Researchers at the Maximum Life Foundation met recently to discuss their latest anti-aging findings. Their goal is to extend the human lifespan indefinitely by 2029… though it’s not yet clear how that’ll actually work.
The Huntington Beach-based Foundation held a Longevity Summit earlier this month, where biologists and geneticists shared their research into how humans might live longer — much longer. Futurist author Ray Kurzweil, speaking at the conference, put it thusly: “We are very close to the tipping point in human longevity… we are about fifteen years away from adding more than one year of longevity per year to remaining life expectancy.”
Among those in the business, this threshold is known as “longevity escape velocity,” and many of the Summit speakers seemed to think we’ll get there in the next twenty years.
The speakers came from different backgrounds and specialized in widely different fields, according to press coverage; they appear to have had little in common except a commitment to defeating the aging process. Some of the techniques up for review: organ cryopreservation; tissue replication via stem-cell therapy; chemical supplements to encourage telomere lengthening; and tinkering with cell structures in order to situate our mitochondria more favorably.
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Absolutely. I’m assuming that there’s no aging.
Bonus points if I have the power to will myself to death. I don’t want to get stuck being tortured while immortal.
The answer depends on many unknowns,
Would we continue to age and decay, joint pains, weakness in limbs, lack of balance, bone density loss….
or would we stay the same forever?
Would we just stop aging or would we be immortal? (i.e. unable to be killed by normal traumatic events like car accidents getting shot, stabbed, falling great distances, drowning…)
Would we have to continue working a drudging 9-5 for all of eternity or would there be a viable retirement option?
What about overcrowding? If people today think it’s bad imagine if the current rate of birth were to keep going but the rate of death slowed to include only accidents or murder, we would be be unbelievably overcrowded in just a few short birth cycles.
Without the answer to some of these important questions I can’t make an educated vote on this issue.
If forever is anything like the last 12 months then hell no.
I still think we should go along with the film “Logan’s Run” and kill everyone when they turn 30 (I know the book says 21, but that’s just crazy talk).
If life is like viewed in the above pic? Then answer is YES..Yes..
Almost certainly, there is a maximum span in which the human psyche can withstand the rigors of living. In other words, even assuming a indefinite lifespan with the body of a 20 year old, the mind would likely, eventually, want to die.
The desire to procreate is certainly going to get in the way, or else you end up with an ever expanding population. And we know there are simply too many idiots who don’t know birth control (otherwise there wouldn’t be any abortion rights debates).
And, a growing world government would simply HAVE to intervene, eventually deciding that limits would have to be placed on who would receive this ‘elixir of extended life’. So you end up with lotteries, selective breeding and genocide, to address this. And who is going to be allowed to call those shots?
There calculus involved in an infinite lifespan is simply too complicated. Thankfully, its all BS. The best they’ll likely come up with is a longer lifespan, say into the 200 to 400 year range. Without a practical form of interstellar space travel (planet colonization), this stuff just ain’t happening.
Of course I would, if I got bored I would just commit suicide.
But getting the chance to live as long as “I” want to… anyday. Imagine all the history you get to see.
It would be great, do away with retirement and work till you drop. If you live forever most could never save enough to retire. A new source of cheap American labor people over 70 who were surprised when the pensions and social security were canceled.
This sounds more like hell, labor until you get hit by a bus or some other “accident”. No doubt the right to lifers would have a new cause throwing people in prison who had an “accident” but managed to live.
Asking if you’d want to live forever is meaningless because it’s too ambiguous. Live in a coma? Live in a wheelchair? Live even after the sun burns out? There are too many unknown variables.
A better question would be:
Under what circumstances would you want to die?
As long as the person is healthy, both in body and in mind, and if the person has something in their life which gives it a purpose, I don’t see many people choosing to die.
NO!
Not any more…
It would have been swell when I was younger and healthier.
Now? meh…
It’s the only way I could see the Cubs win the World Series.
Or the Leafs win a Stanley Cup!
Mikey Twit, now that’s just crazy talk.
Let’s put it this way:
I don’t want to live forever, but the idea of switching off makes me sad. Having the option of either I think I’d eventually get to a point that out of sheer boredom or desperation I’d do it…
There can be only ONE!!!!
Wouldn’t that be great? You could see first hand what your visits to Walmart brought to your offspring.
That will leave taxes as the only sure thing
woo woo!
