I think a lot of rich celebs would want it. Isn't the world overpopulated already? This is the sort of Frankenstein science that drives people towards religion. On the other hand, this is the kind of world some Christians tell us we could have had without Adam and Eve's sin, when physical death came into the world. LOL! Imagine the size of the Earth's population now if Adam and Eve had never died, if none of us did! What a nightmare!
Brilliant and well thought out, unfortunately I will not benefit from this , only the rich will. As it says in the bible" The rich shall inherit the earth" or was it meek ummm< let me think, that is what he meant about mortality, yes that is it. , death is the Eternal Abysse. If I was rich I would choose immortality.
I have thought about this question for over 40 years. No, that's not true. I thought of this question for the first time 45 years ago, and decided, shortly after that, that I'd want it.
"Rich enough" is a moving target. Rev 1 would be expensive, not work well, but rev 20 would be cheap and available to anyone.
We'll solve the ability to get younger soon.
The population of earth will only grow by people having children. If you're not having children then you're not raising the population
There are some negatives, but if it were available to everyone and we were able to educate and govern better.... Then we would have the WHOLE UNIVERSE to explore!
I don't know. Sure, I would want to live longer. But there is only a finite amount of things you can do on this Earth. You would surely get bored after a certain amount of time.
Oxidative damage to a genome causes errors in its ability to create perfect copies of itself over time. The genomic structure itself is "immortal" and has no self-destruct mechanism.
Preventing involuntary death can only be moral in a society if life extension technology is made available to everyone.
Overpopulation: Birth rates decline naturally in advanced societies already and over time, human habitats will logically extend into outer space.
Thanks for your comment. I just wonder how it would be going on another thousand years as I am now (66, obese, not very healthy). It might seem more worthwhile to me if I could be assured of my 25-year-old body!
Mind upload to the new body or bodies could be an option. But I suppose, that robust rejuvenation, such as laser ablation of lipofuscin, or telomere stabilization, might be available much sooner.
some people long for immortality, but don't know what to do on a rainy day. I saw that quote somewhere, thought it might apply here lol, good job Larry
It wouln't be imortality exactly cause you could still be killed by bullets or a disease or somthing so if the world did get to overpopulated thered be mass starvation and people would still die
i don't know what your talking about, that was all pissontheroof, never even watched this video. he wanted me to leave that comment since this guy blocked him. i was just a messenger
If you could die through being physically killed but not killed by aging or disease then hell yes. I could still die when I finally decided I wanted to but at the same time I could get so much more done in an extended life than I ever could in a short natural life.
@Herufaia Tell us what you have accomplished thus far in your short life and that should reflect how long it would take you to do anything else. I think your supposition would only work if you were the only one to live forever and if you did, what purpose would your long life hold? None I suspect. You would just sit on your duff and watch the world go by.......... Forever.........
What gives my life purpose? DEATH. Without Death there is nothing to do. there is no purpose to do said thing either.
(Thunderf00t)
So no. Immortality is something you want now, but trust me, very few of us would actually do something well in our eternity if we had immortality. We would do a lot more in our mortal existence. Besides, the concept of death seems cool. Why would I want to miss out on that!
@Pawn2King4 Death must be the biggest rush of all. Why else would it be saved for last? :) Love the way Thunderf00t puts it. Death does give life purpose.
Id be more interested upon the preservation/upgrading of my mind than body; since it seems more likely that I could bare such endeavors from immortality, if I was free to Solly think upon moderately-non-human matters/reading fiction novels. However this makes me wounder if by being in that state would result in lose of my current state of mind.
I've sipped one can of Dr Pepper and realized that life and death, to me, were petty concepts :)
Immortality is a VERY big word, I think we should respect what we have while we're conscious. Time for me has become very unessential, I think most of the people who do want to be immortal are the robotic, heartless ones.
You already know my thoughts on immortality... as I replied to your previous video. However... food for thought... the human brain is very finite. More powerful than any modern computer, capable of storing more info than any computer currently can... yet still very finite. We know that as we age... the brain also begins to die. For those who chose the immortal escape route... how long before the brain fills up with information that never dies? What happens to a human who's brain is full?
We do not know the answer to the above questions... because we have yet to observe them in any human. It's quite possible, the human who's mind is full... will find the constant bombardment of new information the world provides us with... to be quite excruciatingly painful. Perhaps the wisest move to make... would be waiting until the brain's memory/storage capability... can be expanded by new technology.
You make a good point. I think too long a life might be a bad thing. Now, even if there were any truth to the ages of the earliest humans in the Bible (which I don't for a moment believe), the lives of Adam, et al, cannot have been very complicated. There is no record of any invention among those people. If they truly were the first people they must have used bone and stone tools. maybe they could live 900+ years and still not fill up their brains. I'd rather go sooner and brain-full.
Hugh here. An elixir designed poses many issues. If it's a 'can't' die senario then there would no longer be need for food. Like you pointed out - the lottery, well.. exclusive to the powerful. Also, why would there be limitation to this planet? In time when a 'near' life supporting planet is fruitful, what about colonisation/migration? Importing plant life and other life? Managing that would be interesting.
Then, observing evolution on this and other planets..
That's a new approach. Very interesting. I don't think I meant "true" immortality, as in "incapable of death." But if we were really immortal, as you say, we wouldn't even need food, and could colonize other planets no matter how hostile their environments might be to human life as we are now. I would really miss food, however!
live forever? fuck yeah!! why? to see science evolve and evolve and learn and learn and learn...now that would be amazing!! the level of knowledge one could achieve!!
-with only 5% of our brain for eternity you might as well use 0% at least we won't fill the inadequacy
-companionship?who are you gonna bear in the loooong run? Think:do you want to hear "have you taken the garbage out?" just after 1000 years together? 2 silent sequoia trees side by side ... no problem.
-needs and constraints?...photosynthesis end of story :)
On a different note check the movie "Groundhog Day" and if you see it like I did the answer is: NO!
I read a lot of science fiction and this issue is explored quite a bit. What makes a person a person? We have many artificial organs and limbs, from your foot to your heart. You are a collection of biologically stored information, memories, which we call experience or knowledge. Part of that is knowing we are mortal, our brains make us what we are. What if we could transfer our memories into a computer? Any way you look at it, genetics or not, you will have to give up something to get it.
As an Atheist I am not interested in living forever because.... I would much prefer to live a full, happy, peaceful, and interesting life to the maximum! living with full awareness of death can motivate you to take positive risks and enjoy your life to the fullest! If I lived forever I wouldn't live life to the fullest! Also naturally we all die at somepoint so its part of being human, I wouldn't want to change that!
No problem. I just removed the extra ones! Thanks for your comment. Somebody, though marked one of them as "spam." I wish people would not do that. I think only the maker of a video should have that control. For someone else to mark anything on MY video response as spam really pisses me off. It's none of their concern. And I only mark as spam the crap that promotes something commercial or tells you how to get girls! Some of those things do need to be removed. But by the originator of the video!
What would happen if you broke your neck and were parilyzed? What would it be like to get cancer at 75 and have to live with it because you are immortal? There would be a whole lot of permanent sick people.
@mobiltec I was just re-reading the comment section after 2 years now. You raise a really frightening prospect. Given our current laws, euthanasia is forbidden. Unless we had advanced in social laws as far as in science, the possibility of living in pain or incapacity seems dreadful.
Oh, you can regress me to 28 if I get to keep the knowledge I've attained! yep yep yep. I think I'd want to carry on to the grave from there though. ::calls for do-overs::
Another amazingly well-constructed video, Larry. What is YOUR opinion of this thought-provoking topic? You're going to say: but I asked you first. Well, OK, video response on its way...
By assuming it would only be for rich people you make the strange pre-assumption that it's a desirable thing (which is basically making it expensive). I don't think it will be expensive at all, it will not be much more difficult than buying a new PC. Given the choice, many will NOT make use of it, even if it was free. Even today many are not happy to be alive, and wouldn't even be if aging was 'beaten'.
hi largo! i really enjoy u videos.about inmortality,I don't think is a good idea,cause death is the principal reason to live,the fact that u know that ur going to pass out someday make u want to do the must thing possible with ur life
Nice philosophical musings, Larry. Ever watch Highlander, by the way? As to the topic, I don't feel comfortable debating it when I am so young: ask me again when I am 72, or else, after a car accident (God forbid!) and about to die. Till then, my answer is: it's a touch presumptuous for me to answer!
