Immortality

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

Been listening to some lectures by Dr. Anthony B. Goodman lately, he touched on the subject of the quest for immortality.
He doesn't see it as being a possibility, not for a few more centuries, at least.

[terranus]

By the time we are able to do that, wouldn't we have already learned how to control population growth?

Nope. Check it out: LINK

Relevance...?

Obviously, if we cause another great mass extinction, then do you really think population control will matter?

Nature has it's own form of population control. One which I think will take effect long before we humans learn to control our own population. You realize many middle-eastern governments are actively spreading anti-contraceptive propaganda and paying women to have more babies, right? You really think those people give 2 shits about population control?

[Ultima22689]

Yes, because the middle east is the perfect example of the best of humanity. Socially, many of those countries are medieval. You also forgot all the violence and tension going on over there. Polution will be a nonissue extinction wise at some point in the first half of the 21st century. Technologies that can reverse pollution are rapidly advancing as well as new sources of energy that will get us off this self defeating path. Barring yellow stone blows, a meteorite or some other incredibly unlikely event happens in the next 60 years the human race is going to be just peachy as far as survival goes.

*Obligatory statement about trans-humanism goes here, just pretend I said it, don't think I need to explain it anymore*

[fester30]

Absolutely, so long as it also means eternal youth. I'd like to physically be in my late 20s to early 30s, not get stuck getting older and older. Assuming I could become immortal, I would learn every discipline in existence, from sciences to arts to history to literature, to mathematics. I'd like to visit the whole world, learning every culture, custom and language. I think, also, I'd like to, at some point, build myself a sailboat from scratch (really from scratch, as in even making my own sail from hemp and nails from smelted iron and carbon) and live on the ocean for a few years, maybe decades. I figure by the time I've experienced everything there is to experience on earth, I can then focus all my energies and accumulated knowledge on exploring the solar system and eventually the galaxy.

In Greek mythology, Eos asked Zues for Tithonus' immortality, but forgot to ask for his eternal youth.  Tithonus lived forever and continued to age until he couldn't move.  He turned into a Cicada.  I don't want to turn into a Cicada.

[Byronazriel]

Being a cicada is not so bad, by then they'd probably have the technology to let you watch tv and surf the web.

You could also be put into a robot body. With chainsaws for arms and lightsabers for fingers. Giant arcs of electricity would be your hair, and you'd eat delicious metals for dinner and your poop would be akin to modern art.

[Asmodean]

You could also be put into a robot body. With chainsaws for arms and lightsabers for fingers.

Seriously..?

What about projectile weapons? Something to out-range, say, a surface-to-surface missile? Against one of those, neither chainsaw nor sabre would be any help.  :verysad:

[Byronazriel]

Who says a lightblade can't be a projectile? Throwing your sword always works!

[Asmodean]

Throwing your sword always works!

No, it actually does not. Throwing knives might do some small work, but swords... Throwing those is a last-ditch thing.

'Sides, what good does that do you at ranges of several kilometers where you actually need a nice ballistic trajectory to even come close to hitting the target?

[Byronazriel]

NSFW: Lotsa blood.
[spoiler:gsx5cek7][youtube:gsx5cek7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OsJA7Vc53w[/youtube:gsx5cek7][/spoiler:gsx5cek7]

Say that to Paladin Anderson.

[Asmodean]

Say that to Paladin Anderson.

I'd much rather say it to whoever wrote the story behind that thing, what with the guy being an animated figure and all...

It's not the characters that are the problem - it's the creators thereof ignoring common sense when it comes to the use of weapons... Or gravity... Or lasers... Or... Ah, you name it - they abuse it.

[terranus]

Yes, because the middle east is the perfect example of the best of humanity. Socially, many of those countries are medieval. You also forgot all the violence and tension going on over there. Polution will be a nonissue extinction wise at some point in the first half of the 21st century. Technologies that can reverse pollution are rapidly advancing as well as new sources of energy that will get us off this self defeating path. Barring yellow stone blows, a meteorite or some other incredibly unlikely event happens in the next 60 years the human race is going to be just peachy as far as survival goes.

*Obligatory statement about trans-humanism goes here, just pretend I said it, don't think I need to explain it anymore*

Hmm...well I guess I seem to have a slighty less optimistic view than you. I happen to agree with the idea that we, as in America and other technologically-advanced modern countries are experiencing an intellectual slide or at best stagnation right now. Plus, I mean, you can invent all the technology you want, but eventually with so many humans on this planet, the resources to make new technology are going to run out. In fact, the resources to make ANYTHING are going to run out. Unless we can technologically figure out how to make food and water and electricity out of thin air, then I don't see the human race surviving for very long with a population @ 9 billion by 2050.

[Byronazriel]

You can't let something as banal as realism get in the way of a good story!

[Ultima22689]

Yes, because the middle east is the perfect example of the best of humanity. Socially, many of those countries are medieval. You also forgot all the violence and tension going on over there. Polution will be a nonissue extinction wise at some point in the first half of the 21st century. Technologies that can reverse pollution are rapidly advancing as well as new sources of energy that will get us off this self defeating path. Barring yellow stone blows, a meteorite or some other incredibly unlikely event happens in the next 60 years the human race is going to be just peachy as far as survival goes.

*Obligatory statement about trans-humanism goes here, just pretend I said it, don't think I need to explain it anymore*

Hmm...well I guess I seem to have a slighty less optimistic view than you. I happen to agree with the idea that we, as in America and other technologically-advanced modern countries are experiencing an intellectual slide or at best stagnation right now. Plus, I mean, you can invent all the technology you want, but eventually with so many humans on this planet, the resources to make new technology are going to run out. In fact, the resources to make ANYTHING are going to run out. Unless we can technologically figure out how to make food and water and electricity out of thin air, then I don't see the human race surviving for very long with a population @ 9 billion by 2050.

Actually we are finding new sources of materials for electronics, nanotech for example borrow heavily from carbon nanotubes, something which we have tons of, also we are discovering ways to produce useful materials in artificial ways and finding ways to grow vast amounts of food in new ways, a search on google will result in several projects that change how we produce electricity, food and water to support a population well above our own. Also, i'd imagine that a cybernetic organism could be made to be more efficient when it comes to energy consumption as far as food and water goes. It's odd to assume that we would somehow achieve immortality and not solve many of the problems you bring up.

[TheJackel]

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_blogg ... nimal.html

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[Asmodean]

You can't let something as banal as realism get in the way of a good story!

Of course, I can. You can not make do with just realism in fantasy or sci-fi, of course, but what you CAN do, is attempt to properly explain how the unrealistic things work. For instance, where does magic come from? Why does a particular sword not dull? What does the phase of the moon have to do with werewolves? How does one limit the length of a light sword with no hard components beyond the hilt? How does one keep the plasma projectiles hot in space over great distances? You don't have to explain everything, but just claiming "superior technology" or "magical powers" does not get you far in the eyes of this reader and watcher    

You see, it's not so much about earthly realism as about making a fantasy character, object or event believable within its respective world and makinbg that world make logical sense within itself and seen from our world.

As an example, Wheel of Time series is a very good attempt at that.