Indefinite Lifespans

Well, you could live forever but after your so old you would be in so much pain...

 

If you are talking about no diseases, no pain, etc. then that would be great. If you mean that it would be like getting old but never dying with tons of diseases and shit, that would suck. And I'm sorry to everyone that has been opposing this, but I honestly dont believe 1 thing your saying. Im not talking about the problems, such as overpopulation and resource depletion, but with personal desire. (BTW, I'm saying all this assuming that you cannot get diseases and such and that you COULD end your life at any point you chose). I will not ever believe that anyone has wanted to die, excluding people that are in loads of pain, sorrow, immobility, etc. But these things would not occur if we had this ability to live forever. Anyone that says they want to die is bullshitting IMO, and I guarantee that if you knew when you were to die you would be fucking flipping out and pissing your pants. And if there was someone that really thought they they would like to die, even thought its human instinct to survive, they could not have the "procedure" or however they would do this, of immortality. Then they can suffer and in the end realize that they are fucking idiots for not choosing the better option.

The whole point of loved ones dying would not happen if everyone got this procedure, however if you had a loved one that was really stupid and did not want this immortality, then you would understand that it was their own dumbass mistake and you could not do anything about it.

Also, I do not believe that one would go insane, because obviously if they do find a way of immortality, then it restores the brain or keeps it in a constant state of health. The brain basically would not be slowly deteriorating, because of this, so insanity would not be an option (for the cases of naturally(health related)-occuring insanity.

This leads me to my last point about insanity, which is if someone really was to be idiotic to think that their life is completely repetitive (which im pretty sure is not possible, seeing that EVERYTHING would have to happen at the exact time very day), and they think that ABSOLUTELY nothing is better than a little bit of repetition, then they can always end their immortality (through violence, like was mentioned before). Again, they would then realize that they were obviously not thinking anything when they made that decision.

This is all my IMO remember, so I actually do want to hear an intelligent argument.

 

I hope that was sarcasm.

If not, I hope you grow a brain within the next 50 years.

 

/agreed.

 

Immortality. The only reason people are opposed to it is because in admitting they want to live forever and that death is a horrible thing, they are breaking down all the protection mechanisms which are built into their minds to cope with the notion of death.

Having said that, if one were to look at the planet at the moment, one could reasonably say that it's overpopulated already. We're going to have to address the problem of overpopulation way earlier than this technology will be readily available.

Every day you cross the street, you're hoping to avoid death by looking both ways. The same goes with aging, except you're not admitting it. To those that think that the brain is a key issue with this technology, it is, but it doesn't revolve around replacing brain cells.

This is the way it will work, according to Dr. Aubrey de Grey:

1. First, you'll go to a gene therapy center in the next 30-50 years. Gene therapy involves implanting gene into viruses (Genes control your body function) which will introduce new components and modify other certain ones in order to keep damage below a certain tolerable threshold and then replicate those modifications throughout the other cells in your body by having the virus itself replicate (Remember, it's the modified virus that's repairing your cells through introduction of new cellular components and repair mechanisms). The technology will not have advanced enough to give you an endless lifespan, but it will be sufficient to repair some of the damage caused by aging.
2. Second, when you go back another 30-50 years later, when the technology will have progressed, and we'll have the advances needed to repair more complex damage that we couldn't previously, the first time you got the therapy.
3. Third, you'll keep coming back, and each time you come back,the technology will have been perfect enough to treat you.

Hence, people today will be able to eventually get moderately adequate gene therapy and they'll be ahead of the aging curve. The moment you get too old, you can go right back and get the necessary repairs for the damage that has occurred to your body. The gene therapy available in much later years will offer more potent damage repair for damage that we couldn't fix previously.

Basically: The technology will progress faster than your body can accumulate irreparable damage.

 

Closed

 

Immortallity is impossible, not just that it cant happen, even if it did, the earth wouldn't be able to survive.

However expanding the age limit by a few years, is possible in the future, as i seen a program where its already possible to double the lifespan of some animals, with some thing that they do cells or w.e

 

This would be awesome. I would love to live as long as I want. Thanks for some of those links, it's very interesting.

 

Immortality is, in fact, entirely possible. Think of humans as antique cars. If you keep repairing the car, then it will keep on running. Humans are the same, except they are far more complex than cars which is why it is more complex to repair their "parts" (cells).

This, however, does not mean that it is impossible. Far from it.

 

Immortality is impossible because you'll die one way or another. A human is different then a car. If a car gets broken, you can repair it. If a car dies, you can replace parts and repair it. Humans however if their cells get older and replaced many times u age, and once u reach a certain number you die. You might be able to keep repairing these cells a few times to EXPAND the lifespan, but you can't make someone immortal because on way or another he will die, and when something die's its not immortal. And when u die, you cant repair it like a car, because once someone dies, whatever technology you get you cant bring them back to life (and i mean die properly like dead 10 minutes or w.e) Unlike a car which can be brought back to life. And even if u expand the lifespan, u can easily die by a gunshot. So no one can be immortal.