Thanks for pointing out that I slipped and clicked "Pets & Animals" when I meant to click "People & Blogs." That was so horrible of me, and I no doubt deserved being cursed at for it.
Whatever, You can change the category at any time after you upload the video. Don't tell me you don't know that. Furthermore, I don't appreciate your sarcasm.
If you don't appreciate sarcasm and you seem to be so fond of heated profanity, here: Fuck you, you stupid asshole. Get off of youtube you prickless bitch. That good for you? I hope so, because that's all you really deserve for your comments.
prickless is an insult having the meaning that the person being insulted has no penis. It is often used in an attempt to wound one's manhood or masculine pride. I attempted nothing. I set fourth the goal to type a message and have it posted and your reply proves that my effort yielded what I wished it to. Your post is either self-contradictory or very strange, in that it is supporting my effort rather than it's outcome. Might you be an evangelist?
Dude, you make no sense what-so-ever. "your reply proves that my effort yielded what I wished it to." And don't make up a word to slam me with then try to disect the word into an almost scientific definition. None of what you just said made any sense.
Well, I hate to spam, but no I don't. I didn't make up a word. Google it and you will see it is a fairly common insult. I would advise you not to assume that if you haven't heard a word it doesn't exist. Your phrasing is off. You do the same thing with one of my statements. Just because I confused you doesn't necessarily mean that I didn't make sense in general, rather it means that I didn't make sense to you. In such a case a phrase like "I didn't get that at all" would be appropriate.
I don't long for death but I must say it is a very interesting thing.
It feels like death is one of earths only really mystical but still so present phenomenon now days when everything is being explained (nothing wrong with that but it do take the "magic" away from things).
So I think I'll go for death :D
Energy can't be destroyed, it can only change form.
I'm sure a majority, personally, would indeed take the route of immortality (if it meant staying young forever, rather than aging endlessly). Humans have a STRONG will/desire to live; I can't imagine why anyone would desire to die (although I am still very young and have not experienced an enormous amount of anguish, despair, or depression, so I cannot begin to understand the mind of people who do take their life willingly).
I don't think older people necessarily want to die, but they are able to see a benefit in non-existence. Especially if they have suffered. The idea of an extended YOUTHFUL life is appealing, but just getting older and older without dying is rather horrifying. I imagine that knowing that one COULD live indefinitely would be attractive, but not if one HAD to. I'm still chewing on the idea, but I think I would want an escape clause.
Science is working on substantially increasing lifespan; not exactly immortality. It will happen incrementally in additions of decades upon decades. Personally I think it would be the greatest achievement of humanity.
1.) It would allow brilliant scientists to prolong their careers.
2.) It would mean the an eventual end to religion through redundancy.
3.) It would actually solve the problem of overpopulation.
I'll have to make a video response expanding these points. Good topic.
If we solve the "aging" problem, then people will have a *choice* about when they die. It seems highly unlikely that people could sustain the infinite resources, will, and desire to live forever. It would break the concept of social security.
It would increase the value of individualism and classism over collectivism. Meaning the strength of human species would be traded in for the strength of particular people. It would give a whole new meaning to resources wars.
From a personal perspective, yes. I'm somewhat of a loner so losing family and friends wouldnt be too much of a downer. Added to that, you can always kill yourself if you dont like it. At least we are given the option. That's important.
From an objective perspective, it sounds edgy, but so has every new scientific breakthrough. We would have to do something about population, which is what worries me, but if we could sort that I dont see any major problems from a personal angle.
Ok this is seriously pissing me off, what the hell is up with all these people talking about overpopulation, as if they seriously think that if we could extend life indefinitely we couldn't implement effective birth control measures. Get your head out of your asses people, gawd...
That said absolutely it would be a great thing, I hope Aubrey DeGrey the best of luck...
To answer your question about whether the Earth will become too populated.....not too long (10-30 years) from now we will create a Super-AI, which will lead to a "Technological Singularity" (wiki that). By then the overpopulation problem will be solved. We will be going out into space, we might live in digital worlds having kids there, etc because of the enormous processing speed of AI.
I would want to be immortal, but everyone going back to age 25? That would be just weird. Imagine like 900 years from now you still looked 25, and people like 300 years old looked 25 as well. Man, that would be just wierd.
"But to the Atani I will give a new gift." Therefore (Illuvatar) willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein; but they should have a virtue to shape their life...Death is their fate, the gift of Illuvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers (the Valar and the Elves) shall envy."
And the story of Akallabeth ("The Downfallen") illustrates the immortality issue as well. So there's my answer.
Maybe immortality is a curse. Maybe the god of the OT/NT who invented Hell did so to punish others for his own unbearable immortality. Misery loves company.
Hahahaha I love it. I have hopes that if humanity ever indeed achieve immortality they will also be capable of attaining a way to enhance their consciousness/perception, end things like boredom, suffering, anguish, dispair with technology, that infinity to the mind would become meaningless.
Another thought, maybe you(like me) have noticed that when we are happiest is in our dreams(the best ones of course) no matter how senseless they are, if immortality/infinity was like a good dream perhaps it would be great/bearable.
Very interesting question. I might make a video responce, but I'll probably just make a post on my blog about it. Far too many considerations to place on a 500 character comment.
Not desirable! Firstly, I don't think our mind could cope with the tedium. Second, over the ages the environment would change and life would become more and more uncomfortable to the point of torture. Evolution and death overcome both of these.
Well, there's not an "aging gene". We age because every time out DNA reproduces, some of the telomeres aren't copied. Eventually, genes start to become missing, we age, and then we die.
You mean . . . Methuselah really was of a normal life span? I'm shocked!
Actually, are you sure about that, because I've heard people talking about slowing the aging process as if it were, you know, possible. You probably are right. But this was just a hypothetical anyway. I was really surprised at how much response came so early. Surprised and gratified. It has been an interesting thread. Including your contribution.
methinks it can be done in theory- just making sure more telomeres are copied in some amazing way or anther. and if you can decrease that down you can probably stop it completely no? or am I just wishful thinking?
Sorry about not responding for so long. Yeah, I'm sure. When the chromosomes are copied, a dozen or so base pairs gets lost because of the way the enzyme is shaped. Dr. Naiman's molecular genetics class was highly insightful.
it really depends on one thing: what about mental health?
will the mental capacity be that of a 25-year old person, including the mental flexibility?
my decision would depend on this. this is nothing against old people, but if such a rejuvenation-thing would go on for 200 years then the majority of the people will suffer from a whole list of different mental problems.
Actually, I'm guessing that if a way could be found to turn off the aging gene, such things as Alzheimer's and other mental infirmities might also have been dealt with. There remains the problem though that, as I understand it, we start out with only so many brain cells and don't get replacements when they die. Kinda makes you wonder about Methuselah, doesn't it? Did he spend his last 600 years drooling and nodding?
largo64: ``There remains the problem though that, as I understand it, we start out with only so many brain cells and don't get replacements when they die´´ this has since been disproven, under certain circumstances even adults can develop new brain cells. i found out about it after i started juggling myself, they did an experiment where people that couldnt juggle before the experiment had to practise every day for a few weeks, and in one area of the brain there was real growth.
I dont think i would want to live forever. But for a couple thousand of years yes. I think that would be enough time. Forever is just too long I guess.
even tho I am 17 years old I would go for mortality. for starters like many said a thousand or so years is more then we need.
and on a side note- have you ever felt that you brain is about to blow up after a longggg day at school/university? just think how many memories, doest matter good or bad, would a 1000 years old person would have with a good memory of a 25 years old... I don't know about you but I would go nuts
but I would not appose to live a longer life- you know suspend yourself in every age a little longer like every year would be 5 bio years so we can be 20 years old 5 years and live something like 450 years with luck ^^
I'm avoiding doing this as a video to avoid sounding arrogant. Basically, love my job. Highly scientifically sophisticated and broaches some major findings at the human genome level. Want to see all the advances we're going to make in the next thousand years. The arrogant part comes when I consider how many bored, unimaginative, emotionally needy, unstable people there are in the world. Ever watch Jerry Springer? :( Forgive me.
