevent that process, which there have been experiments in.. you could live much longer unless you took on a mortal wound..

For more specific information, I hate quoting Wikipedia but the information is sound..

en.wikipedia.org...

A 2012 study reported that introducing the TERT gene into healthy one-year-old mice using an engineered adeno-associated virus led to a 24% increase in lifespan, without any increase in cancer

reply to post by lostbook


According to the Old Testament, Adam and Eve were created as immortal beings. There is much more about it in the commentaries of Rashi etc

But if you think there is a soul in a body then our true form is as a soul not as a body. Therefore life itself (being trapped in a physical body for years, until death) becomes a 'virus' to the soul!

Maybe you should ask yourself if 'virus' is the correct word to be using in this context!

So, if I whack your head off with a machete, you just got a bad cold and you'll get over it?

What about a car accident...and you die in that.? That's not a virus .....but if you only mean when you get really old and are Ina nursing home, or something....well...then most elderly do die from a virus. Like pneumonia, or the flu.

reply to post by miniatus


Telomers?

I think I've heard of thee before. Tese Telomers go through 9 reproductive cycles before you'd die a natural death, correct? Different people types have Telomers which age slower or faster depending on their individual body type(s), right?

So much ignorance in this post, starting with the OP.

Death is not a virus, or anything like it, at all.

It definitely can be stopped. And there are creatures on Earth that are immortal, they will never die from old age, ever.

When the mechanism responsible for aging is fully understood it will be stopped. Let's hope we have found a way to colonize other planets by the time it happens. The problem is, we are much closer to ending old age than we are to colonizing other worlds, and many scientists believe the first humans to live past 1,000 years old are already born.

Here's my thought...

Biological evolution has severe limits. For example, it's unlikely our biological body could evolve on any practical timetable to allow us to survive outside the earth's atmosphere unaided. The same kind of thing can apply to many other things in the modern world. Biology evolves at a certain pace with a soft cap on its potential. This is where technology and consciousness act as a bridge to enable us to do things we'd never be able to do with only biological evolution alone.

Now instead of thinking about how biological evolution has us breathing oxygen and living within the earth's atmosphere, think about how biological evolution has us die after 70 to 120 years lifespan. Do you see what I'm getting at? Biological evolution cannot remotely have us living outside the earth's atmosphere on a practical timetable, just as it cannot have us living 500 years or more on a practical timetable. So you see, technology and consicousness will be required to meet those standards. Just as rockets and spacesuits launch us into space, technology and intelligence will launch us into 500+ year lifespans.

Biological evolution is not the only means to get somewhere. Biological evolution produced its most prized artifact: intelligence. And now intelligence is producing technology that can do things biological evolution woudl be hopeless to do on its own. Biological evolution was a beginning, not an end.

You might think I'm painting a rosy picture of our future, but I'm not. Evolution of any sort has never been pretty. It'll be bumpy and blood and scary the whole way. Nobody's life is guaranteed and that's what's scary. Evolution doesn't care. We're not going to wake up and suddenly be living 500+ years. Instead we'll wake up dead after a global war or maybe we'll be a lucky survivor or perhaps a slave. You know, LIFE. Life happens and it's not scripted. It's not always a happy ending.

There are many things but one is oxygen - unless you can do without oxygen it's going to age you (we need it but it has its bad side with free radicals for one). Then there is stress and because humans are hellbent on war, aggression, and greed (inequality/competition), it isn't going anywhere. Stress is that thing that makes the blood vessels expand, contract, and tear so fatty deposits get stuck there - among wrecking havoc everywhere else in the body. I don't know a lot about telomeres but from what I do know it is only one part of the entire system (like tree rings we can know how long we have maybe but the rest is what makes them fray and dissipate).


Our bodies are not set up to live forever. You would also have to keep hormones at a constant level - and as all should know - they change as we grow older. In fact, trying to manipulate them creates other problems - one of which is stress. What would reproduction look like? Would you really want a 200 year old mom or dad? Or kids when your that age (Assuming they are injected with artificial substances that rejuvenate the body). What would those children be like?

I would love to live to know my grandchildren and great grandchildren one day. However what would I do after that? If I were as healthy as them what would that look like (a 150 year old with the energy and health of a 17 year old). Would we have more wisdom but be like a young person? Maybe not because memory is like an onion (layers - when it's viewed with Alzheimer's anyway), and that comes from chemicals that are released over time - time being day upon day and moment upon moment. You would need to interrupt those so the same cognitive abilities? Not sure.

We do live forever in a sense - our DNA gets to live on through our children or nieces and nephews if we have not had children. And with new birth evolution happens slowly so we advance to adapt in that way. Not only would medicine need to be able to keep us alive (and therefore youthful), but also assure we are keeping up with those subtle changes. I think in 1000 years, due to texting - people will have really long thumbs as an example

Death is just the beginning to another life, another time elsewhere.

Be more positive, we die and we'll be missed, but we'll also be joining those who have past away. See you all one day, if not in this life, then in another life, another time elsewhere. God bless

Very interesting,

The ability to Cheat death has always interested humans , i personally dont find it important on a personal level , but because this has also a lot to do with technology i find it very interesting.

There could be 100 or more different theoretical ways of cheating death , no doubt within 100 years they can Recreate or Grow organs etc , not that i Agree , but they will be able .

I dont Agree with growing organs because then it would be strictly privatised for rich folk only , even organ farms would only be something Stephen King would write about , giving the people the choice to be Organ Donors would right now be more then enough.

Or use Robotic technology to Recreate limbs , other body parts , today they already use Artificial Hearts.

en.wikipedia.org...

But if they cant stop the Brain getting older all that would be useless.

The Brain has to keep everything running , and its way to complicated to recreate , brain transplantation or who knows.

And would you want to ? , i personaly am an Organ Donor , But anything brain related in this specific subject i find distastefull , because what would happen to our Personality or Memories or Feelings when Undergoing these Kind of Procedures.

Maybe some sort of Flued injected Regulairly in the brain to stop it from aging but if it would be anything more then that i would exit the train before it reaches station

TheGreazel.

What if Oxygen is a poison and it just takes 70 years to kill us?

Back to the OP, interesting thoughts.

I couldn't imagine immortality. Watching everyone you've ever known die. Meeting new people, growing with them, and watching them die. Rinse and repeat. What would we ever have to live for, if we could never die?



“Death is but the next great adventure”

― J.M Barrie, Peter Pan

The main cause of death is physical injury. If someone were to obtain indestructbility, they would live much longer. The second main cause is bacteria and poop buildup in the colon. If there was some way to deal with and prevent this, the lifespan would be even longer.