Biological Immortality

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It seems inevitable that we will possess the technology and the will to attain biological immortality. Fear of overpopulation and limited resources are common arguments against this idea. In my opinion, an increase in Earths population as well as being confronted with the dilemma of resource management and conservation would actually spur the development of interplanetary colonization. As a species we are at this moment being confronted with the reality that the continued growth of humanity is dependent on expanding our presense in the galaxy. Imagine what a person could know if the average lifespan was 200 yrs.

I have no assets, but if I did, I would not give them up for immortality. I don't really want it, especially without anything to enjoy.

I meant only things that are unessential. Things that one can live without. An eternity could potentially exist to restock on things like boats, tv's, etc.

So, is the idea that we sell all that we own for immunity to age and age-related illnesses? And that afterwords we can use our skills to rebuild and regain all of those assets? If so then I would take it, after all, the potential gain would be much greater.

Yes Awesomelyglorious.

There's no way I'd want to live forever, so I wouldn't liquidate anything to achieve it. My friend once told me: "Life is short, enjoy it." I came up with the best comeback ever: "Yeah, but not short enough."

"People live too long, dogs don't live long enough"

I forget who said that, but I completely agree.

No--I don't think we should screw up other planets, we've already screwed up our own so much. Plus, we'd still be able to get KILLED--there'd be no guarentee that anyone would live 200 years, especially since there'd still be wars and disease and famine and what not. Population growth is not a good thing at all IMO.

I wouldn't want to live forever on this Earth anyways. I'd be just going back and forth, nothing to do accept go through life. I think it would really suck being immortal on this earth, and having everyone else mortal; then all your friends would die off, and then there you are all alone (almost like the story "Tuck Everlasting", where he couldn't be killed or die; accept he had his whole family like that so that doesn't really sum up to what I was talking about). Anyways, I think it would be bad if people could live forever on Earth (with people still reproducing); it would be way overcrowded, not to mention we'd have trouble with waste (as in where we'd put all of our garbage and what-not if we populated the entire galaxy). Time would be dragging on and on and on like an Energizer battery until people would be so tired of life on Earth that they'd just want to die.

Personally, I dunno about selling everything, but immortality (or near enough, as in billions of years of age) is pretty attractive. I just don't like it sounding so Faustian.

I certainly would not sell my soul Quatermass. I suppose im just curious to discover if people knew that immortality can be be attained if they would be willing to produce the resources necessary to fulfill this fantasy.

Veresae. If we remain on this planet, it is quite probable that we will doom ourselves to extinction. An increase in population naturally results in an increase in information transmission, retrieval, and processing. By extending our lifespans we will see an exponential increase in lifespan, and technology as well. Also, one of the reasons this planet is "screwed up" is because many of us are not able to develop an intelligence with the capacity to adequately reflect on issues, including myself. Personally, if I could live to be 1000 yrs old, I would become a master of physics, philosophy, biology, chemistry, psychology, and whatever other subject matter that results as a union of these studies. It is very probable that after living this length of time one could extend their mortality beyond 1000 yrs, build a transdimensional device, and explore the universe.

Why would anyone vote no to this one?

We're talking biological immortality, not absolute immortality.

Getting old sucks. Personal posessions can be replaced. Going through with this would not condem one to a perpetual existance since the body could still die through non-illness related causes.

(at least this is how I read the thread)

I always thought being immortal would be boring but after many years I would like to be immortal.

I havent noticed any corilation with long life and increase in inteligence...perhaps increase in knowledge but it would probably just mean more years wasted on reality TV for many Americans.I never thought I would live past 20, so I am already 20 years over my planned life expectancy.If I was forced into eternal life I hope that it would not include working because I hate working the jobs I have had.If I could spend the time making things,petting my cats and reading I would consider it but ...naaaah,even those joys could not outweigh watching human beings destroy this planet and others humans...just to painful to watch.

I voted "I have already attained biological immortality" because we all exist within an unbroken germline that takes one right back to when life first emerged on earth over 3.5 billion years ago.

Paul