If you ever get a chance; then I suggest watching the movie: "The Man from Earth"... It cleverly shows what immortality could possible be like... I am not sure why, but there is a second of religious "resistance" in the film. ;O)
Problem is you would still be able to die. Would you rather die after a full life in old age or in peak physical condition in a car crash? If you never grew old your chances of dying in some tragedy would rise to 100%
Death would become even more of a loss... and you know what? I'd get awful sick of brushing my teeth every morning for 300 years (the daily grind, etc..)
Grind, indeed. If you were to live several hundred, or even several thousand years, how many sets of teeth might you wear out completely just by brushing?
You can be absolutely sure that immortality treatments would be accompanied with forced sterilization, otherwise the population of earth would explode way beyond what we could possibly feed.
I doubt it would be a good idea. People dying helps society remain flexible with regard to accepting new ideas as well as swapping out the power base. A society of immortals would probably be infinitly rigid in many ways. Also, immortality would halt evolution and make us sitting ducks for bacteria.
I work with elderly people and there comes a point when they get tired of life. Often their body or mind begins to fail. A lot of the drugs they take to stay alive have sideeffects and the quality of life suffers. Also they have seen so much change over this last century. My old ladies were around for the Irish fight for independence and civil war.
The argument about money and only rich people getting it done doesn't really hold up. The same argument can be made about, say, curing cancer. If there was a new therapy that treated all cancer it would probably be quite expensive and only rich people would be able to afford that. And in a way it's true even now - richer people can get better medical care, but thats not a good argument against cancer treatment as such.
hmm... I think I'd like an extended life, especially if it comes with eternal youth.
Although if the living forever was something you had to turn off, I'd probably never get round to it. "I'll die someday, but I really want to see how Lost ends".
Personally, yes I would go for the immortality option, but I think the more interesting question is who wouldn't go for it and why?
Would overly religious people choose not to be immortal because of their desire for heaven? Would more intelligent people desire immortality more or would the stupid (A credible argument could be made for either)?
The groups of people who make these choices will determine the course of human and social evolution.
One of the reasons this video has had so many responses so early is that it's a really tough choice. Nobody wants to die, yet there are serious consequences if everybody went on indefinitely. What if you were brain damaged, but otherwise healthy? Would someone reverse the process or euthanize you? Young people so far seem to opt for "forever." Older ones are less sure. I don't think religion has that much to do with it. Believers already think they will live forever, just not here.
I disagree, I think those prone to hyper-religiousity will reject such technology, and so they will eventually turn themselves into a minority. This will drastically change our society.
I wouldn't mind trying it out for a bit, but I would be nervous about the possibility (or inevitability to be honest) of some crazy bastard having thousands of years to perfect some mind control techniques or becoming obsessed with wealth and power. I think that many people who would exercise this option might have some sinister motives!
Larry, check out WhiteDragon103, I've just had a very lengthy discussion with him on this very subject. I wouldn't want to live forever, but he does, and he's very passionate about it. (he's also quite young, so that explains it)
If I have the time this weekend, I'll make a video response.
Bertrand Russell said something like "there isn't a sane man past the age of 80 that would consent to live his life over again." Youth wants to stay young. We older folks are more likely to accept, if not welcome death. Still, if I could have a young body again . . .
Sure, but to have a young body and living eternally are two very different things. Having a young body would allow you to do things that you didn't do when you were young because you didn't realize you would one day not be able to do them. Wisdom of age, body of a 25 yo... Not a bad combination.
assuming what you said is possibles i can't see why anyone would wish to leave more then 190 years. i mean by that time anyone who is anybody would have seen everything that have ever be seen heard everything that have ever been said. basically to continue to leave over the stated age would be a boring prospect to leave for 190 let alone for ever. hope to see your comment to this
hey largo, this is all stuff I've been thinking about lately believe it or not. You have ask if they can turn the aging gene back on? Another question i have is, what is to stop the rest of us who cant afford the drug from just stealing it? I mean, Just assuming that you wanted to live forever, wouldn't u do just above anything besides murder to get it? or to make it free for everyone? maybe murder of one person wouldn't be such a high price for saving tons of people.
Immortality would be great, and I would certainly pursue it if such technology were to become available. However, a more practical side of my brain remains convinced that one of two outcomes would coalesce: 1) the population would become too large for the earth to sustain or 2) the requisite procedure would be expensive and available only to the wealthy elite, resulting in a perpetual, undying aristocracy (one even worse than we have now, rather).
I guess that I would think not of the problem as "Is imortality desireable" but wether or not Death is undesirable. A way of looking at it is like getting up in the morning.. for work or what have you. Your sitting in such a warm and comfy bed.. You never want to get up- you would give anything for just five more minutes... And 5 more after that and so on and so forth.
This is kind of like life in the way that We don't want to die... Its something thats pretty much hardwired into our brains. Why? probably because anything which Did want to die or didn't care if it died... DIED. So in a way pretty much no matter what happens.. no matter how bored we become or how isolated by time to others we might feel, or just how unfuckingcaring the world is about our survival we will still just want to live on.
It's a fascinating question, Largo. I don't know whether I'd want it, though the idea of getting to be 25 again for a while -- with the significantly fewer responsibilities I had at 25, thank you very much -- is quite appealing. Great video. What's the novel, by the way?
I've just started it. It's "Rainbow Six" by Tom Clancy. One of the characters is engaged in genetic research with a hope of being able to stop the aging process. Whether that turns out to be important to the story or not I don't know. But it got me thinking about whether I'd actually want to go on indefinitely or not. At times I've thought the time I've already had is too long, so I don't know.
I would really know. On one side even if only the rich could live on, at least they would start thinking long term about our environment and over population could finally drive us to the stars. How would it change our world? Would murder be even a bigger crime? But personally, I might enjoy immorality if I could opt out at anytime. Who knows, I might enjoy it but then again I could be stuck with a debt for all eternity with no chance of an early discharge.
I really do think the "opt out" would be necessary. As for reaching for the stars, human beings tend to put things off until they are critical. I doubt that mankind will actually start to colonize space until the sun is about to nova.
Probably right... but I was going for the over population PUSH that would either force people to leave or kill themselves. hmmmm that will probably happen soon even without immortality.
As Thunderf00t said in one of his videos -Immortality would be a curse. It'd be fun for a maybe a thousand years, but the million, billion and trillion years thereafter would be horrible to cope with, let alone the infinity after that. The fact that we have a finite time on earth gives us purpose, meaning and urgency. I agree with that totally.
I think I would have to go for it. I've always dreamed of seeing the stars up close and personal and visiting other worlds. There's no way that kind of technology will be produced in my natural lifetime, but with this I could live long enough to catch up with it. Hopefully, if I'm rich enough to afford the treatment to live forever, I'll also be rich enough to galaxy hop.
That's an interesting thought. If mankind ever hopes to reach other galaxies, there will have to be something like immortality just for the time it would take. But you'd better take a book!
I think my Ipod is capable of holding about a hundred years worth of music. That should hold me over for the first half of the trip. Of course I'd have to stop every 15 minutes to recharge the fucker :)
I'll only would take it if I was going to get other things with it such as invincibility and have beyond Godly power. Since I can be very insensitive at times, I can easily forget about loved ones every 200-300 years after their death. If I don't get the infinite power then I would rather be able to turn it off like Poetivity said. Also, this ability should be limited to 10-50 other people in the entire world.
I'd like more years of youthful vigor, definitely, but we already have immortality just not in a continuous form -- heheheh. And I wouldn't want to be 25, I'd prefer to be 35 for a few hundred years and then 50 for another few hundred. Then I think I would be through. The idea of an immortal ruling class isn't unusual in human society and lots of science fiction stories have been created around it.
If I could be restored to the age of 16 with the knowledge and desires that I now possess and stay in that body form....that would be teriffic...provided I also had the powers to be invisible if I got into trouble at the time. :-)
I don't think it can. Many are interested in the exploration of outer space, or regions beneath the ocean's surface. If one could totally fathom the working of the human mind and spirit and know for a fact what the ruling dieties (assuming there are some) desire for us to be in sync with their purposes, that too would be nice. I choose to exude mercy..to any and all sentient beings. I don't give a rip if it pleases the dieties or not...it pleases me to have a purpose.
