A video that lays bare our irrational acceptance of the reaper.
Speaking of which, Aubrey de Grey gave a great luncheon talk in Austin on Saturday. He wants to live as long as he wants to live, and he thinks that people who want to go into space are crazy, because it’s too risky.
Christian have always considered death to be the enemy to be overcome. The story of the tower of Babel does hint that technology could play a part in that.
“Speaking of which, Aubrey de Grey gave a great luncheon talk in Austin on Saturday. He wants to live as long as he wants to live, and he thinks that people who want to go into space are crazy, because it’s too risky.”
Maybe the talk will find its way to You-tube at some point. As far as space is concerned, probably hazardous for the first/2nd generation colonists; progressively less so as time goes on for subsequent generations ( or later immigrants). And there might be advantages (like being able to take advantage of new unclaimed raw materials and the resulting economic opportunity to get rich.) If I was going to live along time would rather do so as an eventually independent agent rather than a wage slave. Of course there are safer ways to get rich than going into space personally; like maybe investing in some kind of future high risk mutual fund that invests in asteroid mining and perhaps eventually colony startups.:
“Second closest Earth like exoplanet found 11 light years away at Ross128”
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/11/second-closest-earth-like-exoplanet-found-11-light-years-away-at-ross128.html
“Aging Reversal tests in dogs by 2019 and then in human tests by 2022 if that works”
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/11/aging-reversal-tests-in-dogs-by-2019-and-then-in-human-tests-by-2022-if-that-works.html
Wouldn’t it be interesting if we got rid of death…but couldn’t get rid of taxes? I rather think the latter is more difficult a problem.
Simplest way to get rid of taxes is to go where they can’t tax you.
I thought that was what death was for?
Hmm. Hell tax?
Can’t wait for the political rallies:
“Immortality is a basic human right! The government should provide longevity treatment to everyone, free of charge!”
Aubrey De Grey is a fool if he thinks a planet can sustain a species of immortals that don’t practice the kind of reproductive regulation most of us would find tyrannical.
But I digress. There is biological immortality, but eventually this all leads in one direction. The eventual senectitude of the brain. Remove all other factors and we all succumb to Alzheimers or something even worse we don’t even know as a disease yet because it only exhibits in people >200 years old.
Biological approaches may only be incremental and in the log run not really desirable when compared to the “digital singularity” of melding the mind to information processing. Where consciousness operates in femtoseconds not microseconds. Among those making the leap, wanting to spend eternity as a “human” would at first strike them as humorous, then something worthy of pity and eventually as a disorder.
Aubrey De Grey is a fool if he thinks a planet can sustain a species of immortals that don’t practice the kind of reproductive regulation most of us would find tyrannical.
He’s not saying people won’t, or shouldn’t go into space. He’s just saying that he personally thinks it’s crazy, because he places a very high priority on staying alive, and is extremely risk averse, physically.
Let’s hope for the sake of liberty, that among immortals, not many of them share his view of risk.
Every individual can hold their own idea about risk as long as they don’t impose it on others. Risk is the ultimate judgement call.
Everyone is entitled to take their ideas to the grave. Except when they don’t. Ken you have to think a bit out of the box here. Among immortals sharing a limited common there can only be imposition amongst all if all are to survive.
Either you cease to be immortal or you move on/out if you wish to remain free.
Or you could stay here and make a living selling the means for the others who want to go.