13-04-2005 03:00									#61
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How would the 'PUNKS' get to heaven eh?

	13-04-2005 03:02									#62
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quote: I feel everyone needs to die. Jesus died

I don't think you come to the level of teh Jeebus. How dare you to have the GAUL to claim this?

	13-04-2005 03:06									#63
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See, you're making Az very cross

	13-04-2005 03:06									#64
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Of course I never become to the level of Jesus. That's just silly. But, comparing to normal breahting organism sack of wasted skin, like .. well all the people except me, I'm on a very different platform. Besides, he died at the age of what.. 28? What did he accomplish by then? What have I accomplished after next 4 years? You know, we don't even compare the same day. But if it came down to a straight up street fight, I'd kick his ass IF I had to, and he didn't use any superforce on me but fought straight.

So there.

	13-04-2005 07:20									#65
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Our lifespans are becoming longer and longer -- almost 3x as long as somebody a couple hundred years ago. From experience, I can say that all-in-all longevity is pretty swell and the downsides are manageable.

By the way, longer lives will accrue to those among us who are happy by nature.

	13-04-2005 07:27									#66
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no

wthi a caveat that that is how I am right now

if I was different.. than I could imagine answering yes

Jon Miller
(I do beleive in heaven and wish to go there...)

	13-04-2005 08:57									#67
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It's bound to be super expensive so the poor will keep dying while the rich will live on and on.

	13-04-2005 10:47									#68
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This isn't new, it's just that as we gain a better and better understanding of the aging process it will generate more and more speculation about how long it will be before we can increase the human 'youthspan' to the same degree or greater that we have in the past increased the average human lifespan.

A microbe that reproduces asexually has no dead ancestors. It has lived for billions of years mutating now and then along the way. Biological systems unlike all of the other machines we encounter are fundamentally built to last forever. There was never any profound obstacle to finding a way to keep the human soma from succumbing to the aging process. We only needed to discover the mechanisms beneath that aging process and from there learn how to work around them in a way that would allow the soma to demonstrate the same longevity that the germ line already does.

	13-04-2005 12:43									#69
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any one ever read the book steel beach...is exactly like everybodies sees the future in this thread

	13-04-2005 16:53									#70
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Dont forget that the lifespan of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld will be dramatically extended too. Consequently the maximum age in the Army will be 139 instead of 39.

	13-04-2005 16:54									#71
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hmy...then we just have to make sure this stuff wont get on the market for some extra years...

	13-04-2005 17:09									#72
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quote: Originally posted by DanS Our lifespans are becoming longer and longer -- almost 3x as long as somebody a couple hundred years ago. From experience, I can say that all-in-all longevity is pretty swell and the downsides are manageable. By the way, longer lives will accrue to those among us who are happy by nature.

How true is that, really?

I mean, sure, life expectancy at birth has about tripled, but how much of that figure is tied into infant mortaliity, as opposed to old people being older?

	13-04-2005 17:13									#73
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quote: Originally posted by DAVOUT Dont forget that the lifespan of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld will be dramatically extended too. Consequently the maximum age in the Army will be 139 instead of 39.

	13-04-2005 17:23									#74
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quote: Originally posted by Az Who needs civ when you can lead a tribe of your own kin in an outer space adventure? Thinking small

We're making much more progress at understanding the human genome than we are at developing interstellar travel. Just because we can extend life doesn't mean we'll ever see another star system, though if astronauts could live together I guess you could put them into a ship and let them make a hundred years journey to another star. They'd be awfully bored though.

One of the problems with life extension is that what researchers geberally mean is that it may be possible to nullify the natural mechanism through which cell lines automatically die. Once that's done then it would also be necessary to find some way to counteract the effects of a lifetime of accumulated mutations, which may be one of the causes of cancer or as the population ages the rate of cancer would also probably increase. The population which had their biological clock removed would not be immortal, they just live a few more years. In order to make "immortality" worthwhile we'd also have to conquer the diseases of aging, including arthritis. Some of these diseases may simply be the result of accumulated wear and tear, so there may not be a way of eliminating them via manipulation of the genetic code. Would you like to live for hundreds of years crippled by arthritis?

Even if it is possible to turn off the biological clock, eliminate the diseases of aging, prevent accumulated wear and tear damage, and prevent the accumulation of pro-carcinogenic mutations what would you do with the extra time? Do you relish the idea of going to the same old job for eternity?