As I conceived it, you wouldn't be bored because you would always be youthful and able to learn new things. Career after career would be possible, because when you tired of one you cold begin studying for another. The opportunities for creativity could be endless. Mind you, I'm not talking here about "forever" in absolute bliss. That would be boring in the extreme.
I wouldn't want to be immortal in this life. Sometimes it is totally difficult to live this life on a day-to-day basis. Immortality here on earth would truly be Hell in my eyes.
I agree. I regard the mythical belief in reincarnation as another type of hell. So long as one has a total memory, one has a total set of innate insatiable desires. If in an eternal life one could either dump them or totally satisfy them continuously then ok, otherwise, eternal life here or anywhere would be the pitts for sure.
For me, immortality on either this plane or a heavenly one is undesirable. Only if I could be without insatiable desires and memory of ills done would I reconsider. I surely would want no part of such a status purchased through the suffering or death of a 3rd party. Additionally, I would want a "Stop" button to self extinguish at any moment I found it unlikeable.
If people were 25 and under, they would be able to overpopulate the planet in a couple hundred years. Families would be impossible to keep track of: people would marry and divorce so many times, they would lose track of who was related to them. Family get-togethers? Eeeeek. A patriarch would have to rent Yellowstone park to assemble everyone. The whole planet would die of boredom. Even now, lots of people spend every night watching TV. Ugh! 2,000 years of Judge Judy? Unthinkable. So, no, NO!
Why do you assume humans would multiply at the same rate? If they can't eat, if they miss resources, they die. We procreate to maintain the species, to pass on knowledge. We wouldn't have to anymore. Also, the re-creation of cells, the manipulation of genomes, involves a lot of negatives going in the exact opposite direction. That's unavoidable. It will be as easy to speed up aging a 1000 times, as it will be reversing it. Overpopulation will be the least of our worries, is my guess.
meowbay, you're probably right..my response was a giddy *having coffee at starbucks with friends* answer...a few laughs together, and we all disperse..your reply shows that you have really thought about it. It is an intelligent answer, and I like it.
Well Do you mean By as in, just about everyone having this anti-aging gene modification or just the rich?
If It's everyone I can see it as a quick and immediate problem, which would end up causing third world countries to literally collapse upon themselves, and an all-time high for homeless people in America and possibly most countries worldwide. the thing is Reseources such as coal and oil and petroleum...much more limited than you think. We may run out pretty soon...just a matter of time.
yes sure definitely no thought i'll take it i want to see the future even if i'm by myself i've already questioned it many times transplant my brain into a stem cell younger self whatever, i'm for it you experience logarithmic time now, so i don't know how you would experience time when your stuck if experiencing time moving faster is dependent on your mind and not age 1000 later your days would go by sooo fast
Voluntary death certainly would be an "out." I was thinking that, if we could have our loved ones, too, the continuation of life would make education ongoing and give endless opportunities to grow and create.
I have a crazy idea, but I think that that kind of immortality could lead to a immortals vs. mortals war. That is if only some people could turn off aging.
There's always that damn bullet! You're right, this "immortality" would only stop the aging process. It wouldn't magically make you invulnerable. You would have the same daily risks as anyone else.
No. Overpopulation and the reduction of resources would lead to misery. If life continued forever then I do think life loses value. In other words, I think death is the very thing which makes life precious. I wouldn't mind an immortality connected with people remembering me (if that was in a good way) but that is far different than my actually existing forever.
I really like your answer, especially the part about *death being the very thing which makes life precious*. That is intriguing, and I will give it more thought this evening..thanks
There would have to be some kind of control on population. As a practical matter, war is likely to wipe us all out, whether we age or not. I agree that the certainty of eventual death makes life precious.
We can go on as much as we like and die whenever we feel like it. We would just have to stop breeding, to have a decent life.
KainSlash 4 months ago
I think a lot of rich celebs would want it. Isn't the world overpopulated already? This is the sort of Frankenstein science that drives people towards religion. On the other hand, this is the kind of world some Christians tell us we could have had without Adam and Eve's sin, when physical death came into the world. LOL! Imagine the size of the Earth's population now if Adam and Eve had never died, if none of us did! What a nightmare!
outofthegreenmist 9 months ago
Bet your ass it is.
Danielnoctis 1 year ago
Brilliant and well thought out, unfortunately I will not benefit from this , only the rich will. As it says in the bible" The rich shall inherit the earth" or was it meek ummm< let me think, that is what he meant about mortality, yes that is it. , death is the Eternal Abysse. If I was rich I would choose immortality.
gerladiant 1 year ago
I have thought about this question for over 40 years. No, that's not true. I thought of this question for the first time 45 years ago, and decided, shortly after that, that I'd want it.
"Rich enough" is a moving target. Rev 1 would be expensive, not work well, but rev 20 would be cheap and available to anyone.
We'll solve the ability to get younger soon.
The population of earth will only grow by people having children. If you're not having children then you're not raising the population
neoaeonian 1 year ago
There are some negatives, but if it were available to everyone and we were able to educate and govern better.... Then we would have the WHOLE UNIVERSE to explore!
amoto333 1 year ago
I don't know. Sure, I would want to live longer. But there is only a finite amount of things you can do on this Earth. You would surely get bored after a certain amount of time.
AIEmpire 2 years ago
Oxidative damage to a genome causes errors in its ability to create perfect copies of itself over time. The genomic structure itself is "immortal" and has no self-destruct mechanism.
Preventing involuntary death can only be moral in a society if life extension technology is made available to everyone.
Overpopulation: Birth rates decline naturally in advanced societies already and over time, human habitats will logically extend into outer space.
Radical life extension is easily worthwhile.
JHP962111 3 years ago
Thanks for your comment. I just wonder how it would be going on another thousand years as I am now (66, obese, not very healthy). It might seem more worthwhile to me if I could be assured of my 25-year-old body!
Largo64 3 years ago
Mind upload to the new body or bodies could be an option. But I suppose, that robust rejuvenation, such as laser ablation of lipofuscin, or telomere stabilization, might be available much sooner.
evgeniy13 2 years ago
some people long for immortality, but don't know what to do on a rainy day. I saw that quote somewhere, thought it might apply here lol, good job Larry
BethRN74 3 years ago
It wouln't be imortality exactly cause you could still be killed by bullets or a disease or somthing so if the world did get to overpopulated thered be mass starvation and people would still die
SHFUTS 3 years ago
Indeed. I guess that the correct term would be indefinately alive.
BlackWaltz5 3 years ago
earth is too overpopulated. I call for the genocidal extermination of all immortals.
randompedestrian382 3 years ago
Why not conservative Republicans instead?
BeatBuddy 3 years ago
there is no death only metomrophisis, wish the fuck i could spell that word
alargedog 3 years ago
its metamorphosis poochie - at least you can spell fuck and thats more important - the whores dont care about that other crap
- pissontheroof told me to reply for him because he is banned, so this i all him-
- this is me
check out this fuckin rush limBALD over here
FreezingMoonFog 3 years ago
yes mr fog but some ppl beleive in genetic immortaty
alargedog 3 years ago
i don't know what your talking about, that was all pissontheroof, never even watched this video. he wanted me to leave that comment since this guy blocked him. i was just a messenger
FreezingMoonFog 3 years ago
Which word. You got "fuck" right! ;<)
Largo64 3 years ago
Neigh immortality yes.
If you could die through being physically killed but not killed by aging or disease then hell yes. I could still die when I finally decided I wanted to but at the same time I could get so much more done in an extended life than I ever could in a short natural life.
Herufaia 3 years ago
@Herufaia Tell us what you have accomplished thus far in your short life and that should reflect how long it would take you to do anything else. I think your supposition would only work if you were the only one to live forever and if you did, what purpose would your long life hold? None I suspect. You would just sit on your duff and watch the world go by.......... Forever.........
mobiltec 1 year ago
As a wise man once told me...
What gives my life purpose? DEATH. Without Death there is nothing to do. there is no purpose to do said thing either.
(Thunderf00t)
So no. Immortality is something you want now, but trust me, very few of us would actually do something well in our eternity if we had immortality. We would do a lot more in our mortal existence. Besides, the concept of death seems cool. Why would I want to miss out on that!
