NationStates Jolt Archive

NOTE: According to this article, those who can hang in there for another 1/4 century can expect to claim virtual immortality. I'm sure it will be great for most of you, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to hang in that long. Have a great, long life! :)


Hang in There: The 25-Year Wait for Immortality (http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050411_aubrey_interview.html)

By Ker Than

"I think it’s reasonable to suppose that one could oscillate between being biologically 20 and biologically 25 indefinitely."
-- Aubrey de Grey

Time may indeed be on your side. If you can just last another quarter century.

By then, people will start lives that could last 1,000 years or more. Our human genomes will be modified to include the genetic material of microorganisms that live in the soil, enabling us to break down the junk proteins that our cells amass over time and which they can’t digest on their own. People will have the option of looking and feeling the way they did at 20 for the rest of their lives, or opt for an older look if they get bored. Of course, everyone will be required to go in for age rejuvenation therapy once every decade or so, but that will be a small price to pay for near-immortality.

This may sound like science fiction, but Aubrey de Grey thinks this could be our reality in as little as 25 years. Other scientists caution that it is far from clear whether and for how long science can stall the inevitable.

De Grey, a Cambridge University researcher, heads the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) project, in which he has defined seven causes of aging, all of which he thinks can be dealt with. (Senescence is scientific jargon for aging.)

De Grey also runs the Methuselah Mouse prize for breakthroughs in extended aging in mice. The purse of the M Prize, as it is called, recently grew beyond $1 million.

Sounds quite interesting. I'll be 42 then... We'll see.

wow that sounds like a really bad idea

paris hilton forever!

The question I have is WHY do you want to live forever or that long? I think I'd be bored silly after 200!

If you want to live forever, do it the old-fashioned way and become a vampire.

:p

Seriously, though. That article absolutely scares the shit out of me.

I'll be 40 by then so they might not let me because of my age...

...Because I'm a realist. :(


But I'll find a way somehow....mwahahahaha!

"Get me the antidote!!"
"To what?"
"To...DEATH!"

I think that rocks. Take that, Grim Reaper, I'll die when I want to. AH-HAHAHAHAHA!

But anyway, Eutrusca. Do what Texpundistan said. either that or become a Zombie. They're cool.

NO! NO!

A Kung-fu master. They live for hundreds of years, and you'll get a long white beard and two thin mustache strips and you can laugh like "ah ha ha ha ha ha!" and be able to do it at will. And best of all, you can flick your beard. Whaddya say?!

The question I have is WHY do you want to live forever or that long? I think I'd be bored silly after 200!
I tend to agree, which is one reason I'm glad I'll never have that option. Even being able to choose your biological age would be little protection against enuii. I would love to see how my grandchildren grow up though.

Makes a good argument for allowing one to self-euthanize, doesn't it?

OMG yes. I will indeed live for a hell of a long time if I can. When I am throughly bored stiff with 1000+ years of existence, I will just stop the therapy, and live out the rest of my life normally.

Of course, I will need to leave this country, as this would be immediatly banned in America.

I'll be 43 then. But I'll probably want to be around 30-35. Not too old, but with that dash of old-ness that really enhances the flavour.

I think that rocks. Take that, Grim Reaper, I'll die when I want to. AH-HAHAHAHAHA!

But anyway, Eutrusca. Do what Texpundistan said. either that or become a Zombie. They're cool.

NO! NO!

A Kung-fu master. They live for hundreds of years, and you'll get a long white beard and two thin mustache strips and you can laugh like "ah ha ha ha ha ha!" and be able to do it at will. And best of all, you can flick your beard. Whaddya say?!

Why not just become Yoda? He's way cooler than a kung fu master

OMG yes. I will indeed live for a hell of a long time if I can. When I am throughly bored stiff with 1000+ years of existence, I will just stop the therapy, and live out the rest of my life normally.

Of course, I will need to leave this country, as this would be immediatly banned in America.

I'll be 43 then. But I'll probably want to be around 30-35. Not too old, but with that dash of old-ness that really enhances the flavour.
Hmm. Define "too old," young dweeb. :D

Why not just become Yoda? He's way cooler than a kung fu master
I think I would miss the view from 6'2". :D

NOTE: According to this article, those who can hang in there for another 1/4 century can expect to claim virtual immortality. I'm sure it will be great for most of you, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to hang in that long. Have a great, long life! :)


No ... you're wrong. You will live another 25 years. Hell, man, the monkey who played Cheetah in the old Tarzan movies is still alive ... I think you'll make it. :D

No ... you're wrong. You will live another 25 years. Hell, man, the monkey who played Cheetah in the old Tarzan movies is still alive ... I think you'll make it. :D
I seriouly doubt it. I still smoke, for one thing. :(

I think I would miss the view from 6'2". :D

But to make up for it you hitch lifts from young jedi who stumble on your home and invade your privacy, and hit them without cause with a stick. that and speak all inverted and all.

Only problem is, changing species will come even later than immortality and all, so kung fu master it is, looks like.

Go on....

This article is bullshit, and the scientist is delusional. We are nowhere near understanding the process of ageing and even farther from being able to reverse it. This is a hot topic in biology, but not one that is well understood.

Basically, you can carry on with your coffin-shopping.

