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Author Topic:   Immortality: Cheating the Reaper

NickThePirate posted 11-14-98 03:32 AM ET
I don't know if this issue has come up, but I would be interested in hearing what people have to say about the possibility of humans achieving physical immortality, and its effects on society.
Steel_Dragon posted 11-14-98 03:43 AM ET
Assuming No virus, harmful bacteria and no old age, but still having murder and stravation, All survives would become envirmentist.
Kurn posted 11-14-98 04:47 AM ET
That would rock, I would go live with some monks for 300 years and then come back and see how society is doing
DCA posted 11-14-98 10:00 AM ET
Hm. Think I'd rather die than live with monks for 300 years...
Aga1 posted 11-14-98 11:08 AM ET
I would rather die then be Immortal
BKK the Mentat posted 11-14-98 01:02 PM ET
I would'nt want to be immortal on Earth at least, but I shure as hell woulde'nt mind living a few centuries. In fact there is a promising enzeme(Telomerase) that can repair parts of the DNA stand that has been damaged by aging and thereby pretty much keep cells alive and reproducind at a normal rate indefinately.
Jean Luc Picard posted 11-14-98 01:13 PM ET
I wouldn't mind living forever.
However, I must point out that the enzyme, BKK mentioned would not, technically, keep one immortal. It would keep one alive for a long time only if the neccessities of live is maintained.
(eg. you would still die if you stop eating)
It is most likely that a person with the long live in discussion here would want the capacity/ability to end his/her live whenever he/she pleases. A person could go insane, or otherwise physicologically disabled.

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see;
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be.
- Voyager dedication plaque
DJ RRebel posted 11-14-98 01:47 PM ET
I think immortallity is a little much, but what if humans lived to 300 or something ... even that would change society completely ... it wouldn't be too bad on a small populated planet like Chiron, but it would be total anarchy here on Earth !!!
I wouldn't mind living for ever ... as long as there was a constant progression to mankind, both technically and socially !!!
SnowFire posted 11-14-98 03:36 PM ET
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not dying." -Woddy Allen
BKK the Mentat posted 11-14-98 03:45 PM ET
I agree with DJREBEL, a population of people who could live for say 500+ years would only be vianle in a society with a population of less than 50 million.
NickThePirate posted 11-14-98 03:49 PM ET
It wouldn't have to be total anarchy if there was immortality on a heavily populated planet like earth. Once everyone realized that everything they did would eventually come back to them, the transition could go very smoothly, especially With some sort of world government or a similar organization to manage population growth.
If I had the choice, I would definatly want to be immortal. If it got boring, I would have myself frozen for a few decades and see what the world does to itself.
Mortis posted 11-14-98 07:47 PM ET
If we all sudenly become immartal then we would have to stop having babies. Think what would happen is people stoped dieing, but kept being born! The population would litrely explode. And I would asume that the immortals would have children through out the lenght of their "live" (which it forever).
"Come with me young one, for I am the Grim Reaper."
Mortis,
Founder of The "I hate Clubs" Club (retired),
Prince of Darkness,
Proprietor of Hell (retired),
Head of the anti-capitalist movement,
Chairman & CEO of Mortis Corporations
Jean Luc Picard posted 11-16-98 01:00 AM ET
That would not be a problem in the future.
By the time we figured out how to become immortal, we would have developed far better methods of traveling the cosmos.
Terraforming would also be more advanced and thus taking a relatively short period of time to implement.
If a planet is full, simply look for another one.
Be careful what you wish for...
You might get it.
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Author	Topic: Immortality: Cheating the Reaper
NickThePirate	posted 11-14-98 03:32 AM ET I don't know if this issue has come up, but I would be interested in hearing what people have to say about the possibility of humans achieving physical immortality, and its effects on society.
Steel_Dragon	posted 11-14-98 03:43 AM ET Assuming No virus, harmful bacteria and no old age, but still having murder and stravation, All survives would become envirmentist.
Kurn	posted 11-14-98 04:47 AM ET That would rock, I would go live with some monks for 300 years and then come back and see how society is doing
DCA	posted 11-14-98 10:00 AM ET Hm. Think I'd rather die than live with monks for 300 years...
Aga1	posted 11-14-98 11:08 AM ET I would rather die then be Immortal
BKK the Mentat	posted 11-14-98 01:02 PM ET I would'nt want to be immortal on Earth at least, but I shure as hell woulde'nt mind living a few centuries. In fact there is a promising enzeme(Telomerase) that can repair parts of the DNA stand that has been damaged by aging and thereby pretty much keep cells alive and reproducind at a normal rate indefinately.
Jean Luc Picard	posted 11-14-98 01:13 PM ET I wouldn't mind living forever. However, I must point out that the enzyme, BKK mentioned would not, technically, keep one immortal. It would keep one alive for a long time only if the neccessities of live is maintained. (eg. you would still die if you stop eating) It is most likely that a person with the long live in discussion here would want the capacity/ability to end his/her live whenever he/she pleases. A person could go insane, or otherwise physicologically disabled. For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see; Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be. - Voyager dedication plaque
DJ RRebel	posted 11-14-98 01:47 PM ET I think immortallity is a little much, but what if humans lived to 300 or something ... even that would change society completely ... it wouldn't be too bad on a small populated planet like Chiron, but it would be total anarchy here on Earth !!! I wouldn't mind living for ever ... as long as there was a constant progression to mankind, both technically and socially !!!
SnowFire	posted 11-14-98 03:36 PM ET "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not dying." -Woddy Allen
BKK the Mentat	posted 11-14-98 03:45 PM ET I agree with DJREBEL, a population of people who could live for say 500+ years would only be vianle in a society with a population of less than 50 million.
NickThePirate	posted 11-14-98 03:49 PM ET It wouldn't have to be total anarchy if there was immortality on a heavily populated planet like earth. Once everyone realized that everything they did would eventually come back to them, the transition could go very smoothly, especially With some sort of world government or a similar organization to manage population growth. If I had the choice, I would definatly want to be immortal. If it got boring, I would have myself frozen for a few decades and see what the world does to itself.
Mortis	posted 11-14-98 07:47 PM ET If we all sudenly become immartal then we would have to stop having babies. Think what would happen is people stoped dieing, but kept being born! The population would litrely explode. And I would asume that the immortals would have children through out the lenght of their "live" (which it forever). "Come with me young one, for I am the Grim Reaper." Mortis, Founder of The "I hate Clubs" Club (retired), Prince of Darkness, Proprietor of Hell (retired), Head of the anti-capitalist movement, Chairman & CEO of Mortis Corporations
Jean Luc Picard	posted 11-16-98 01:00 AM ET That would not be a problem in the future. By the time we figured out how to become immortal, we would have developed far better methods of traveling the cosmos. Terraforming would also be more advanced and thus taking a relatively short period of time to implement. If a planet is full, simply look for another one. Be careful what you wish for... You might get it.