Pawn2King4 3 years ago
@Pawn2King4 Death must be the biggest rush of all. Why else would it be saved for last? :) Love the way Thunderf00t puts it. Death does give life purpose.
mobiltec 1 year ago
Id be more interested upon the preservation/upgrading of my mind than body; since it seems more likely that I could bare such endeavors from immortality, if I was free to Solly think upon moderately-non-human matters/reading fiction novels. However this makes me wounder if by being in that state would result in lose of my current state of mind.
Elround4 3 years ago
I've sipped one can of Dr Pepper and realized that life and death, to me, were petty concepts :)
Immortality is a VERY big word, I think we should respect what we have while we're conscious. Time for me has become very unessential, I think most of the people who do want to be immortal are the robotic, heartless ones.
drpepperloveforever 3 years ago
I'm curious though. Did you think this up completely on your own, or did you have influence from others? If so, whom?
WhiteDragon103 3 years ago
Whatever dude. It's your brain, fill it with what you want. x___X
WhiteDragon103 3 years ago
You can't be serious, dude.
WhiteDragon103 3 years ago
You already know my thoughts on immortality... as I replied to your previous video. However... food for thought... the human brain is very finite. More powerful than any modern computer, capable of storing more info than any computer currently can... yet still very finite. We know that as we age... the brain also begins to die. For those who chose the immortal escape route... how long before the brain fills up with information that never dies? What happens to a human who's brain is full?
J6a6so6n 3 years ago
We do not know the answer to the above questions... because we have yet to observe them in any human. It's quite possible, the human who's mind is full... will find the constant bombardment of new information the world provides us with... to be quite excruciatingly painful. Perhaps the wisest move to make... would be waiting until the brain's memory/storage capability... can be expanded by new technology.
J6a6so6n 3 years ago
You make a good point. I think too long a life might be a bad thing. Now, even if there were any truth to the ages of the earliest humans in the Bible (which I don't for a moment believe), the lives of Adam, et al, cannot have been very complicated. There is no record of any invention among those people. If they truly were the first people they must have used bone and stone tools. maybe they could live 900+ years and still not fill up their brains. I'd rather go sooner and brain-full.
Largo64 3 years ago
Hi Largo,
Hugh here. An elixir designed poses many issues. If it's a 'can't' die senario then there would no longer be need for food. Like you pointed out - the lottery, well.. exclusive to the powerful. Also, why would there be limitation to this planet? In time when a 'near' life supporting planet is fruitful, what about colonisation/migration? Importing plant life and other life? Managing that would be interesting.
Then, observing evolution on this and other planets..
230382ha 3 years ago
That's a new approach. Very interesting. I don't think I meant "true" immortality, as in "incapable of death." But if we were really immortal, as you say, we wouldn't even need food, and could colonize other planets no matter how hostile their environments might be to human life as we are now. I would really miss food, however!
Largo64 3 years ago
good question
rowsdowersavesus 3 years ago
live forever? fuck yeah!! why? to see science evolve and evolve and learn and learn and learn...now that would be amazing!! the level of knowledge one could achieve!!
ice2drinks 3 years ago
2 words for you:sequoia tree
-with only 5% of our brain for eternity you might as well use 0% at least we won't fill the inadequacy
-companionship?who are you gonna bear in the loooong run? Think:do you want to hear "have you taken the garbage out?" just after 1000 years together? 2 silent sequoia trees side by side ... no problem.
-needs and constraints?...photosynthesis end of story :)
On a different note check the movie "Groundhog Day" and if you see it like I did the answer is: NO!
mounir1426 3 years ago
I read a lot of science fiction and this issue is explored quite a bit. What makes a person a person? We have many artificial organs and limbs, from your foot to your heart. You are a collection of biologically stored information, memories, which we call experience or knowledge. Part of that is knowing we are mortal, our brains make us what we are. What if we could transfer our memories into a computer? Any way you look at it, genetics or not, you will have to give up something to get it.
erkd1 3 years ago
Career? What would be the hurry? We've got all the time in the world.
Be Well.
distorteddogma 3 years ago
As an Atheist I am not interested in living forever because.... I would much prefer to live a full, happy, peaceful, and interesting life to the maximum! living with full awareness of death can motivate you to take positive risks and enjoy your life to the fullest! If I lived forever I wouldn't live life to the fullest! Also naturally we all die at somepoint so its part of being human, I wouldn't want to change that!
Maxwellion75 3 years ago
Sorry about that. I wasn't clicking post comment repeatedly, my computer lagged and i clicked outside it too much XD
Mduenisch 3 years ago
No problem. I just removed the extra ones! Thanks for your comment. Somebody, though marked one of them as "spam." I wish people would not do that. I think only the maker of a video should have that control. For someone else to mark anything on MY video response as spam really pisses me off. It's none of their concern. And I only mark as spam the crap that promotes something commercial or tells you how to get girls! Some of those things do need to be removed. But by the originator of the video!
Largo64 3 years ago
What would happen if you broke your neck and were parilyzed? What would it be like to get cancer at 75 and have to live with it because you are immortal? There would be a whole lot of permanent sick people.
mobiltec 3 years ago
@mobiltec I was just re-reading the comment section after 2 years now. You raise a really frightening prospect. Given our current laws, euthanasia is forbidden. Unless we had advanced in social laws as far as in science, the possibility of living in pain or incapacity seems dreadful.
Largo64 1 year ago
@mobiltec
A cure would be found. Nanotechnology is still advancing.
1NX9 6 months ago
As long as i keep all my facilities ie;
health, both physical and mental, i would
like to live as long as i can.
If i get a disabling stroke or terminal, painfull illness, i would want the plug to be pulled.
maurieer 3 years ago
I fear aging alot more than I fear death.
amjPeace 3 years ago
Yes.
Mjhavok 3 years ago
Call me Gilgamesh.
Mjhavok 3 years ago
Oh, you can regress me to 28 if I get to keep the knowledge I've attained! yep yep yep. I think I'd want to carry on to the grave from there though. ::calls for do-overs::
IXGertXI 3 years ago
Another amazingly well-constructed video, Larry. What is YOUR opinion of this thought-provoking topic? You're going to say: but I asked you first. Well, OK, video response on its way...
Elaina43 3 years ago
By assuming it would only be for rich people you make the strange pre-assumption that it's a desirable thing (which is basically making it expensive). I don't think it will be expensive at all, it will not be much more difficult than buying a new PC. Given the choice, many will NOT make use of it, even if it was free. Even today many are not happy to be alive, and wouldn't even be if aging was 'beaten'.
Meowbay 3 years ago
hi largo! i really enjoy u videos.about inmortality,I don't think is a good idea,cause death is the principal reason to live,the fact that u know that ur going to pass out someday make u want to do the must thing possible with ur life
b3lurxxxm3duza 3 years ago
Nice philosophical musings, Larry. Ever watch Highlander, by the way? As to the topic, I don't feel comfortable debating it when I am so young: ask me again when I am 72, or else, after a car accident (God forbid!) and about to die. Till then, my answer is: it's a touch presumptuous for me to answer!
BryanAJParry 3 years ago
alexm141: From your post I just assumed that you were about 14. It looks as if you are somewhat older (at least physically).
Largo64 3 years ago
Yeah, I know an absolute ton of fourteen year olds with flawless grammer.
alexm141 3 years ago
Why is this in the pet's and animal's category. I'm not stupid. Don't try to cheat the system by putting it in the wrong category. Fuck yourself.
alexm141 3 years ago
Thanks for pointing out that I slipped and clicked "Pets & Animals" when I meant to click "People & Blogs." That was so horrible of me, and I no doubt deserved being cursed at for it.
Largo64 3 years ago
Whatever, You can change the category at any time after you upload the video. Don't tell me you don't know that. Furthermore, I don't appreciate your sarcasm.
alexm141 3 years ago
If you don't appreciate sarcasm and you seem to be so fond of heated profanity, here: Fuck you, you stupid asshole. Get off of youtube you prickless bitch. That good for you? I hope so, because that's all you really deserve for your comments.
bebopbountyhead 3 years ago
What does "Prickless" mean?
