Will you die?
Posted on: July 22, 2007 - 3:37am
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Will you die?
The topic has come up in another thread and I like it so I'm making the freaking post. I'll try to post some links to articles on the topic and give a better intro to it later.
Below are some quotes about the basic idea I'm talking about.
Jarem Asyder wrote:
Death is essentially just the wearing out of cells. If cells can be rejuvinated or renewed theres no reason why they couldn't keep functioning indefinately (or at least until the sun expands or some other major thing makes life impossible.)
religioniswar wrote:
It is possible for immortality if we could renew them or repair through science. It is of my opinion that death is avoidable it's life that is not. We do not choose to be born and even if we kill ouselves we have still had life and thus it is not avoided. Science can never destroy the fact that we live.
richard955 wrote:
I think with technology and science we will be able to control death and go beyond our fragile biological bodies.I imagine the day when scientist come out and say:
We have a good news and a bad news. The bad news "There is no soul." (I know science already shows this), the good news "You can be immortal by transfering your mind to our mainframe and making backups of it".
And that is a future to look forward to.
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There are three basic things that cause death: age, disease, and trauma.
The first 2 may one day be eradicated, but #3 can't be. And don't tell me about mind-uploading or such nonsense. Your consciousness can't be transferred to another form and backed-up.
/thread.
Well 3 obviously can't be eradicated, but it certainly can be limited and I hear people die from old age all the time.
There are many things that would have to be over come with something like mind-uploading, but unless consciousness is magically I don't see why it can't be done at some point. If our mind can occupy space I don't see why we can't copy the mind.
Would I be the test subject right now? No, of course not, but maybe if I'm 90 and there is nothing else to increase my life-span.
One way to increase the human life-span would be to have children at an older age each generation. They were able to do it with fruit flies, but their life-spans are really short to begin with and wouldn't really help us now.
I think I'll keep Voiderest around in case I need a new lung or something.
I already have an entire 92% of the local population to use as human shields so #3 doesn't scare me too much.
Stay healthy, Void. lol.
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Will I die? Yes, no matter how far I can extend my life. Even if I found a way to stay "immortal", the universe would at some point come to an end, and I would along with it.
I hope that when the world comes to an end I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.
Eh, can't really say that I'm interested in living forever. I've grown quite weary during the 27 years I've already been alive, so I'll politely decline.
I'd like to stay alive for as long as my investments will comfortably support me after I retire. After the money runs out, launch me into the air and vaporize me Logan's Run-style.
"The powerful have always created false images of the weak."
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep." -R.Frost
I would not extend my own life either. It is more difficult to choose to be extant everyday rather than the alternative.
If you are world weary due to ennui, is there relief awaiting later? I assume that you are ready, jmm, because you have something to look forward to? Are you as world weary when faced with the idea that there is no afterworld?
"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer
Voiderest, I've written up a book recommendation for you in my reviews/recommendation thread in the General Conversation, Introductions, and Humor forum, regarding this topic
To be immortal is to experience life forever. Since things change over time, there would always be something new to look forward to. It wouldn't be that bad. I would rather be alive for the rest of time than miss out on everything that is to come. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice in the matter.
Downloading or uploding a human conciousness wouldn't be that hard. Technically, we have the technology to do it. It would just be a logistical nightmare right now.
The first big thing would be space. Somehow I dont think the TB drive I just bought would have enough space.
Then of course theres memory corruption, data transfer issues, making sure a lightning storm or some bozo with a magnet can't wipe you right out of existence.
And then theres what digital existence would be. would you only be able to "see" if someone thinks to plug a webcam in to whatever computer you're sitting in? What kind of software would be required ot let you interact with the outside world? Can you access the internet? Would you even want to considering all the nasty things out on the net that can cause a stable server trouble? By no means am I a scientist, so take any or all of that with a grain of salt, they're just my musings.
I see the safest way to do it would be to not have a connection to the net and use whatever connection to the outside, probably a computerized/robotic version of people's current methods. As for the safety of my "brain" I'd have emp shielding along with fortifications/defensive weapons.
LOL. Ah yes, mind missles
And laser eyes... cant forget laser eyes, If I'm gonna live forever in a computer I'm gonna friggen laser eyes.
I'd want a better defensive I was stuck in one spot, but the development might take awhile...