But if we live forever we won’t get to go see Jeebus! Also, I’m looking forward to all of these assholes to leave during the resurrection. And some of you need to donate your bodies to science – fiction.
Definitely not.
Just pursing this end shows that that science has no clue about how anything works.
As energy is never destroyed, only transformed or transmuted, and we are made of energy, you are effectively immortal already. (duh) -so whats the point?
“Fear” of death is just a meme the religious control freaks cooked up to get you to kiss their ring a few times a week and pick your pocket at the same time.
I look forward to seeing what the next stage after of death. -but not until my “time” is up.
(having been dead three times already for longer than 2 minutes each, i guess i am meant to be here for some good reason)
Besides, eternal life would not work in this current iteration of humanity’s “mindset”
We have been/are too corrupted and greedy. it would only serve as another wedge to drive class warfare and divide the people.
Currently, the only people that would be allowed to have this ability would be the eugenics crowd. -no thanks.
Just for starters, you would have to erase the whole idea of politics, the monetary system, consumerism, religion and war from the “global mind” to even come close to having a planet full of immortal humans that would not accelerate the current rate of destruction 10x fold.
Something with the mindset of the original ancient American and Mayan Indians (actually, American Indians are descendants of the Mayans) might be able to pull it off. -live in harmony with the planet and all that.
The current people could never do it. Guaranteed, those with the “oldest knowledge” would exploit the new ones indefinitely. -and you would have indefinite resource wars unless the lid it taken off of free energy tech for starters.
(and you would definitely have to ban politicians from ever getting near the stuff)
Never work. -sounds like a scam to relive dumb rich elites of their money, -that’s all.
Death is but a small part of a continuous cycle.
The energy that makes up and drives you soul will never “die” -just transform. -count on it.
Never fear death.
-s
The young wish to live forever.
Those that have been here awhile, Understand what that means.
Insted of 30-40 years of work, 60 years of work, before you get retirement, and THEN you die??
In this society, its as bad as the OLD days.
BUSINESS wishes your labor, and AFTER, they dont want to PAY for you.
The only ones that will be able to afford this, are the RICH. and you ARENT THEM.
Being OLD sucks some times.
You dont have the energy to get it up..
You dont have the Durability to take a hit.
Compound interest.
#19=SMHGoQR-leave during the resurrection…
Could that be the Rapture to which you refer?
Some people are ill equipped to do insult comedy. Maybe you should leave it to the professionals.
ROFL…told ya..straight up scam.
He’s a professional insurance salesman and money changer that hooked up with a Pro bean counter (read:books cooker) and provides the Illusion of Doctor with a Doctorate in Psychology.
Lol.. No Science here, just a couple of get rich guys..
From the About Us page in the linked website in the article from the ceo:
Professional Scammer, plain and simple.
“Caveat Emptor” applies..
-s
I have a young child with autism that will need lifelong care. My atheist butt still prays that I can live as long as he does so I can be there for him. After that, I would hope to die as I will be more exhausted than I already am.
No way.
The mere thought of living forever is like being in prison.
Anyway I don’t think anyone wants to see my comments for eternity.
Cursor_
If anyone can get it done it’s Kurzweil. It would have been nice to have Einstein and Newton around a bit longer. Many who thirst for scientific knowledge will never grow board with life. My guess is that if science gets to the point of extending life indefinitely the means to solve many physical problems will be solved too. Wouldn’t it be great to see your child not suffer the ailments they have now.
i guess the death do us part clause in marriage vows would no longer be needed.. ???
opps, bored not board, geez
#25
-can’t find parents like you anymore. My Heart goes out to you.
——————————–
I *may* have to retract my scam statement.. it seems Ray Kurzweil is on the advisory board.
Now we know how they’re going to do it: Download your consciousness into a machine. -I imagine something along the lines of Terminator-like frame.
(me being stuck in a chair definatly would eye the idea, but still, not for an eternity.)
While that would be fun, -and make interstellar space travel and colonization possible -and much, much easier, we would still need be purged of the current “idiocracy” mindset the runs the majority of the planet.
Basically reinvent ourselves.
(which is supposed to start happening shortly anyway)
Otherwise, a planet full of immortal humans near the strength and durability of a Terminator style body with the current mindset would be a whole new nightmare to be sure.
(hmm…i wonder how “cheap” labour would be effected..lol)
Time will tell..
-s