OUR QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY…
I want to achieve it through not dying."
-- Woody Allen
Is the quest for immortality overrated… Is it not the quality of life -- not the quantity. There are those that say -- immortality is not far -off (if you're rich enough, of course)… Life extension, longevity, anti-aging -- with all kinds of cutting edge techniques, therapies, pharmaceuticals, stem cells, replacing of organs with artificial organs -- some people believe it is a lot closer than you think… They say, the first person to live to be 1000 years old.., is alive today… (that's kinda trippy)
And what about the ethical ramifications… Really -- is it ethical to hack the code of life..?
Besides the physical… There is the mental aspect -- we have know we are aging and will die. Even though we don't know the exact time or year of our death.., we are pretty sure we are not going to live to be 1000 years old… With all the advances in medicine and nutrition.., more people trying to use organic product, watch their diets -- yes, we have definitely extended our life span…
With this race to exceed all barriers of time -- are we neglecting to see what is human..? In our efforts to become almost God-like, are we neglecting what is human… I saw an interview with some really old guy (around 115 years old) -- he couldn't wait to die! His body and mind worked but not that well, Im sure there were other age related problems he was experiencing.., and he was all alone. He out lived all his wives some of his children, all his friends were long dead… He was a sad, lonely old man with a deteriorating body and mind.
is the most living proof of our immortality." -- Charles Baudelaire
In this search for the fountain of youth.., have we considered all… Or are we so driven to succeed -- to accomplish the goal of living forever, that we are looking at this equation with tunnel vision.., and not even considering the human aspect, at all… We have all heard of.., and are quite familiar with Frankenstein -- a mad scientist playing around with immortality creates a monster.., that is feared, hated and hunted…
The anti-aging industry generates over $80 billion per year.., and to some degree, Im sure some people squeak out a few more years with all that wheat grass or aloe vera juice… But there are billionaires right now, that have teams of scientists truing to untangle the editable riddle of aging… Trying to decipher, what exactly causes it -- and how do we combat it.
This fascination with eternal life is not new… Going back to Imperial China, where emperors would die from drinking potions made of mercury with the hopes of living forever. And in 1942 3 10 year old boys agreed to give their blood to a dying Pope in the hopes that, old life could be rejuvenated through the blood of the young -- they all died. Throughout history shady alchemists have been conning the rich and whoever had some money to spend on some of the latest snake-oil… Even so-called "doctors" became gravely themselves, in their search for perfect formula, that would extend life -- some losing their eyesight from harmful vapors, others asphyxiated from toxic vapors.
And in more present time.., in the 1970's a group of "anti-aging" researchers, made the bold statement -- with enough financing we will (science will) figure out the, as of yet, unsolved mystery of aging… A few years after that a company claimed they were coming to market with immortality drugs.., and that very same year a San Francisco newspaper claimed the average life could be extended to well over 500 years of age…
it is the mechanism of change." -- Steve Jobs
People have been trying to cheat death since the beginning of time.., and the only difference today is -- they actually think they might do it (but didn't they always think that…)… With some people having so much freakin' money -- they are spending huge amounts of it on the quest for immortality -- at a price, of course.
Dmitry Itskov, a Russian with too much money started a foundation, whose point is to solve the mortality equation by 2045 -- by becoming "neo-humans" with our minds backed up in cyberspace. Futurist Ray Kurzweil, who was hired by Google believes that humans will merge with computers in the not to distant future to become immortal. And the founder of Paypal plans to live for hundreds of billions of years (I wonder how long it will take him too pee when he's 300 years old)…
Obviously it's in our nature to try and solve things, just outside of our grasp -- it always has been… It leads to invention, innovation, cures -- it makes us human. But are some things better left alone… Besides all the ethical and religious ramifications -- where would we put everyone! If nobody died anymore.., and more people keep being born -- it's gonna get pretty crowded, pretty fast. We'd burn through much more resources, more food, more water… And, as the market would ask -- does it make economic sense…
I guess we would have to rethink the age of retirement and social security :))
To date the oldest living human being was Jeanne Calment -- a French woman that lived to be 122 years old (and she smoked until she was 117)… While there is nothing wrong with trying extend our lives a few years (maybe more than a few) especially if you are a billionaire -- there is the risk of obsession… Becoming so consumed with living forever.., that we forget to live for the moment. Trying to conquer, what has always eluded us.., we miss out on the time we have on this earth… And in an cruelly ironic twist, the thing we were searching for.., LIFE -- we have wasted in a futile effort for immortality...
What ever happened to live fast -- and die young!!!
