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To live for 1000's of years?


Stargazer

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Quotes from the article:

 

It is not just an idea: it's a very detailed plan to repair all the types of molecular and cellular damage that happen to us over time.[...]

none of that time would be lived in frailty and debility and dependence - you would be youthful, both physically and mentally [...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4003063.stm

 

What do you think about this? Is it possible so soon as they say, or is it far fetched? Honestly, if it could become possible in my lifetime, it would be a dream come true. To live for thousands of years and be youthful all the time? Where do I sign up? :)

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i dont think it is possible, since organisms have a certain life spams...

and the life spam is probably coded in the DNA, so some of our body mechanics have to change in order to increase our life spams.

 

and, if we do have 1000 yrs of life, the whole world would be populated in a great density.

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It sounds too much like the rejuvenation methods in Peter Hamilton's stories...

 

Anyway, would you really want to live for a thousand years? Who would get to choose to do so? The rich and extremely wealthy, no doubt.

I would definitely like to live for thousands of years, but only if I never grew old. To see and experience such a long time, and have all the time in the world, not having to worry about getting old in a short time.

 

When it will be possible and who will have that possibility is a good question. I think 20 years from now is almost too optimistic, but who knows? Also, what kind of laws will regulate such substances, if any at all?

 

i dont think it is possible, since organisms have a certain life spams...

and the life spam is probably coded in the DNA, so some of our body mechanics have to change in order to increase our life spams.

It seems like this method is based on constantly repairing the damage, thereby you would not grow old. I don't know enough to figure out if this could work, but it would be great.

 

and, if we do have 1000 yrs of life, the whole world would be populated in a great density.

 

I don't think I would want to live that long! Hey talk about over population...

True, if everyone used it. But will it be availible to everyone? As I understand it, the birth rates in many industrialised nations are lower than death rates, so perhaps it wouldn't lead to overpopulation at once. Maybe it would eventually. So, how would society change because of this? Would it regulate or even stop drugs that offer extreme longevity or would they limit how many children each family can have?

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A perhaps more interesting question to me....

 

Is there the possibility for science to develop technology that would allow us as individuals to live hunderds toi thousands of years, if not keep our physical existence in some form for .... ?

 

I don't see where there is any question of it. With the progress of science today, is there any question that in say another 1,000 or 2,000 years of scientific advancement we won't solve these issues and give huamns life spans unimagined today?

 

Actually them the real question is, if religious ignorance not stopped scientific investigation, it Christianity had not forced the world into the intentional ignorance of the Dark Ages, would we not have had the 2,000 years of advancement instead and all ready be there?

 

Just how much longer will we allow Christianity and other forms of supersitions intefer with efforts to help humanity?

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I absolutely agree, with the rapid advancements in medicine as well as cybernetics, material sciences and nanotechnology, etc., we should expect that one day, there will be methods to live for thousands of years.

 

Regarding religion interferring, I am worried too. Obviously it's better now than during the Dark Ages, but there have always been the fundamentalists who tries to stop scientific advancements. Just look at all the attempts by people who are described by Dawkins as "religious ignoramuses" :) to remove science from science class and instead introduce religion. It's still happening today! When I read what you said about the Dark Ages and how much we missed out because of it, I'm reminded by Carl Sagan who, I think, said something similar. How would the world look like today if there never was any Dark Ages to interrupt science? Would we be travelling among the stars? Or is that too optimistic?

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Second that Freethinker, I've not been a fan of religion for a while because of that (well along with other things).

 

Stargazer, I dont know whether or not i'd like to live 1000 years, i guess i'd see it how it goes and consider continuing or discontinuing my life eventually.

I also think that the world population will be a bog problem, but with scientists being aboe to work for 900 more years, i think that we will be able to figure a way out, bottom line we implement what China does to keep their birth rate down...

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I really couldn't see lifespans that long having problems. I mean overpopulation might occur inside of a few generations, but that would just force exploration much akin to that done by Galleleo and Magellan.

 

If only we could get a foothold out there in space, imagine what you could do with 1000+ years to move around? Kinda make the problems of sub-luminal velocity shrink a bit, no?

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I'm with you, Gahd. You should read "The Millennial Project" by Marshall T. Savage. It is an 8 step plan for colonizing space in the next millennia. The author is very well read and educated (the book has the largest bibliography and end note section I've every seen). It tends to be a bit idealistic, which is to be expected for the subject, but is very informative and feasible.:wink:

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I really couldn't see lifespans that long having problems. I mean overpopulation might occur inside of a few generations, but that would just force exploration much akin to that done by Galleleo and Magellan.

