The Problem of living forever

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

People have been trying to avoid death since the dawn of time, whether by looking for the elixir of life, the fountain of youth or just plain old better healthcare. But aside from the problem Jonathan Swift illustrates in his Gulliver's Travels, the problem that eternal life does not equal eternal youth, there is another problem: why accomplish anything? You'll be around tomorrow to do it anyway. And next year. And next century. You would be able to do anything anytime in the coming eternity, why "waste time" now?



Am I missing something or are people who want to avoid death missing something?

[Captain Arrrgh!]

Well..Oi've been aloive since 1605, an' let me tell yoo, tha smell is horrendous.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

I'd love to write out an extract from Gulliver's Travels about immortality but I'm too damn lazy. Lets just say immortality and eternal youth are two very different concepts.

Gaius, to your point, if someone who wanted to do great things while being immortal (like Gulliver) then he would want to start as early as possible to get the best results. I remember he says stuff like wanting to gather a lot of apostles and teach them what he'd learnt, as soon as he could.

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

Let's say you do retain a decent amount of health. Then why would you take on these disciples? They would not be around after you die, as you won't die. And why not wait for the perfect disciples to come along. There's always the future...

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Is there?

[Magic Man]

This is a problem you wont ever have to worry about.

So relax.

[Cleisthenes]

This is a problem you wont ever have to worry about.

So relax.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_Grey

[H.r.E.]

living forever suxx , all your friends would die after a time like your fam. and anybody you love

[Captain Arrrgh!]

This is a problem you wont ever have to worry about.

So relax.

Actually, Magic, the Methusela Project is making huge strides.
Sorry for gainsaying your imperial sexiness.

[Magic Man]

Actually, Magic, the Methusela Project is making huge strides.
Sorry for gainsaying your imperial sexiness.

Methuselah project??
That wiki link from before??

And no probs mate, my imperial sexiness enjoys a good gainsaying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_Grey

As exciting as that may seem, only the richest people are gonna be able to afford it.
Dont think the average joe like you and me will get any use out of it.

[C.M.]

As exciting as that may seem, only the richest people are gonna be able to afford it.
Dont think the average joe like you and me will get any use out of it.

I disagree, by significantly augmenting the lifespan of an individual we also augment the number of years he is able to bring in revenue. The provider of such a service could easily offer payment options, say 5000$/year with a slight increase every year to compensate for inflation for a duration of 1000 years. There are 6 billion people on earth, if only 100 million decide to prolong their lives the company would still rake in 500 000 000 000/year. I doubt they would ever be strapped for cash or have any difficulty obtaining loans from banks should they need money for their activities.

Money is not the limitation here, technology and political will are.

[Cleisthenes]

How many bastards would have jumped out of the trench at Belleau Wood if they really could have lived for ever? It sounds like the perfect way to create a nation of cowards.

The civilization that creates a means for its members to live forever will be the quickest civilization ever to be conquered, unless it creates a warrior-slave underclass with short lifespans and somehow keeps them from revolt.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

What the hell are you talking about? Firstly, we were talking about a single person with immortality, but even so, why would a civilization of immortals be a nation of cowards? If you couldn't die what would stop you from doing whatever you wanted?

[H.r.E.]

i wanted to generalise it

[Cleisthenes]

What the hell are you talking about? Firstly, we were talking about a single person with immortality, but even so, why would a civilization of immortals be a nation of cowards? If you couldn't die what would stop you from doing whatever you wanted?

When science figures out how to stop aging, I guess only one dude will receive that benefit? Or are you talking about some mystical source of immortality with little voodoo dolls and pentagrams? Be serious, if so.

Immortality is not impossible to imagine realistically: evolution needed us to die in order to continue improving the last iteration, and after we master nature enough to guide our own genetic destinies, we can perhaps root out that evolutionary mechanism.

Eventually, then, we might actually stop the mechanism that causes aging. It honestly could happen. Yet wars would always cause death, which those with no prospect of natural death would fear much greater than those who lead more ephemeral lives. An artillery round landing on one will always be rather incommodious to one's continued well-being, whether we root out the aging mechanism or not.

The result? The new immortals will shrink from self-defense.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Sorry, that was directed at Cleisthenes.

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

If you couldn't die what would stop you from doing whatever you wanted?

The fact that knowing there's always tomorrow. That's a thought that may be comforting (or at least indifferent) to you now, but as some posters already said, at some point all people around you die, and that happens to you for generations on end. I think you would be quite depressed.

[boofhead]

I think that's why Highlander always had an ejection seat: decapitation. It's an escape clause.

[Code_Knight]

If I lived forever, I would travel the world, doing crazy things, cause I couldn't die so what would stop me from jumping off a cliff, then landing on my head, and having a good chuckle afterwards

[Stalins Ghost]

If I lived forever, I would travel the world, doing crazy things, cause I couldn't die so what would stop me from jumping off a cliff, then landing on my head, and having a good chuckle afterwards

Yup! I'd actually do what I've always wanted to do and travel the world, experiencing... just about anything and anyone without fear.