Immortality

[Demagog]

If scientists found a way to keep people from dying and everyone on the planet was given the choice to use it (free of cost), would you use it? Also, what type of changes would need to take place? For instance, socially, judicially, economically, politically, technologically, etc.

This technology would only prevent you from dying of any natural death. You could still die in an accident or be murdered or die of starvation/dehydration/drowning/freezing (or anything else along those lines). It would also be able to keep your mind and body in a youthful state (25 for instance). Another option would be to upload your actual conscious self into a computer (you could have the option of returning to your body though). You would be able to get any information you wished (that you could access online or over a network) and be able to chat with people in the real world and those who are "electronically stored." One last option would be to actually remove your brain and place it in a vat which could keep your brain alive indefinitely. You would then be placed in a simulated world, except the people you interact with are also brains-in-vats (simulated people could also be used, and they would have a marker identifying them as simulated). Which of these options would you prefer?

Let's also be optimistic and say no global disasters occur and that we never run out of energy. If there are any other things that could take place which are completely out of our control, be optimistic haha. For instance, if aliens come, they would be friendly aliens :-p Anything bad that could happen that is under our control should be in answer to what changes need to take place. Energy isn't actually out of our control, but since it's required for all of this to work, we'll say it won't run out. You can still address it as something that needs to changed if you want though.

If you have any questions feel free to ask... I wouldn't be surprised if I left some useful/necessary information out.

[kalkiran]

I cant believe no one been interested in this so far?!!!!
well judicially....
You would be able to have a life sentence-unless someone did something REALLY REALLY bad or there was a significant threat of them doing that again.
Socially-25 forever-apparently awesome science ergo already have optimum genetic manipulation...well erm multiplying would happen lots...
Economicly no insurance for natural causes
polit ???
Tech-are you interested in the turing test?

[SeddyRocky]

*cough*

Insert Quote
If scientists found a way to keep people from dying and everyone on the planet was given the choice to use it (free of cost), would you use it? Also, what type of changes would need to take place? For instance, socially, judicially, economically, politically, technologically, etc.

This technology would only prevent you from dying of any natural death. You could still die in an accident or be murdered or die of starvation/dehydration/drowning/freezing (or anything else along those lines). It would also be able to keep your mind and body in a youthful state (25 for instance).

The elvish phenomenon? I would totally do this, but only if my firends and family would too. I am not that nice of a persona that I'd want to spend eternity alone.

[Demagog]

You make it sound like you think you wouldn't be able to make new friends.

[bojengles77]

God, everyone being immortal, or just some people, would be terrible. If all the idiots of the world chose to be immortal, their stupidity would probably flourish and the world would end up in the shitter. IF we had such a technological advance, it should be reserved for the wise and great teachers, so that they could help future generations (and also the people who created immortality...). If we still had great minds like Davinci, Einstein, or gary coleman around, the world would probably be a different place.

also, overpopulation anyone?

However, if there were some sort of immortality created virtually, this could be interesting. Assuming we were on some sort of network where we could do mostly anything reasonable on a whim and have no physical restraints, that could be fun. I would be more in favor of a longer life span, say 500 years, as opposed to just immortal, because i seriously don't believe i would be happy about being alive for thousands of years on an overpopulated planet with nothing new to do.

[Demagog]

One word: population control

Ok, maybe two words.

Anyway, it's thought that our generation will be the one to first land on Mars, and within a few centuries we'll probably have colonies there and on the moon.

[bojengles77]

One word: population control

Ok, maybe two words.

Anyway, it's thought that our generation will be the one to first land on Mars, and within a few centuries we'll probably have colonies there and on the moon.

Hopefully, but a serious problem encountered has been bone atrophy. Long journeys for regular people in low gravity result in bone atrophy, so once you leave for those colonies, you'll probably be weak when you get there, and you can never come back to earth as a functioning person.

[crimsonflippa]

If I was the scientist, I would only grant myself and maybe some selected people immortal and destroy all evidence... Defenitly not going to share it.


The obvious choise is  :

This technology would only prevent you from dying of any natural death. You could still die in an accident or be murdered or die of starvation/dehydration/drowning/freezing (or anything else along those lines). It would also be able to keep your mind and body in a youthful state (25 for instance)