Good attempt, though.
alexm141 3 years ago
prickless is an insult having the meaning that the person being insulted has no penis. It is often used in an attempt to wound one's manhood or masculine pride. I attempted nothing. I set fourth the goal to type a message and have it posted and your reply proves that my effort yielded what I wished it to. Your post is either self-contradictory or very strange, in that it is supporting my effort rather than it's outcome. Might you be an evangelist?
bebopbountyhead 3 years ago
Dude, you make no sense what-so-ever. "your reply proves that my effort yielded what I wished it to." And don't make up a word to slam me with then try to disect the word into an almost scientific definition. None of what you just said made any sense.
alexm141 3 years ago
Well, I hate to spam, but no I don't. I didn't make up a word. Google it and you will see it is a fairly common insult. I would advise you not to assume that if you haven't heard a word it doesn't exist. Your phrasing is off. You do the same thing with one of my statements. Just because I confused you doesn't necessarily mean that I didn't make sense in general, rather it means that I didn't make sense to you. In such a case a phrase like "I didn't get that at all" would be appropriate.
bebopbountyhead 3 years ago
Immortality? No thanks!
I don't long for death but I must say it is a very interesting thing.
It feels like death is one of earths only really mystical but still so present phenomenon now days when everything is being explained (nothing wrong with that but it do take the "magic" away from things).
So I think I'll go for death :D
Energy can't be destroyed, it can only change form.
TheRaptorJesusCult 3 years ago
I'm sure a majority, personally, would indeed take the route of immortality (if it meant staying young forever, rather than aging endlessly). Humans have a STRONG will/desire to live; I can't imagine why anyone would desire to die (although I am still very young and have not experienced an enormous amount of anguish, despair, or depression, so I cannot begin to understand the mind of people who do take their life willingly).
23daysofclarity 3 years ago
I don't think older people necessarily want to die, but they are able to see a benefit in non-existence. Especially if they have suffered. The idea of an extended YOUTHFUL life is appealing, but just getting older and older without dying is rather horrifying. I imagine that knowing that one COULD live indefinitely would be attractive, but not if one HAD to. I'm still chewing on the idea, but I think I would want an escape clause.
Largo64 3 years ago
Science is working on substantially increasing lifespan; not exactly immortality. It will happen incrementally in additions of decades upon decades. Personally I think it would be the greatest achievement of humanity.
1.) It would allow brilliant scientists to prolong their careers.
2.) It would mean the an eventual end to religion through redundancy.
3.) It would actually solve the problem of overpopulation.
I'll have to make a video response expanding these points. Good topic.
PanopticoNihilist 3 years ago
If we solve the "aging" problem, then people will have a *choice* about when they die. It seems highly unlikely that people could sustain the infinite resources, will, and desire to live forever. It would break the concept of social security.
It would increase the value of individualism and classism over collectivism. Meaning the strength of human species would be traded in for the strength of particular people. It would give a whole new meaning to resources wars.
In short it would be bad.
websnarf 3 years ago
More food for thought. Well done!
Largo64 3 years ago
From a personal perspective, yes. I'm somewhat of a loner so losing family and friends wouldnt be too much of a downer. Added to that, you can always kill yourself if you dont like it. At least we are given the option. That's important.
From an objective perspective, it sounds edgy, but so has every new scientific breakthrough. We would have to do something about population, which is what worries me, but if we could sort that I dont see any major problems from a personal angle.
Clutchology 3 years ago
Ok this is seriously pissing me off, what the hell is up with all these people talking about overpopulation, as if they seriously think that if we could extend life indefinitely we couldn't implement effective birth control measures. Get your head out of your asses people, gawd...
That said absolutely it would be a great thing, I hope Aubrey DeGrey the best of luck...
studio7manga 3 years ago
Would you consider having your body frozen in a cryogenic lab?
iviewthetube 3 years ago
To answer your question about whether the Earth will become too populated.....not too long (10-30 years) from now we will create a Super-AI, which will lead to a "Technological Singularity" (wiki that). By then the overpopulation problem will be solved. We will be going out into space, we might live in digital worlds having kids there, etc because of the enormous processing speed of AI.
DaveDoggOwns 3 years ago
I would want to be immortal, but everyone going back to age 25? That would be just weird. Imagine like 900 years from now you still looked 25, and people like 300 years old looked 25 as well. Man, that would be just wierd.
DaveDoggOwns 3 years ago
From the Silmarillion about the Fates of Men:
"But to the Atani I will give a new gift." Therefore (Illuvatar) willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein; but they should have a virtue to shape their life...Death is their fate, the gift of Illuvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers (the Valar and the Elves) shall envy."
And the story of Akallabeth ("The Downfallen") illustrates the immortality issue as well. So there's my answer.
sthebg20 3 years ago
Maybe immortality is a curse. Maybe the god of the OT/NT who invented Hell did so to punish others for his own unbearable immortality. Misery loves company.
Largo64 3 years ago
Hahahaha I love it. I have hopes that if humanity ever indeed achieve immortality they will also be capable of attaining a way to enhance their consciousness/perception, end things like boredom, suffering, anguish, dispair with technology, that infinity to the mind would become meaningless.
Shalek 3 years ago
Another thought, maybe you(like me) have noticed that when we are happiest is in our dreams(the best ones of course) no matter how senseless they are, if immortality/infinity was like a good dream perhaps it would be great/bearable.
Shalek 3 years ago
Very interesting question. I might make a video responce, but I'll probably just make a post on my blog about it. Far too many considerations to place on a 500 character comment.
locksmyth 3 years ago
Not desirable! Firstly, I don't think our mind could cope with the tedium. Second, over the ages the environment would change and life would become more and more uncomfortable to the point of torture. Evolution and death overcome both of these.
askegg 3 years ago
Well, there's not an "aging gene". We age because every time out DNA reproduces, some of the telomeres aren't copied. Eventually, genes start to become missing, we age, and then we die.
AzazelLucifer42 3 years ago
You mean . . . Methuselah really was of a normal life span? I'm shocked!
Actually, are you sure about that, because I've heard people talking about slowing the aging process as if it were, you know, possible. You probably are right. But this was just a hypothetical anyway. I was really surprised at how much response came so early. Surprised and gratified. It has been an interesting thread. Including your contribution.
Largo64 3 years ago
methinks it can be done in theory- just making sure more telomeres are copied in some amazing way or anther. and if you can decrease that down you can probably stop it completely no? or am I just wishful thinking?
lordnir 3 years ago
Sorry about not responding for so long. Yeah, I'm sure. When the chromosomes are copied, a dozen or so base pairs gets lost because of the way the enzyme is shaped. Dr. Naiman's molecular genetics class was highly insightful.
AzazelLucifer42 3 years ago
it really depends on one thing: what about mental health?
will the mental capacity be that of a 25-year old person, including the mental flexibility?
my decision would depend on this. this is nothing against old people, but if such a rejuvenation-thing would go on for 200 years then the majority of the people will suffer from a whole list of different mental problems.
kurtilein3 3 years ago
Actually, I'm guessing that if a way could be found to turn off the aging gene, such things as Alzheimer's and other mental infirmities might also have been dealt with. There remains the problem though that, as I understand it, we start out with only so many brain cells and don't get replacements when they die. Kinda makes you wonder about Methuselah, doesn't it? Did he spend his last 600 years drooling and nodding?
Largo64 3 years ago
largo64: ``There remains the problem though that, as I understand it, we start out with only so many brain cells and don't get replacements when they die´´ this has since been disproven, under certain circumstances even adults can develop new brain cells. i found out about it after i started juggling myself, they did an experiment where people that couldnt juggle before the experiment had to practise every day for a few weeks, and in one area of the brain there was real growth.
kurtilein3 3 years ago
I dont think i would want to live forever. But for a couple thousand of years yes. I think that would be enough time. Forever is just too long I guess.
zbambam5 3 years ago
Good question, Larry! I'll have a good think about that.
rozeboosje 3 years ago
dame difficult question...
even tho I am 17 years old I would go for mortality. for starters like many said a thousand or so years is more then we need.
and on a side note- have you ever felt that you brain is about to blow up after a longggg day at school/university? just think how many memories, doest matter good or bad, would a 1000 years old person would have with a good memory of a 25 years old... I don't know about you but I would go nuts
lordnir 3 years ago
but I would not appose to live a longer life- you know suspend yourself in every age a little longer like every year would be 5 bio years so we can be 20 years old 5 years and live something like 450 years with luck ^^
lordnir 3 years ago
I'm avoiding doing this as a video to avoid sounding arrogant. Basically, love my job. Highly scientifically sophisticated and broaches some major findings at the human genome level. Want to see all the advances we're going to make in the next thousand years. The arrogant part comes when I consider how many bored, unimaginative, emotionally needy, unstable people there are in the world. Ever watch Jerry Springer? :( Forgive me.
mwest1234 3 years ago
Why 25? Why not 18? Sweet 16???