Hmm. Define "too old," young dweeb. :D

*chucle*

:D I won't tell. We need to respect our elders.

EDIT: besides according to my definition, you're not old, your just heavily flavored.

I seriouly doubt it. I still smoke, for one thing. :(

My grandfather has smoked 2 packs a day since he was 13 years old and we're about to celebrate his 80th birthday.

This article is bullshit, and the scientist is delusional. We are nowhere near understanding the process of ageing and even farther from being able to reverse it. This is a hot topic in biology, but not one that is well understood.

Basically, you can carry on with your coffin-shopping.

Isn't ageing due to the exposure to free radicals? Of course there definitely is a difference between understanding how something works and how to manipulate it.

Isn't ageing due to the exposure to free radicals? Of course there definitely is a difference between understanding how something works and how to manipulate it.I don't know that much about the topic, but basically it has to do with more cells dieing than being regenerated. That's caused by these end bits of DNA called telomers (it think) that shorten every time a cell is replicated. When they become very short, the cell stops replicating and dies.

Its ALOT more complicated than this...that's just what I remember.

25 years doesn't seem quite long enough. And if we do work it out, the design changes may not be retroactive, so your genetically modified immortal grandchildren will be laughing at you as you die. And your son will be cursing you for having him a couple of years before immortal babies became possible.

It's interesting to note that we could probably extend the human lifespan to a couple of centuaries through selective breeding. Sterilize everyone who's who parents combined ages when they gave birth to you are less than 90. After a while increase the combined age limit to 100 and so on. Not that I think it's a good idea to try this.

Anyway, immortality is a bit overated because the you you are now will not be the you you are in 25 years time. You could probably find someone alive now who is more you now, than you will be like the you you are now in 25 years time.

You might need to read that last sentence more than once to understand it.

*chucle*

:D I won't tell. We need to respect our elders.

EDIT: besides according to my definition, you're not old, your just heavily flavored.
ROFLMFAO!!! Uh huh! "Mama mia, that's a spicy meat-a-ball!" :D

What we really need to do is understand cancer cells and use that knowledge to our advantage. Cancer cells are unique in that they are biologically immortal

My grandfather has smoked 2 packs a day since he was 13 years old and we're about to celebrate his 80th birthday.

My grandfather was a heavy smoker and lived till he was 83. My grandmother never smoked and she is now ninety and going strong. I'd suggest quitting. Of course, I should also get over my habit of kicking rotweilers in the balls, so perhaps I'm in no position to give advice.

My grandfather was a heavy smoker and lived till he was 83. My grandmother never smoked and she is now ninety and going strong. I'd suggest quitting. Of course, I should also get over my habit of kicking rotweilers in the balls, so perhaps I'm in no position to give advice.
I've quit twice before, once for over ten years. But I have to be able to substitute strenuous exercise for smoking and this right leg hasn't healed sufficiently for me to be able to do that yet. Soon though, very soon! :D

My grandfather was a heavy smoker and lived till he was 83. My grandmother never smoked and she is now ninety and going strong. I'd suggest quitting. Of course, I should also get over my habit of kicking rotweilers in the balls, so perhaps I'm in no position to give advice.


lol ... well ... telling him to quit is like poking a bear in the ass with a short stick. It's just a bad idea all around.

He only smokes outside now, though, because a doctor asked my grandmother how long she'd been smoking and she hasn't touched a cigarette once in her life.

Love, baby. It's a good thing.

The question I have is WHY do you want to live forever or that long? I think I'd be bored silly after 200!

Well, one reason for living that long would be just being curious about seeing the future. ;)

The question I have is WHY do you want to live forever or that long? I think I'd be bored silly after 200!

Pfft ... I have hobbies.

Well, one reason for living that long would be just being curious about seeing the future. ;)
That's one of the few reasons I might want to live that long, but I suspect even that would get old after awhile. History tends to repeat itself.

I wish! It seems to me that people over estimate on the short term and underestimate in the long term. I'd like to live for a thousand years, I'd be that much closer to knowing everything (my life ambition), although I know that even if I live forever I'll never know everything, but I want to get as close as I can! :D

Im more interested in them finding a way to digitize my brain. Then, assuming I dont crash, I will live forever...

I don't know that much about the topic, but basically it has to do with more cells dieing than being regenerated. That's caused by these end bits of DNA called telomers (it think) that shorten every time a cell is replicated. When they become very short, the cell stops replicating and dies.

Its ALOT more complicated than this...that's just what I remember.

This is partly correct, and the free radicals is too. An interesting thing to study would be the DNA of viruses/virii (the multiple of virus?) because virii don't seem to age (but then, they're not even alive despite having DNA).

That's one of the few reasons I might want to live that long, but I suspect even that would get old after awhile. History tends to repeat itself.

Well, first of all, think about all the technological innovations, that stuff is prettymuch unpredictable in the long term (just for comparison purposes, who would have imagine the internet in 1900?). And second, history doesn't *exactly* repeat itself... it's like that "Once upon a time", and not "Twice upon a time". ;)

Hence i think it should be exciting from that point of view...

Note: i reckon that this 'seeing the future' could also be achieved via relativistic travel speeds. But from the point of today, that's technologically far less feasible... :rolleyes: