(Untitled)

[moonndragn]

Reflecting on the radio from the shower this morning. I never want to see 'the day that nobody dies'. I believe strongly in the transitivity of life around here and I don't think we should ever become immortal. Longer lifespans, possibly. That's solely selfish though - there are too many things I want to do or learn and I know I won't have time

Comments

[fizzbang]

I agree entirely, but I also doubt humanity will ever become effectively immortal in that way. We may find ways to pass on our memes, our thoughts, recreate our minds, and so forth, but I suspect these will all effectively be the same as making a creation or having a child, rather than being an exact duplicate for one's own spark.

Then again, I'm no expert in the field. But I doubt it'll come along in my lifetime, at least.

[physics_dude]

I saw someone give a talk on human immortality (engineered negligible senescence, http://www.sens.org/). The idea is, if every 30 years a treatment comes along that will extend your life by 30 years, you're effectively immortal. (Doesn't save you from being hit by a bus, of course).

His justification was something like, if people object to it for whatever reasons, the technology would at least give them the choice, and nobody has to use it. At that point I almost asked him what gives any person the right to live forever. In a world of finite resources, people should eventually get out of the way and give a new generation access.

[shaktool]

300 year old people are ugly. O_o

My impression is that, the older you get, the harder it is for you to adapt. There's a reason why parents ask their kids to set up their computers. I think it is for the good of humanity to keep producing new generations, lest we get trapped by old solutions to new problems.

[kartiksg]

But Yoda looks so HOTTT!!!1!eleven

[shaktool]

He's older than 300 years. I think his ugliness wrapped around to zero.

[aleffert]

That may be the case now, but I do not see why it is an inherent part of sentient existence nor that it is impossible for that fact to change.

[kartiksg]

I'm very strange in this respect.

I personally like the living forever idea. I hate my body (not as in *my* body but as in forall (my body) ) and would like to, if possible, just have my intelligence preserved, networked and allowed to mutate however it pleases in a virtual environment (save states would be awesome). The Matrix - {all the system rules} would be my ultimate paradise.

[douglasperkins]

WHO SEZ YOU AREN'T NEO ALREADY KARTIK

[kartiksg]

Well for one, I can't kill 100s of clones of suited men with a large sign pole!

[qatar]

... how do you know?? <.< >.>