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Thanks for the thought-provoking post as always @macksby! I've cycled these same questions many times over the years as well and always conclude that quality is more important than quantity and the definition of quality is unique to each person. We each have different measures for success and happiness and fulfillment. I know for me I don't want to outlive everyone I love although hopefully I'll still be making new friends as an old woman, I'd like to live as long as a really good health lasts and use my time well living with as much awareness and presence as possible!
Sounds good to me @natureofbeing :))
When I was young, I was one of those who thought "why not? immortal sounds fun and different from the usual option"
Then I explored immortality through writing and thought it's not such a fantastic thing afterall.
But what remains.. I think life extension / longevity / immortality should be explored (ethically if that's even possible..). Even though I've long accepted the nature of death, I rather have the option to be immortal with the option of "turning it off".
That said, if dramatic life extension can be achieved.. this will totally change the game of life (politics, relationships, economics, etc.)..
It's really not all it's cracked-up to be when you take a good long look at it.., living forever -- is it...
Sounds cool. But there are all kinds of (endless) implications -- it would effect everything!!!
Thanks for the comment @kevinwong :))
Yeah i'm alright whichever way.. lol. It would be pretty boring especially if without a killswitch!
Exactly -- forever is a long time :))
Very good article on a great topic!
I truly believe we'll get to the point of "live fast and die never!!!"
I don't think we can comprehend this, because it has never happened, but in the near future we will have Regeneration, not anti-aging. This will change all the objections. Everyone will live their lives looking, feeling and thinking as if they are still in their 20s. They will pee just fine. They will change careers when they want a new challenge. They will move to another location when they want, including to the moon, mars and underwater and floating cities, made possible by the same leaps in science that will solve the rejuvenation issue.
There is this firm out on the West coast called Alphabet Inc. It is a multinational conglomerate and parent company to several businesses, one of which is the California Life Company. I think we'll be hearing a lot more from them, in the rejuvenation space. They are Extremely well funded, since one of their fellow Alphabet companies is... Google!
So I think that as aging is reversed and we all look, feel and think at our peak, our worlds will expand and we'll perpetually feel like we do when we're in our 20s and just starting out in life. We will have achieved Heaven on Earth.
Sign me up!
I've heard about those guys out west -- Sergey Brin (Google) pumps money there way... But I think some religions might have a problem with it -- and are you positive about the peeing..?!!
Thanks @kenny-crane :))
you live fast, don't die young, and spend middle age griping about not being young anymore ;>
Sounds familiar... :))
I try to take pretty good care of myself but wouldn't want to live forever. To me it would feel like being a high school student...forever. Helen Keller summed it up pretty well when she said, "Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see."
Although no one can prove it, faith and intuition tell me that there are realms far greater than what we're experiencing now in this world that we will transition to. Many believe the realm we currently dwell in now is the equivalent of Hades. Sometimes it can certainly seem that way. Great (and thought-provoking) post my friend.
We're probably looking for something we've already found -- we just don't understand it. Thanks @ericvancewalton!
I think those who go this route will find it was the worst decision they ever made.
Nature is the closet thing to GOD - the natural universe.
What will happen if we tamper with the natural cycle of life? What will be the effect?
I'd rather transcend my mortality by a rising in soul force :)
Some people just have too much money...:))
Hi, @macksby, I love encountering posts like yours that raise such interesting and vital questions. Your post obviously gets people thinking, seriously, about their own mortality which I think is a good thing!
You may have overlooked (or perhaps simply dismiss the historicity of?) the generations of mankind who lived prior to the flood of Noah's day. Many of them lived beyond the age of 900, including Adam. Most famous of course was Methuselah, oldest recorded man at 969 years when he died.
I find myself, in my mid-60's, envious of antediluvian man; had I lived during that age, I would (physically) be a "teen-ager" now. ;)
Thank you for an interesting and thought provoking post! 😄😇😄
P.S. I do, personally, expect to and look forward to living forever - but not by my own doing; purely by the grace of the God Whom I worship, commonly known as Jesus.
Thanks @creatr.., always love your comments -- very thought provoking themselves!
Whilst I accept that immortality may yet evade me, I am willing, and indeed do, take drugs that are deemed to have plausible life extending and anti-aging effects. It is of course far too early to know whether the theoretical properties of the drugs I take will manifest as I age. I do, however, know what will happen if I make no attempt to slow ageing.
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ColdMonkey mines Gridcoin through generating voluntary BOINC computations for science...
I hear that...
My retirement plan finally makes sense now... 401k really means 401 thousand years!! Hah, but really, interesting post @macksby! Thanks for sharing this thoughtful piece.
See that, you've got nothing to worry about... :))
Thanks @voronoi
Immortality lives on what you pass on before you die not after.. Great information.
I'll drink to that... Cheers!
!cheetah unban