Would you want to be immortal?

[Errogie]

Average life expectancy has doubled in the last 200 years and it is now possible in most societies to have an expectation beyond nature's programme of about 18 years and most of us in western society should expect to reach 70 or 80 years of age.

Of course from a strictly biological and Darwinian perspective 18 is reckoned to be the age at which you should have attained optimum reproductive capacity and thereafter simply become redundant and surplus to requirements because nature has seen no point in creating a longer lived replicator. Live, breed and die seems to be her design.

But our social and cultural evolution have now helped us outstrip this scenario so most of us will now not only reproduce but go on to survive disease, accident and warfare to experience the ageing phenomena. However we could now be just around the corner from resolving the next problem of how to prevent our cells from running down hill into the switch off mode when they have passed beyond nature's design limit.

So in theory existing spare part surgery could be supplemented or replaced by treatments to keep us regenerating and going on for a 1000 years or more or even eternity.

This deferred death scenario could have huge implications for society not least for religious persuasions and their ultimate bribe of heaven and the reward punishment system for leading or not leading a virtuous life.

So boredom, experience overload, memory storage capacity and over population plus science further discrediting religion it's a fascinating scenario out there and it could be just around the corner for some of us. But would you would want to tread the immortal road?

[percy toboggan]

Shuffling off at 80+ in good health...and mobile will do me...I'll settle for that and feel I'd had a fair shake....the world is changing far too much for yer average son of the nineteen fifties to cope with.

I doubt I'll make eighty...but who knows? I'm not sure I'd want to see my kids drawing their old age pensions either !

Thanks for asking though ;)

[unicorn]

The pace the world is changing at no I don't think so. My natural lifetime will do me.

[tenabowla]

Aye a good stint wie a no bad body and mind is plenty, 3 score and 10 + 10% is more than sufficient..

[karia]

I really don't want to miss whatever happens next and until such time as my curiosity wanes I'd be quite happy to see what each new dawn holds....life is good.:)

(Reasonable health and mental faculties allowing.)

[tenabowla]

A good control of bodily function and mind is nice though.

[Kevin Milkins]

Three score years and ten was always my taget so if I wake up and find myself dead then I wont complain. I may have changed my mind by the time I get to 69 though.

[karia]

Three score years and ten was always my taget so if I wake up and find myself dead then I wont complain. I may have changed my mind by the time I get to 69 though.

Well I don't know about you kevin but I know a lot of folk who said 'I hope I die before I get old'..meaning 30 or 40 who happily move the 'finishing post' with every decade that passes.:D

[Whitewater]

To answer Errogies question, I don't think I would like to be immortal. But I would like to go on as long as I am fit and able to enjoy life.
I wouldn't mind being like doctor 'Who' though, and be able to shoot back and forth in time and keep backing away from that last day until I had achieved all that I want to do. That would be great fun, and then finally meet my demise in an epic battle on some distant planet.

[mccaugm]

I would not want to be immortal, but would like to be fit, healthy and a ripe old age before I go. 80+ and dying of old age would suit me. I want to be old enough to be allowed to be cantankerous (spelling).

[Anne x]

No way !!! when your times up your times up
who would actually like to live to be 100 +
thinking every day ah well maybe this is it ?
Life is what you make it
live each day as it comes
as tomorrow " May Never Come "






Ps Highlander the film appealed to me though one of my all time favourites so maybe my argument not that good really

[Flair]

As long as I stayed young, absolutely.

I suppose you would run out of things to do eventually though. Eternity is a long time.

[Rie]

wouldnt want to be unless it can only apply while im on my bike lol,
but seriously why would you want to stay around and watch friends and family die, and the state of the plannet and everything getting worse?????

[golach]

I am Immortal!!!! Or is that Immoral, or Infamous....or maybe just Impossible [lol]

[Margaret M.]

I saw an interesting programme on this and there is a good chance that people who are now in there 60's and 70's may live to be 150. It stated that children born today will be able to have every body part replaced, if need be, and may live to be 700 or 800 years old. They can now make blood in the lab that is compatible with any blood type. A heart disease research lab has grown a functioning rat's heart from stem cells. Resveratrol, the ingredient in red wine that can control aging, has been recreated in the lab and it is in pill form but not yet marketed. One would have to drink 1,000 bottles of wine a day to realize anti-aging benefits but the pill will be that effective.

If you think it's tough to find a job now -- imagine competing with someone who looks 25 but has an impressive 600 year CV. It just boggles the mind. I would like to live longer than 70 or 80 provided I am healthy and mobile -- 150 sounds good but 700 and higher, I don't think so.

[Sapphire2803]

As long as it was like something out of a vampire movie. I could be young and stunningly gorgeous forever, then yes please, absolutely! Where do I sign up?

[Errogie]

You'll just have to make your way to the backwoods of Transylvania and loiter around a lonely crossroads with your thumb out until a horse drawn carriage comes by and the cloaked coachman picks you up and takes you to a friendly B and B in an impressively decayed castle!

But I think I'd prefer to go for a deal where you get to enjoy some sunshine as well in those extended years.

[Sapphire2803]

Sunshine is overrated! ;)
Anyone know any good crossroads in Transylvania? :lol:

[Tilter]

I really don't want to miss whatever happens next and until such time as my curiosity wanes I'd be quite happy to see what each new dawn holds....life is good.:)

(Reasonable health and mental faculties allowing.)

My sentiments entirely Karia. Fact is, I'm so nosy I can't bear to think I won't know what happens next - that's my only real problem with dying off. So 800 would do me fine, only could I get a new body similar to the one I had 40 years ago?