NationStates Jolt Archive

This is an interesting article out of the UK. This is something talked about before. The article relates how stem cells can possibly extend a human life indefinately. Could you fathom living a 1000 years? Would you want to? I personally think that I would. I mean than that means all my favorite sports teams would win there national championships dozens of times. I could say that I voted for Clinton and Bush Jr. People would look at me and say who the hell are they. Would be a experience. Although 1000 years of ups and downs would take a toll on ones mental state. Don't know how they would handle that. Maybe lots of good ol fashion "therapy". Read on and discuss:

http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/spiegel.htm

I'd like to live a 1000 years. Hell, take two millenia, in the grand scheme of things, they're small.
On the other hand, I'm going to file this with Cold Fusion in the "Always Just Around the Corner" section, because the really cool stuff never happens anymore.
I also think that your thread title is pretty damn funny.
Rather like saying "The key to immortality is to avoid dying. The problem is, most people will eventually forget to remain alive, and then they tend to die."

Living 1000 years would just be boring.

I mean, even sex gets old!

Living 1000 years would just be boring.

I mean, even sex gets old!
You don't think that over the course of a millenia, new fetishes will spring up?

You don't think that over the course of a millenia, new fetishes will spring up?

Such as... lets say, a transporter fetish?

Ohhh..sooooo tingly!

I believe the corresponding term in the computer market is "vaporware".

There is a term for immortal tissue: cancer. I don't think it's impossible to delay and even reverse some effects of aging, but in the near future, we're just going to get new and more horrible ways to die we can't imagine now, because other things kill us first. Today, people are dying from anaesthesia complications in old age - this didn't even exist a short while back.

Thank you, no. I can see living to 150, maybe, but I couldn't see staying alive forever. Over time, just the weariness of the world would drive me batty. I think of the joys of life is knowing that you only have so much time to see, do, and learn. Those relationships are made all the sweeter because tomorrow might be the end.

As they sang, "Who wants to live forever anyway?"

Hmm. On the one hand, considering how unpleasant life as an octogenarian can be, I shudder to think what life may be like for a millenigenarian. On the other hand, I'm curious about how technology and society will progress over the next few centuries, compared to the last. I really want to see and promote the possible unification of mankind, mankind's first contact with aliens, and mankind's first ventures beyond the solar system. It's going to be a sci-fi world; I want to be there, smeggit!

I wonder if we'll have the 'brain in a jar' option, allowing us to live perfectly comfortable virtual lives without the discomfort of a creaky old body?

i would only want to live forever if i didnt age. how wrinkly would a person be after a thousand years??

Thank you, no. I can see living to 150, maybe, but I couldn't see staying alive forever. Over time, just the weariness of the world would drive me batty. I think of the joys of life is knowing that you only have so much time to see, do, and learn. Those relationships are made all the sweeter because tomorrow might be the end.

As they sang, "Who wants to live forever anyway?"

I do.

As they sang, "Who wants to live forever anyway?"
Ask me again in a thousand years. Even a millennium can be broken down into one day at a time.

i would only want to live forever if i didnt age. how wrinkly would a person be after a thousand years??
You actually usually stop “wrinkling” at around age eighty. You start around age twelve. Their trying to figure out why. Imagine, when they unlock that secret, immortal life and immortal youth. Still though, I highly doubt the human mind can handle immortality.

You actually usually stop “wrinkling” at around age eighty. You start around age twelve.

ive never heard that before...interesting...

There's a difference between being young forever and living forever. The former would be great while the latter would make death look very inviting.

ive never heard that before...interesting...
You stop aging as rapidly in general. Have you ever noticed that most people who are in their nineties or later are fairly lucid?

You stop aging as rapidly in general. Have you ever noticed that most people who are in their nineties or later are fairly lucid?

personally, what i notice is that the mental states of the elderly get worse...

personally, what i notice is that the mental states of the elderly get worse...


I can see it now! A world filled with crazy people, as far a the eye can see. It'd be glorious!

But sadly no. This guy is going to apparantly cure mental illness as well as granting eternal youth. He'll also improve your sex life, make you look more attractive, take the pounds off and leave you with fresh minty breath.

personally, what i notice is that the mental states of the elderly get worse...

My grandmother is nearing 100, and she's one of the most lucid people I know.

Although, I do know what you're talking about. Just saying that it's not always true.

You actually usually stop “wrinkling” at around age eighty. You start around age twelve. Their trying to figure out why. Imagine, when they unlock that secret, immortal life and immortal youth. Still though, I highly doubt the human mind can handle immortality.


Lets see...

116
http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2004/116.ht6.jpg
114
http://www.detnews.com/pix/2001/06/11/oldest.jpg

80 year olds
http://labmom.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/80th_birthday_girls.jpg


I think people still age after 80, but I get your point. The rate seems to decrease.

