How old would you like to live?

Within the next couple of years technology is predicted to reach a point where we can actually converge with it, or download copies of our entire minds onto 'backup' drives. Medicine is also predicted to advance so far as to add decades onto our current lifespan.

These aren't just single events in each field, either; it's progression at multiple origins within those two fields providing a number of ways where we may eventually be able to choose how old we want to live. Take into consideration that you may not be as 'Human' as you are today. Many of the concepts behind cheating death, or at least extending lifespan, involves the continuous 're-installation' or rejuvenation of biological organs, some of them require the removal of them and replacement with synthetic mechanical ones, some suggest the removal of the body as a whole, and some are simply you as a digital self.

All these procedures have their own threads here on ATS, so I'm not here to get into their details.

I would like to know, though, if you could theoretically live for however long you wanted (100 years, 200 years, 1000 years, infinite years), how long would you live for?

Before someone answers this with "well If I am a machine then how am I really alive?", just humor my hypothetical situation for a moment and assume you are you as you are, but in perfect health, and unable to age past around 25 or so. You are Wolverine from X-Men, without the claws or instant rejuvenation, but you can simply live forever, if you so chose.

How many years would be ideal for you?

Personally, I want to see if humans can surpass petty quarrels and work as a species, abolishing nationalities. I want to see if we ever get to colonize other planets and explore our galaxy. And if we end up killing off ourselves and our brothers and sisters, well, I'll stick it out until we've been erased.

For me, if we explore the galaxy, I want to live forever. If we end up destroying ourselves, we had a good run, and I'll be happy to have lived in such an exciting time.

50 years is fine for me. Ironically I suspect I'll live significantly longer than that despite my desire to the contrary.

For me I look at death as the big adventure. I'll leave the space exploration and reproduction to more ambitious souls.

Even then if we get to have manufactured organs, mind in "hard drive" i still would like to smell, taste and feel. I wonder what would life be without those 3, IMHO we need all senses to really enjoy life at fullest.

Old enough to see and spend some quality time with my grand children.

originally posted by: corvuscorrax
50 years is fine for me. Ironically I suspect I'll live significantly longer than that despite my desire to the contrary.

For me I look at death as the big adventure. I'll leave the space exploration and reproduction to more ambitious souls.

I've met similar folk in past years. They were all very interesting people still alive today and well past 50

originally posted by: dollukka
Even then if we get to have manufactured organs, mind in "hard drive" i still would like to smell, taste and feel. I wonder what would life be without those 3, IMHO we need all senses to really enjoy life at fullest.

And what if you were like you are right now, and in perfect health, stuck in a 25 year old you, forever. How long would be long enough?

a reply to: Ghost147

Maybe 10,000 years or so... maybe longer.. long enough to be able to see stuff like terraforming and mankind's colonization of other worlds and stars

a reply to: corvuscorrax

For me I look at death as the big adventure.

Astute cor. The thrills and excitement of this life will eventually wane and there we are, at it's door, facing full on.
I once thought that 50 would be enough, but then when I hit 60 I thought 70 would just about do it. But now at 70, guess what. 80 sounds about right. At this point I know a lot of 80 and 90 year olds and the life conditions of only a few appeal to me at all.
So, soon I will be off to that adventure and all I have experienced and thought and acted upon will either go with me and influence my continuation, or it will not and neither will I.

a reply to: corvuscorrax

50 years is fine for me.

Heh, I once thought the exact same thing.. . and then the long present "now" kept on going and even sped up, and I just hit fifty .. . despite all my best efforts.

If "lucky," it'll blaze by to unheard of, senile numbers...

but as far as the OP and being downloaded into a database, well, who's to say that's not exactly where we are now?

Though I have this intuitive flash that such a machine state would be a hollow, hellish and perhaps hideously lonely state... and again, who's to say we aren't already plugged into something similar?

It would likely be noticeably different until our tech reached the level of the nervous system.

As long as I stayed in good health, I'd want infinite time here. Or to be more exact, I'd want to stay alive until Judgment Day. I'd try to serve as a guide for humankind, while also striving to learn how to communicate with other species. Some generations, I might be an open leader. While in other generations, I may be a "peasant", a drifter, an artist/writer, or an exile.

Eventually, I'd probably become some long term leader. Though knowing my personality, I'd probably eventually lose my patience with humans and become a dictator. Or I'd just give up on humans & keep traveling through nature, like some elusive myth that only reveals itself to generations that have reached a certain level of spiritual advancement. LOL Maybe I'd eventually become some hidden defender of Nature, that uses the technology of lost civilizations to replenish destroyed ecosystems.

EDIT: LOL edited the wrong post. I'm sleepy

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: corvuscorrax

For me I look at death as the big adventure.

Astute cor. The thrills and excitement of this life will eventually wane and there we are, at it's door, facing full on.
I once thought that 50 would be enough, but then when I hit 60 I thought 70 would just about do it. But now at 70, guess what. 80 sounds about right. At this point I know a lot of 80 and 90 year olds and the life conditions of only a few appeal to me at all.
So, soon I will be off to that adventure and all I have experienced and thought and acted upon will either go with me and influence my continuation, or it will not and neither will I.

Yes that's really what it boils down to is quality of life. Strength of Body, Clarity of Mind.

Once those are gone hopefully so too shall I be.

Though I'm still young I suffer from a chronic melancholy, rendering my lust for life into a near non-existent state. I make do, I surely don't need much longer to experience the few other things I'm interested in. Luckily having a family of my own is not on the bucket list for that would be the only thing I could imagine making me want to stick around longer.

a reply to: Ghost147

Gilgamesh wanted to live forever, but he couldn't stay awake. Weariness took a hold and he had to finally fall asleep.

Meh, there's something to said of a fresh start and a youthful and untainted attitude...I would like to stay alive, in a healthy body, until I need another fresh start.

a reply to: Ghost147
It may well be that these things are soon to come, yet I suspect that these enhancements to human live will only be available to the wealthy and not to the likes of me.

Quality of life would be important to me, if folks that I love and care about can come along for a long ride with me, then lets do exciting things like travel to distant stars, learn all there is to learn ,millions and millions of years ah guess, but what if you die and there is this whole other dimension that is just as exciting then??

originally posted by: Spider879
but what if you die and there is this whole other dimension that is just as exciting then??

To me that seems like a very big risk. Possible, but until you die you'll never know.

I want for nothing. I may live forever. I may die before I finish this sentence. Death fears me.

a reply to: Ghost147

Its the journey, not the destination

I wont count my life in years, but in experiences

Life should always be measured by quality and not quantity. Some experience more life before 25 and others die at 80 never really having lived.
I'm not the type to want to transfer my consciousness into anything non-human. I'm energy, and that will transfer, disperse, do as it will, after my body dies, and I'm fine with that.
With the years I have left, however many that may be, it's enough for me to strive to have as many new experiences as I can. With my only wish being that I can slide into death with no regrets of things unsaid or undone, and that I have not been a burden to my children in my old age.
I'm a simple girl, with simple desires.

I do not know how I' m going to live. But I would like to have kids and watch them growing up and becoming a good persons. That would be my biggest achievement.

a reply to: Ghost147

I want to live as long as my body functions relatively normally. If that's 1,000 years because of technology, so be it, but I think living that long would get boring eventually.

As it stands right now, I just hope to make it into my 70s or 80s without crapping down my leg or pissing myself at my great-grandkids' weddings.

I'm 50 now,so for my children's sake i would like to make it for another 10,my daughter is 18 and my son is just 9yo. So i figure in 10 years he'd also be better able to cope with my departure. I can't wait to get out of this distasteful,disgusting hellhole. And i am NEVER reincarnating here again,i would rather have my very soul snuffed out. Energy Can unfortunately not be destroyed,so when i get to the afterlife,i'll be kicking some asses into the Here-After ICU and then see what my options are.