Jihunn 3 years ago
There can be only one.
cynisturb 3 years ago
Ah, but WHICH one?
Largo64 3 years ago
I think immortality would be desirable, but ONLY if it could be terminated at anytime. Because I think it could be boring after 2500 years.
Katalyzt
Katalyzt 3 years ago
If you ever get a chance; then I suggest watching the movie: "The Man from Earth"... It cleverly shows what immortality could possible be like... I am not sure why, but there is a second of religious "resistance" in the film. ;O)
Katalyzt
Katalyzt 3 years ago
Problem is you would still be able to die. Would you rather die after a full life in old age or in peak physical condition in a car crash? If you never grew old your chances of dying in some tragedy would rise to 100%
Death would become even more of a loss... and you know what? I'd get awful sick of brushing my teeth every morning for 300 years (the daily grind, etc..)
sfg911 3 years ago
Grind, indeed. If you were to live several hundred, or even several thousand years, how many sets of teeth might you wear out completely just by brushing?
Largo64 3 years ago
"Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."
- Susan Ertz
AntiChrist67 3 years ago
i'd kill myself for immortality
TheStoicAgnostic 3 years ago
Clever ;O)
Katalyzt 3 years ago
You can be absolutely sure that immortality treatments would be accompanied with forced sterilization, otherwise the population of earth would explode way beyond what we could possibly feed.
I doubt it would be a good idea. People dying helps society remain flexible with regard to accepting new ideas as well as swapping out the power base. A society of immortals would probably be infinitly rigid in many ways. Also, immortality would halt evolution and make us sitting ducks for bacteria.
FaithIsImaginary 3 years ago
Good points all.
Largo64 3 years ago
I work with elderly people and there comes a point when they get tired of life. Often their body or mind begins to fail. A lot of the drugs they take to stay alive have sideeffects and the quality of life suffers. Also they have seen so much change over this last century. My old ladies were around for the Irish fight for independence and civil war.
yellowlabrador 3 years ago
The argument about money and only rich people getting it done doesn't really hold up. The same argument can be made about, say, curing cancer. If there was a new therapy that treated all cancer it would probably be quite expensive and only rich people would be able to afford that. And in a way it's true even now - richer people can get better medical care, but thats not a good argument against cancer treatment as such.
vilkusuns 3 years ago
hmm... I think I'd like an extended life, especially if it comes with eternal youth.
Although if the living forever was something you had to turn off, I'd probably never get round to it. "I'll die someday, but I really want to see how Lost ends".
Something like that anyway.
DaveJonesBSNews 3 years ago
Personally, yes I would go for the immortality option, but I think the more interesting question is who wouldn't go for it and why?
Would overly religious people choose not to be immortal because of their desire for heaven? Would more intelligent people desire immortality more or would the stupid (A credible argument could be made for either)?
The groups of people who make these choices will determine the course of human and social evolution.
thegoodlocust 3 years ago
One of the reasons this video has had so many responses so early is that it's a really tough choice. Nobody wants to die, yet there are serious consequences if everybody went on indefinitely. What if you were brain damaged, but otherwise healthy? Would someone reverse the process or euthanize you? Young people so far seem to opt for "forever." Older ones are less sure. I don't think religion has that much to do with it. Believers already think they will live forever, just not here.
Largo64 3 years ago
I disagree, I think those prone to hyper-religiousity will reject such technology, and so they will eventually turn themselves into a minority. This will drastically change our society.
thegoodlocust 3 years ago
I wouldn't mind trying it out for a bit, but I would be nervous about the possibility (or inevitability to be honest) of some crazy bastard having thousands of years to perfect some mind control techniques or becoming obsessed with wealth and power. I think that many people who would exercise this option might have some sinister motives!
otissimo9 3 years ago
Larry, check out WhiteDragon103, I've just had a very lengthy discussion with him on this very subject. I wouldn't want to live forever, but he does, and he's very passionate about it. (he's also quite young, so that explains it)
If I have the time this weekend, I'll make a video response.
Atheistblindchick 3 years ago
Bertrand Russell said something like "there isn't a sane man past the age of 80 that would consent to live his life over again." Youth wants to stay young. We older folks are more likely to accept, if not welcome death. Still, if I could have a young body again . . .
Largo64 3 years ago
Sure, but to have a young body and living eternally are two very different things. Having a young body would allow you to do things that you didn't do when you were young because you didn't realize you would one day not be able to do them. Wisdom of age, body of a 25 yo... Not a bad combination.
Atheistblindchick 3 years ago
A consummation devoutly to be wished.
Largo64 3 years ago
You know its ironic, I was just thinking about this earlier today. small world :)
snownet 3 years ago
assuming what you said is possibles i can't see why anyone would wish to leave more then 190 years. i mean by that time anyone who is anybody would have seen everything that have ever be seen heard everything that have ever been said. basically to continue to leave over the stated age would be a boring prospect to leave for 190 let alone for ever. hope to see your comment to this
40rever 3 years ago
hey largo, this is all stuff I've been thinking about lately believe it or not. You have ask if they can turn the aging gene back on? Another question i have is, what is to stop the rest of us who cant afford the drug from just stealing it? I mean, Just assuming that you wanted to live forever, wouldn't u do just above anything besides murder to get it? or to make it free for everyone? maybe murder of one person wouldn't be such a high price for saving tons of people.
newexperiment 3 years ago
Immortality would be great, and I would certainly pursue it if such technology were to become available. However, a more practical side of my brain remains convinced that one of two outcomes would coalesce: 1) the population would become too large for the earth to sustain or 2) the requisite procedure would be expensive and available only to the wealthy elite, resulting in a perpetual, undying aristocracy (one even worse than we have now, rather).
But yes, I'd give it a try. Life's too short.
LibertyIsNotGiven 3 years ago
arg sorry my two comments below are actually displayed in the wrong order..
skullbait 3 years ago
I guess that I would think not of the problem as "Is imortality desireable" but wether or not Death is undesirable. A way of looking at it is like getting up in the morning.. for work or what have you. Your sitting in such a warm and comfy bed.. You never want to get up- you would give anything for just five more minutes... And 5 more after that and so on and so forth.
skullbait 3 years ago
This is kind of like life in the way that We don't want to die... Its something thats pretty much hardwired into our brains. Why? probably because anything which Did want to die or didn't care if it died... DIED. So in a way pretty much no matter what happens.. no matter how bored we become or how isolated by time to others we might feel, or just how unfuckingcaring the world is about our survival we will still just want to live on.
skullbait 3 years ago
It's a fascinating question, Largo. I don't know whether I'd want it, though the idea of getting to be 25 again for a while -- with the significantly fewer responsibilities I had at 25, thank you very much -- is quite appealing. Great video. What's the novel, by the way?
ProfMTH 3 years ago
I've just started it. It's "Rainbow Six" by Tom Clancy. One of the characters is engaged in genetic research with a hope of being able to stop the aging process. Whether that turns out to be important to the story or not I don't know. But it got me thinking about whether I'd actually want to go on indefinitely or not. At times I've thought the time I've already had is too long, so I don't know.
Largo64 3 years ago
I would really know. On one side even if only the rich could live on, at least they would start thinking long term about our environment and over population could finally drive us to the stars. How would it change our world? Would murder be even a bigger crime? But personally, I might enjoy immorality if I could opt out at anytime. Who knows, I might enjoy it but then again I could be stuck with a debt for all eternity with no chance of an early discharge.
RosieDesire 3 years ago
I really do think the "opt out" would be necessary. As for reaching for the stars, human beings tend to put things off until they are critical. I doubt that mankind will actually start to colonize space until the sun is about to nova.
Largo64 3 years ago
Probably right... but I was going for the over population PUSH that would either force people to leave or kill themselves. hmmmm that will probably happen soon even without immortality.
