Phil Bowermaster fisks an anti-anti-aging piece in SciAm.

Thanks for the link. I'm proud to say that I'm anti-anti-anti-aging. It's just one of the things I happen to stand for.

Oh God, it's going to be great watching the rich and powerful make themselves immortal at the expense of the rest of us. Those greedy, elitist pigs are the last ones who should be allowed to live forever. Read the novel "Ecotopia" for an idea of a better and less technological, less materialistic way to live.

Has anyone ever noticed that the most mindless, unsupported posts here, are anonymous? If I put up as stupid a commentary as that, I'd be embarassed to put my name to it, too.

I'm not convinced by cryonics myself, but his remarks on the other stuff were well handled in the article. Telomere hacks may not be the only thing required, but we'll probably get something like it.

I am also pretty certain we'll start to see uploading experiments in the next few decades as the hardware gets ready.

I'm looking forward to it myself.

Dave,

One can be far from convinced by cryonics without resorting to the tired arguments that Shermer introduces.

On uploading, would you allow a non-destructive scan that would create a virtual copy of you? How about a destructive scan that did the same thing?

Phil,

Good question. I'll wait and see how the tech develops. To be honest, and of course, I wouldn't necessarily volenteer, I'd, in theory be prepared to accept a destructive scan - subject to having seen it work.

Of course, first I'll take the Telemere hack and what else we get over the next 4 or 5 decades.

My family have a good track record of making their 80's and 90's, so I'm prepared to live carefully and play a waiting game.

Well, as someone signed up for cryonics, it comes down to 2 things:
A) Faith that a mature nanotechnology will be developed.
B) You're guaranteed dead if you don't (unless you live long enough to see it without freezing, which at 32, I'm sure as hell going to try to do). Like Dave, I've at least got longevity in the family. Hell, no one believes I'm 32. But if I into a fatal car wreck next week, I go into the freezer (just don't hit the head!).