	13-04-2005 17:36									#75
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People change jobs all the time.

Bored?

Use your century's worth of modest savings, "retire" for a decade, go back to school, and start a brand new career.

	13-04-2005 17:37									#76
	Re: Immortality in 25 years? Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Odin This may sound like science fiction....

mostly, one suspects, because it is.

	13-04-2005 17:40									#77
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I think what you would find, rather than rich or poor, is niche monopolies.

Eventually there will be people who are naturally better at things in every category, and combined with cloning you will end up with a few million doing everthing.

Read Glory Season

	14-04-2005 02:15									#78
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quote: Originally posted by JohnT Those bastards had better hurry up!

You know, they don't have to do it all at once, JT. If they could, say, extend our lives twenty years, and then while we're living that extra twenty they figure out a way to extend it fifty years, well hey, thirty more years, and if they figure our the immortality drug while we're still alive, it's all good.

This is why I think I'm going to live a good, long time, so long s I don't get killed.

	15-04-2005 00:58									#79
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quote: Originally posted by Dr Strangelove Do you relish the idea of going to the same old job for eternity?

We'll have plenty of time to get another degree and try something new.

	15-04-2005 01:08									#80
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One step closer to The Culture

	15-04-2005 11:15									#81
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quote: Originally posted by Dr Strangelove One of the problems with life extension is that what researchers geberally mean is that it may be possible to nullify the natural mechanism through which cell lines automatically die.

The cell lines don't automatically die per se rather they reach the Hayflick limit and cease dividing. Cellular division has more to do with growth (either in repair or growth of the entire organism) than it does with cellular longevity

quote: Originally posted by Dr Strangelove Once that's done then it would also be necessary to find some way to counteract the effects of a lifetime of accumulated mutations, which may be one of the causes of cancer or as the population ages the rate of cancer would also probably increase. The population which had their biological clock removed would not be immortal, they just live a few more years.

they probably would also enjoy a longer span of youthful health which most people would find worthwhile in and of itself regardless of any increase in overall lifespan.

quote: Originally posted by Dr Strangelove In order to make "immortality" worthwhile we'd also have to conquer the diseases of aging, including arthritis. Some of these diseases may simply be the result of accumulated wear and tear, so there may not be a way of eliminating them via manipulation of the genetic code. Would you like to live for hundreds of years crippled by arthritis?

I certainly would. I'd look forward to a treatment for arthritis, but really, pain has to be quite excrutiating before it even begins to make death seem appealing in comparison to continuing to live.

You greatly underestimate people's will to live. for example look at the extreme hardship Mark Tatum was prepared to endure for a chance to live a few more years. there are countless other examples of living in the face of extreme physical pain, disfigurment and disability.

	15-04-2005 11:38									#82
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quote: so long s I don't get killed.

and that's the thing. We will become incredibly more risk-adverse should we gain this, and people will take advantage of the fact that people would now do anything to preserve their life.

Suppose you got kidnapped, who wouldn't give up all their possessions to remain alive?

I see those without this immortality gaining a significant advantage over those who do, just because those who don't will have the initiative.

That also being true, I think it would also be advantageous to someone to conceal their status as an 'immortal' so to speak, and that such status would only be divulged on the pain of death.

Savings raises an interesting point. Retirement happens when someone has enough money to live on in perpetuity. So what happens, when you achieve this, and have the ability to live as long as you would like, while amassing wealth?

	15-04-2005 11:44									#83
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quote: Originally posted by Ben Kenobi and that's the thing. We will become incredibly more risk-adverse should we gain this, and people will take advantage of the fact that people would now do anything to preserve their life. Suppose you got kidnapped, who wouldn't give up all their possessions to remain alive? I see those without this immortality gaining a significant advantage over those who do, just because those who don't will have the initiative. That also being true, I think it would also be advantageous to someone to conceal their status as an 'immortal' so to speak, and that such status would only be divulged on the pain of death. Savings raises an interesting point. Retirement happens when someone has enough money to live on in perpetuity. So what happens, when you achieve this, and have the ability to live as long as you would like, while amassing wealth?

nothing special happens really. Since 'death taxes' have been removed (in the US at least) such self perpetuating estates already are retained indefinately by bestowing them upon an heir. 'immortality' would simply change this to the estate being retained by the individual who actually earned the fortune rather than it simply being a silver spoon in some undeserving brats mouth.