What will become inevitable if man finds immortality?

[Skip]

As long as they also develop a very high boredom tolerance, they'll be ideal space travellers.

[Dubious]

Trying desperately to find a cure for it.

[cladking]

Overpopulation?

Actually if we could redevelop the fountain of youth today I believe the population
could be stabilized at about 30 billion within 500 years. This assumes that "immortality"
means 700 to 1000 year lifespans and that it must begin before old age sets in. This
population could easily be supported by the planet with no new technology if the eco-
nomic systems were rationalized. The current system has the few growing wealthy by
destroying resources while many of the rest of the world population doesn't even always
get enough to eat.

I believe within the next century a 30 billion population will look easily enough absorbed
anyway due to technological breakthroughs. Surely by 500 years the planet will be export-
ing humans anyway.

[HexHammer]

'God'

No? Selective DNA to babies, thus we make long term investments.

[attofishpi]

'God'

No? Selective DNA to babies, thus we make long term investments.

Sorry mate, forgot to get back to you. I think you are talking about something akin to Gattaca, one of my favourite films.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca

Yes, unfortunately it might be just around the corner.

[Dubious]

...that it's the ultimate bore. Even vampires will want to burn it out of their systems with one long farewell look at the sun after four or five hundred years and preempt an infinite number of nights.

[cladking]

...that it's the ultimate bore. Even vampires will want to burn it out of their systems with one long farewell look at the sun after four or five hundred years and preempt an infinite number of nights.

6 Then shall they rejoice with joy and be glad,
And into the holy place shall they enter;
And its fragrance shall be in their bones,
And they shall live a long life on earth,
Such as thy fathers lived:

And in their days shall no sorrow or plague
Or torment or calamity touch them.'

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/eth ... tchers.htm

[Herr William]

I think that if humanity were to discover immortality; it would turn out to be a total disaster.
A few points and questions:
1- Will all humans become immortal at once? Or will it be something that those already in power can control?
2- Will people be made immortal against their will? I wouldn't drink the kool-aid of immortality and I would be quite displeased if it were to be forced on me.
3- Do you really believe immortality would prevent violence and war?
4- In regards to boredom, I would expect entertainment to become a very coveted resource.

I believe that the minute humans became immortal one of the first thoughts would be: We can really fuck each other up without risk of death. Eternal deathless war would get old fast; but what else would people, who can't afford things to kill the boredom, turn to other than war and crime.
Personally, I find that much of this transhumanist shit that reaches for immortality to be not only immoral (and im a rehabilitated amoralist) but just plain insanity. To fundamentaly change human nature is not our place. However, I may just be a misanthropic cynic...

[Dubious]

Personally, I find that much of this transhumanist shit that reaches for immortality to be not only immoral (and im a rehabilitated amoralist) but just plain insanity. To fundamentaly change human nature is not our place. However, I may just be a misanthropic cynic...

I totally agree. To be 'successfully' immortal one must either have a mind which can conform to it or one which has no sense of time which I imagine is more or less the case with a Galapagos tortoise. Any conscious creature which can count its own version of hours, days and years will eventually succumb to the banality of 'knowing itself' for too long along with the most intense loathing for everyone else who is equally immortal.

At our present stage, we humans have only a vague idea of what transhumanism actually implies or in what ways it could successfully manifest itself. Most likely it will be one in which immortality seems more as a dilution or denigration of humanity than a prerequisite affirming it's über-human status.

[Arising_uk]

Why do people keep assuming immortality means invulnerability?

[magickagate]

If man becomes immortal it will mean a certainty of perpetual war as Earth's natural resources dwindle. There will also be at the very least serious discussions about population control that will no doubt anger those who view reproduction as a right as well as those who view it as a divine duty. Immortality would mean an almost top to bottom re-evaluation of humanity's entire social structure as those who hold power at that time will no doubt choose to restrict access to whatever means that humanity has used to achieve immortality (pills; a plant; ect. ) to themselves and their supporters. This could lead a new religion being established as a means to control those who aren't immortal and justify the rule of those who are. That will also inevitably lead to war as some will not buy into what they view as the 'excuses' of the immortal ruling class.
Space exploration and colonization will become a priority for the government with the perceived added bonus that those deemed unfit for human civilization will be sent off planet. This could lead to a serious decline in civil liberties especially a curb on free speech.
Unless humanity as a whole is willing to do a series of serious systemic changes to society then immortality will spell humankind's doom.

[Arising_uk]

...
Space exploration and colonization will become a priority for the government with the perceived added bonus that those deemed unfit for human civilization will be sent off planet. ...

Not really as to truly explore space immortality would be a very handy attribute for the distances involved.

[Dalek Prime]

Do it after I'm gone, or I'll incinerate the lot of you, and play with your living ashes. (Sound convincing?)

[Hobbes' Choice]

Why do people keep assuming immortality means invulnerability?

Because it means deathless. And that would imply that whatever vulnerabilities the body might have - mortality is not one of them.

So YOU figure it out. To be immortal would have to mean that a bullet in the heart would NOT cause my death. I'd have to be pretty invulnerable for that to be the case.

It would also mean that I could not starve to death, and so implies that I'd need no food either.

Immortality is an idiotic proposition for these reasons

[Hobbes' Choice]

...
Space exploration and colonization will become a priority for the government with the perceived added bonus that those deemed unfit for human civilization will be sent off planet. ...

Not really as to truly explore space immortality would be a very handy attribute for the distances involved.

No human psychology could ever survive any extra-solar trip.