RosieDesire 3 years ago
except cancer
truevoiceofsanity 3 years ago
yes id desire it
truevoiceofsanity 3 years ago
i would hate to live forever. i would get bored after a couple thousand years.
IgWannA2 3 years ago
Then all you do then is blow your brains out.
Duck1987 3 years ago
As Thunderf00t said in one of his videos -Immortality would be a curse. It'd be fun for a maybe a thousand years, but the million, billion and trillion years thereafter would be horrible to cope with, let alone the infinity after that. The fact that we have a finite time on earth gives us purpose, meaning and urgency. I agree with that totally.
Great video. 5 stars and favourited.
AddANumberToThis 3 years ago
If we do invent immortality, we would have to impose a universal law that would forbid people from having children, it's as easy as that.
Seriously, I don't see not having children as a big problem.
Duck1987 3 years ago
I wouldn't mind living forever. I might get bored in a few million years and then end it all, BUT it's way better than to live for 80 odd years
Duck1987 3 years ago
I think I would have to go for it. I've always dreamed of seeing the stars up close and personal and visiting other worlds. There's no way that kind of technology will be produced in my natural lifetime, but with this I could live long enough to catch up with it. Hopefully, if I'm rich enough to afford the treatment to live forever, I'll also be rich enough to galaxy hop.
dinguswad452 3 years ago
That's an interesting thought. If mankind ever hopes to reach other galaxies, there will have to be something like immortality just for the time it would take. But you'd better take a book!
Largo64 3 years ago
I think my Ipod is capable of holding about a hundred years worth of music. That should hold me over for the first half of the trip. Of course I'd have to stop every 15 minutes to recharge the fucker :)
dinguswad452 3 years ago
I'll only would take it if I was going to get other things with it such as invincibility and have beyond Godly power. Since I can be very insensitive at times, I can easily forget about loved ones every 200-300 years after their death. If I don't get the infinite power then I would rather be able to turn it off like Poetivity said. Also, this ability should be limited to 10-50 other people in the entire world.
Go4Br0ke 3 years ago
I'd like more years of youthful vigor, definitely, but we already have immortality just not in a continuous form -- heheheh. And I wouldn't want to be 25, I'd prefer to be 35 for a few hundred years and then 50 for another few hundred. Then I think I would be through. The idea of an immortal ruling class isn't unusual in human society and lots of science fiction stories have been created around it.
liz1060 3 years ago
If I could be restored to the age of 16 with the knowledge and desires that I now possess and stay in that body form....that would be teriffic...provided I also had the powers to be invisible if I got into trouble at the time. :-)
dovad16 3 years ago
What do you mean "if" you got into trouble -- An immortal 16 year old would be in nothing but trouble, don't you think -- hahahaa!
liz1060 3 years ago
Science would have to come up with a lot of really good pharmaceuticals to alleviate the effects of boredom.
iviewthetube 3 years ago
I don't think it can. Many are interested in the exploration of outer space, or regions beneath the ocean's surface. If one could totally fathom the working of the human mind and spirit and know for a fact what the ruling dieties (assuming there are some) desire for us to be in sync with their purposes, that too would be nice. I choose to exude mercy..to any and all sentient beings. I don't give a rip if it pleases the dieties or not...it pleases me to have a purpose.
dovad16 3 years ago
As I conceived it, you wouldn't be bored because you would always be youthful and able to learn new things. Career after career would be possible, because when you tired of one you cold begin studying for another. The opportunities for creativity could be endless. Mind you, I'm not talking here about "forever" in absolute bliss. That would be boring in the extreme.
Largo64 3 years ago
Youtube forever!
iviewthetube 3 years ago
I wouldn't want to be immortal in this life. Sometimes it is totally difficult to live this life on a day-to-day basis. Immortality here on earth would truly be Hell in my eyes.
IHaveEpilepsy 3 years ago
I agree. I regard the mythical belief in reincarnation as another type of hell. So long as one has a total memory, one has a total set of innate insatiable desires. If in an eternal life one could either dump them or totally satisfy them continuously then ok, otherwise, eternal life here or anywhere would be the pitts for sure.
dovad16 3 years ago
For me, immortality on either this plane or a heavenly one is undesirable. Only if I could be without insatiable desires and memory of ills done would I reconsider. I surely would want no part of such a status purchased through the suffering or death of a 3rd party. Additionally, I would want a "Stop" button to self extinguish at any moment I found it unlikeable.
dovad16 3 years ago
If people were 25 and under, they would be able to overpopulate the planet in a couple hundred years. Families would be impossible to keep track of: people would marry and divorce so many times, they would lose track of who was related to them. Family get-togethers? Eeeeek. A patriarch would have to rent Yellowstone park to assemble everyone. The whole planet would die of boredom. Even now, lots of people spend every night watching TV. Ugh! 2,000 years of Judge Judy? Unthinkable. So, no, NO!
8journey8 3 years ago
2000 years of Judge Judy! What a thought! ;<)
Largo64 3 years ago
Why do you assume humans would multiply at the same rate? If they can't eat, if they miss resources, they die. We procreate to maintain the species, to pass on knowledge. We wouldn't have to anymore. Also, the re-creation of cells, the manipulation of genomes, involves a lot of negatives going in the exact opposite direction. That's unavoidable. It will be as easy to speed up aging a 1000 times, as it will be reversing it. Overpopulation will be the least of our worries, is my guess.
Meowbay 3 years ago
meowbay, you're probably right..my response was a giddy *having coffee at starbucks with friends* answer...a few laughs together, and we all disperse..your reply shows that you have really thought about it. It is an intelligent answer, and I like it.
8journey8 3 years ago
Well Do you mean By as in, just about everyone having this anti-aging gene modification or just the rich?
If It's everyone I can see it as a quick and immediate problem, which would end up causing third world countries to literally collapse upon themselves, and an all-time high for homeless people in America and possibly most countries worldwide. the thing is Reseources such as coal and oil and petroleum...much more limited than you think. We may run out pretty soon...just a matter of time.
Mduenisch 3 years ago
TheStoicAgnostic 3 years ago
i feel life of 100 years will be desirable.
but no more.
because it is difficult to keep the human mind happy or satisfied.
i feel immortality of the mind through peace, love and harmony is more important. how many years we live is not important.
gautamagaroo 3 years ago
To never age
to never feel the breakdown of the body
and never experience the tragedy of loss
not only of others, but also of your own
vitality.
Hell yes, I'd do it...I just wouldn't want everyone to.
and I'd want to be able to turn aging back on...at some point.
either that or have a voluntary death.
Poetivity 3 years ago
Agreed. To be able to cancel the option is important.
dovad16 3 years ago
Voluntary death certainly would be an "out." I was thinking that, if we could have our loved ones, too, the continuation of life would make education ongoing and give endless opportunities to grow and create.
Largo64 3 years ago
I have a crazy idea, but I think that that kind of immortality could lead to a immortals vs. mortals war. That is if only some people could turn off aging.
ThaGMan51 3 years ago
"immortals vs. mortals war"
Hmm, call me crazy but my money is on the immortals.
ReligionIsACrutch 3 years ago
Well in Largo64's type of immortality you just won't die of old age. You still can die of diseases, car accidents, being shot in the head etc.
ThaGMan51 3 years ago
There's always that damn bullet! You're right, this "immortality" would only stop the aging process. It wouldn't magically make you invulnerable. You would have the same daily risks as anyone else.
Largo64 3 years ago
Ahh, well in that case, not interested. I'll wait for my titanium frame after the machines become sentient in 2019.
ReligionIsACrutch 3 years ago
There's a movie about this called Zardoz -- early 70s, Sean Connery, psychedelic and cheesy fun! Check it out.
liz1060 3 years ago
No. Overpopulation and the reduction of resources would lead to misery. If life continued forever then I do think life loses value. In other words, I think death is the very thing which makes life precious. I wouldn't mind an immortality connected with people remembering me (if that was in a good way) but that is far different than my actually existing forever.
TheGiggler1 3 years ago
I really like your answer, especially the part about *death being the very thing which makes life precious*. That is intriguing, and I will give it more thought this evening..thanks
8journey8 3 years ago
There would have to be some kind of control on population. As a practical matter, war is likely to wipe us all out, whether we age or not. I agree that the certainty of eventual death makes life precious.
Largo64 3 years ago