 

If only we could get a foothold out there in space, imagine what you could do with 1000+ years to move around? Kinda make the problems of sub-luminal velocity shrink a bit, no?

I agree with that! I thought of the same thing a while back. If we could live for thousands of years, then it would be ok to travel with speeds not only below c but also far below. After all, people would have all the time in the world - no need to be impatient. Also, maybe it would change our views regarding longterm projects. We could initiate huge projects that would take decades, even centuries, and we would know that even if it takes a really long time, eventually, we will all benefit from it - not just the future generations.

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I'm with you, Gahd. You should read "The Millennial Project" by Marshall T. Savage. It is an 8 step plan for colonizing space in the next millennia. The author is very well read and educated (the book has the largest bibliography and end note section I've every seen). It tends to be a bit idealistic, which is to be expected for the subject, but is very informative and feasible.:wink:

Sounds great. When I can, I will try to find it. We need to look ahead and start planning now.

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  • 1 month later...

I dont know how many research or keep up with emerging technologies on this forums. I also do not know how many are aware that we are at the verge of a Biotechnology revoloution and what this could mean.

 

We do have the ability to Extend life of simple tissues, cells etc... But we also have the ability to block genes in Mice to enable them to have a Life Span of around the equiv to 500 Human Years. Scientists think within the next 5-10 years Aging in Mice.

 

Not only might we be able to make us live longer, we may be able to geneticly engineer ourselfs in many ways. whether it be intelligence, muscle strength, better eyes, better hearing... Possibilities could be endless...

 

But while we are in this technology revoloution, Nanotech will be picking up and maturing, Enabling us to have far more capabilities.

 

I highly doubt that we are going to stay on earth through the next few hundred years.

 

We'll also be building Cities within cities. masssssivvvee BUILDINGS and VERY high.

 

 

 

Resources wont be a problem because with nanotechnology you can re-arrange atoms, Create any anything you wish by re-arranging atoms. These " nano assemblers " may exist in the next 20+ years. If they do, think about what is possible. Just imagin watching Fleets of Spaceships building themself from the the molecular level up. Wouldnt it be amazing!.

 

There is also plenty to look forward to in the 21st century!

 

nanotech

biotech

A.I computer, robotics

Space travel

 

These are MASSIVE things that are likey to happen early this century. The biotechnology revoloution is right around the corner! , Then the Nanotech revoloution, That will probably be the biggest industrial revoloution humanity has ever seen. The changes will be prefound. Everything is going to be affected by nanotechnology.

 

Immortality has been promised for hundreds of years, if not thousands. Well Common sense should tell you, we are in a very different situation to those people, They were dreaming of it. We now have the capabilities and most of the tools, We just need to put together the Information. never before have we had the capability to change life like we can now. So to put the argument up that people been saying it for centuries is a bad argument. We are now at the the point where we can Alter our genetic, we have a better understanding of the body than ever before.

 

 

 

Lets put together a quick scenario.

 

You are are 80 years old but you dont have long to live, you have heart disease, You also have back problems and a lot of fatigue.

 

When you are in pain and there are treatments than can reverse the effects of these, will you say no?

 

By saying yes, you are basicly increasing you're chance of already having an Extended life span.

 

a few years later Once again you walk into the doctors, You have a kidney problem, you're kidneys are old and diseased. Ok the doctor offers you some nanobots or stem cells to repair the damage and make you're kidneys function FULLY and as new. You accept. once again, you are prolonging you're life.

 

So to simply say, no I dont want to live longer than the normal life span, You are basicly saying. I will decline any medical treatment in the future. I believe the majority, if not nearly 100% will take the treatment for a FULL cure, When the time comes.

 

can you understand what Im trying to say?

 

To say no, i dont want a long life span, You have to make the choice to let you're self be in pain and die, When technology might be there to totally reverse you're problems..

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OK, I am ganna point out a different aspect to "Living for a 1000 years" How would your mind be able to handle it? Honestly, you have a strong younthfull body but your mind would age and you would be mentally old. Thing would change around you, and you could constantly keep your body up to it, but not your mental state! You would fall apart! Eventually you would find yourself wishing for death...its kinda like immortality. Seems great...but its really sucks.

 

 

OP5

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