This is an interesting article out of the UK. This is something talked about before. The article relates how stem cells can possibly extend a human life indefinately. Could you fathom living a 1000 years? Would you want to? I personally think that I would. I mean than that means all my favorite sports teams would win there national championships dozens of times. I could say that I voted for Clinton and Bush Jr. People would look at me and say who the hell are they. Would be a experience. Although 1000 years of ups and downs would take a toll on ones mental state. Don't know how they would handle that. Maybe lots of good ol fashion "therapy". Read on and discuss:

http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/spiegel.htm

It would be nice to believe that there was a technology, 'just around the corner' that would allow me to survive to see so many of the OTHER things I'd love to see the future bring.

Personally, unless it turned me into a braindead shell, I think I'd quite like to live a thousand years... but then, I think it's 'Game Over' when you die...

I'm disturbed by the prospect of not being allowed to have children. I have 3, they are the joy of my life, and I could not imagine that joy being taken away from them.

Why Are We So Afraid Of Death?

For all we know, Hell, the place we're all damnned to head to, could the eternal party we seek in the world of the living!!

To hell with "boring." If I could, I would live indefinately, since eventually some freak accident would have to come along andkill me, because that's how the universe works. If I live for a few eons, for example [assuming our race can even perpetuate itself that long], I might actually get struck by lightning or have a meteorite sail through my skull: all those ridiculously low chances accumulate after a while.

Of course, it's sort of hard to tell because obviously I haven't been alive for centuries, but I don't think I'd have a problem with this. My eventual death would still, ultimately, be out of my hands but the life from here to then would be a lot longer, which is good.

I doubt anything will come of this, but I'll get really rich just in case.

I just always read ye olde history book and think to myself "Dammit, Why wasn't I born in an interesting time?!"
If I could live as long as I want, I'd always want to see whether history gets interesting afterall. I'd hate to miss out on the big things, you know.

It would really depend on whether it just prolongs your life, or actually keeps you young. If it keeps you young, then I'd say yes, but I still think you'd get pretty bored after a while. Would life lose it's pleasure if you knew that you'd pretty much live forever. I suspect it probably would.

This is an interesting article out of the UK. This is something talked about before. The article relates how stem cells can possibly extend a human life indefinately. Could you fathom living a 1000 years? Would you want to? I personally think that I would. I mean than that means all my favorite sports teams would win there national championships dozens of times. I could say that I voted for Clinton and Bush Jr. People would look at me and say who the hell are they. Would be a experience. Although 1000 years of ups and downs would take a toll on ones mental state. Don't know how they would handle that. Maybe lots of good ol fashion "therapy". Read on and discuss:

http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/spiegel.htm

Its kind of old information. They found the protien strands (telamaros.. or something) that are at the end of DNA that determine the aging process.

Recent events in my own life have caused me to think once again about this issue. At 62, I think I can see the first signs that the road ends somewhere up ahead. This is not cause for panic or even significant concern, but it does make me wonder what I would choose should other options become available.

I think it would be great to see what happens in my grandchildren's lives, and to be around to offer advice to them if they solicit it. And I admit to being intensely curious about where the entire race is headed. But at a personal level, there are very few things I have wanted to do/accomplish that I haven't already, and I suspect that this would be the determining factor in deciding to live far longer than is currently an option.

So, if it were available, I might elect to live another say, 20-30 years, but probably not much longer than that. What would really suck though, is to know that this option is available, but that you can't afford it! :(

. What would really suck though, is to know that this option is available, but that you can't afford it! :(

See this is exactly the main drawback of a gene therapy treatment. It would be to expensive for the average person. Insurance may or may not cover it. Would be interesting how they handle that type of situation. There are benefits to doing it for there business. Longer you pay premiums for example. But anyway we risk making a ruling class out of the wealthy. Not like it isnt already in alot of degrees. But the capability to live past many many generations of poor all the while getting richer and richer. It sounds a bit evil to me if I think about it more. But I like the family aspect of it. You get to see your grandchildren become grandparents themselves.

See this is exactly the main drawback of a gene therapy treatment. It would be to expensive for the average person. Insurance may or may not cover it. Would be interesting how they handle that type of situation. There are benefits to doing it for there business. Longer you pay premiums for example. But anyway we risk making a ruling class out of the wealthy. Not like it isnt already in alot of degrees. But the capability to live past many many generations of poor all the while getting richer and richer. It sounds a bit evil to me if I think about it more. But I like the family aspect of it. You get to see your grandchildren become grandparents themselves.
Yes, it would be "evil." :(

Getting to see your great, great grandchildren would be weird! ;)