You should have used the words, expand life span, that might be possible in future technology but immortality is impossible, except in movies and games.

 

Cells can be repaired just like a car can be repaired. Utilizing gene therapy, you can repair and clean up cellular components which are responsible for maintaining healthy tissue at the molecular/cellular level.

It is entirely possible to halt biological aging through curing the following (You can still die if you get hit by a car, for instance):

And actually, people who have died are paying for their bodies to be frozen until a future date when our technology is sufficiently advanced so as to revive them. And, by the way, my reference to immortality is a reference to biological aging, as I've mentioned repeatedly within this thread. GG.

 

I really would like to live forever because like you "E", I consider myself an "Atheist". I don't believe that "God" created us, the universe or our planet. I do believe however that there is some form of heaven and a leader, who I consider God.

I really don't want to die because, what if there isn't a heaven. What happens when you die.

 

well um... i am a Christan i believe in god and Jesus.. i do think that u will die and if u pass judgment u will live forever with Jesus without aging.. say u do live forever do u know how boring life would get ? theirs only so much to do.
BTW, saying this will likely get u in a situation u dont want to. rather u believe in god or not.. u will die. its up to u where u go.

 

if we lived for ever we would have to stop reproducing, whitch can be hard and good, everyone being on the pill isn't that bad but when your older you want kids or at least after living for ever want to know what its like to have kids to its a very implausable

 

New supplements are already being sold to allow your cells to bypass the hayflick limit (the number of times your cell can divide). I wouldn't suggest buying these yet, but they are beginning to develop drugs.

Oh, and if anyone is interested on why we will reach these developments in our lifetime!

 

hey man, I've had this same goal ever since I stopped believing in my religion...

I havn't really revealed it to anyone but I guess nows the time since this thread is so relevant.

I find that if death is the last of us, we might as well live as long as we can. Except I didn't think about extending lifespans.

My idea started by watching Futurama.....you know those heads of famous people in the jars??? Yea basically, I want to invent something similar to that...I was thinking of preserving the brain somehow (maybe a brain transplant into a new human vessel..or a robot? etc...)

That is why I went into psychology for my major...I want to understand the brain and mind....I know I will have to do much research...but we'll see where I turn out. Still young at the moment. Freshmen.

But yea....I will admit death is a scary thing. Mainly because who knows whats after it. Im learning towards atheism. Which is like ughhh to me....

What im saying is the whole concept of life. It seems like we have a purpose (not a meaning, just a purpose), and once that is met (this purpose=reproducing etc.) we grow old, lose our purpose to live--and die... But let's say we could live forever. We would see nations rise and nations fall. We would make new love ones, and constantly losing them in a literally never-ending cycle. We would witness the world change infinitely. The problem is-days, weeks, months, and years would begin to fly by like seconds. Your loved one's lives would start and end at the blink of an eye. Every single minuscule thing you do in life would get brutally repetitive. Life would get boring, and you would grow 'infinitely' miserable as well. You would beg to die after a few thousand years or so. Thats just how life is set up.

shit. If we are gone forever after we die then wow...that sucks. But lets say I could live forever and ever. WOW that sucks too. I would want to die eventually... sigh.... I'm screwed no matter what...

But yea....It depresses me sometimes during the random moments. The best parts of my life and shittiest parts of my life always bring up this issue. I could be in the middle of playing an intense game of soccer or reading a book or hanging out with friends. No matter what I'm doing, this issue of life and death always creeps into my mind. It's like time stops and I'm thinking...well what will happen in my future???

Only way I get it off my mind is do what I do best. Procrastinate. Put that shit off. I'm still young is what I tell myself....But we'll see.

So. It seems like I'm screwed either way.

I mean death doesn't have to be a bad thing. If you've taken philosophy you will know what I'm talking about. Death can't be bad TO you but can be bad FOR you [Same goes to good TO you good FOR you, good for you bad to you, good to you bad for you, etc., w.e.] It's just naturally scary to me (as a human, and humans in general I suppose). Even tho if I'm dead, I can't do anything about it and won't even be aware to care about it. But still...sigh.

(this is why i'm minoring in Philosophy, such a strong subject).

If we do get indefinite lifespans, or my concept of getting a new vessel, I mean I will probably do it....It's just you know, refer to my issue above.

Only thing I'm hoping is that after death, we aren't gone forever and there is some sort of after-life. Doesn't have to be a God. Or maybe there is a God. Just something....a new purpose.

Maybe I'm in a dream. This is all fake. I'm actually an alien from a planet in outer space and I'm in a virtual reality simulator. I die in this simulator and wake up there....sigh....idk idk idk....something...

All I can do now is put my mind off of this somehow....