Would you live forever?

[Mytical]

Ok say somebody comes up with a way that you could live forever. Your body stops deteriorating so it is immortality and not aging. However it won't prevent injury, infections, etc. Would you do it?

[Gravekeeper]

No, you would end up a mess. The rest of the human race would continue to evolve past you until you were a curious zoo monkey. Your brain would eventually reach capacity memory wise and you'd start to deteriorate mentally and if anyone found out lunatics would be trying to worship or kill you constantly. Which would be especially problematic if you were still prone to injury and infection. It would only be a matter of time till you were maimed for life in some way. Then you'd have to sit there as a meat popsicle for 100 years until technology advnaced far enough to rebuild your busted bits. ;p

[ADeMartino]

Nope. It is said (and I believe there's truth in it) that it is the idea that life WILL eventually end that gives life its meaning.

Besides, given that the world in general seems to be headed for the crapper, do you REALLY want to bear witness to it? Indeed, population growth would explode, and there aren't enough resources for everyone NOW.

If injury and infection still affect you, eventually you WILL catch some disease or sustain some injury that will kill you - thus negating the immortal' aspect. True, it might not happen for tens of thousands of years, but statistics say it WILL eventually happen.

And, on a humorous note, if everyone lived forever, where would you park?

[AnaKhouri]

When people ask questions like this, I always think of a Kurt Vonnegut story in which people have vanquished and diseases and live to incredibly old ages. But there's not enough room for everyone, so this extended family of about 30 people is crammed into a tiny apartment. One couple finally comes up with an ingenius idea to get rid of the extra family members (I won't spoil it, but it's funny).

Personally, I think we get old for a reason, we die for a reason, and eventually no one will remember us. We are meant to disappear. Our planet is already staggering under the weight of the human population. Living forever doesn't mean much when your planet is dead.

[Tama]

This actually reminds me of an episode of TOS Star Trek, where there's a race like this, only they have no disease.. They're desperate for space so they decide the best way to make it is to get disease back.

I wouldn't want to live that long.

[mjr]

This should help answer your questions as to whether or not you'd want to live forever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future

Of course, if you're talking about living forever spiritually, that's a completely different discussion.

[Jack T. Chance]

If I was "merely" immortal, with no special gifts otherwise? HELL NO!

But if I could be something MORE than a mere Homo Sapien? For instance, if I could be Marvel's Wolverine? HELL YES!

Immortality without any "superhuman" abilities would be a waste. Immortality WITH superhuman powers would be frakkin' SWEET!

[Gravekeeper]

Personally, I think we get old for a reason, we die for a reason, and eventually no one will remember us.

That reason being R&D. Evolution only works if you can keep introducing new models while getting rid of the old ones. If the old ones stuck around and kept humping, they'd mess up your R&D. The species wouldn't be able to adapt and we'd die horribly to changing conditions.

There are species of animals who are actually immortal in the sense that they can't die from old age. Its really only a matter of time before humanity figures out how to turn off the death switch. Because the death switch was an intentional feature for the purpose of evolution. We're actually alarmingly close to doing it.

When that happens, birth rates will have to be limited globally. We'll all be China whether we like it or not. Though eventually, suicide rates will go up and all sorts of new neurosis and mental conditions will arise. It'll be great =p

[Tama]

That was an interesting read, mjr....wow.

[PepperElf]

Ok say somebody comes up with a way that you could live forever. Your body stops deteriorating so it is immortality and not aging. However it won't prevent injury, infections, etc. Would you do it?

Who wants to live forever when love must die?

But seriously, no. I imagine I'd get bored eventually. Plus - illness & injury without the possibility of death could be a form of torture too.

I mean can you imagine say... getting leprosy and falling apart... forever? Or getting chopped to bits but still being alive?

Look at how many times Captain Jack Harkness has 'died' but lived. And... I remember an episode of the Highlander where one guy hated Duncan to bits for leaving him to starve - immortal but constantly dying of starvation. Bit like the tortures of Hades, no?


Besides, even with those possibilities out of the way, what about reproduction? How quickly would we fill up the earth? Or would we just peter out, like the elves in old tales who live forever (unless death in battle) but whom rarely have children?

I mean if we could sing trees into harps that might make it fun, but I doubt that would happen to us. (just finished my yearly read/listen to "The Deed of Paksenarrion")

[KhirasHY]

Oh hell no. NO. Why?

Two words: Jack Harkness. (WARNING: Some spoilers for Doctor Who and Torchwood!)

[MoonCat]

Why assume that humanity would always be confined to earth?

If we succeed in developing space travel and humanity expands into space (a scary prospect in more was than one, I know), immortality might not be so bad. Right now, going into space is extremely expensive and dangerous. But we don't know what discoveries and inventions humans might come up with. I wish I could see the future of space exploration.

I have to admit, though, that the idea of going on and on with no end is pretty scary and creepy.

[Kheldarson]

Hello basis of my current novel.

If I could have my husband and some superpowers to go with it, hell yes. ^^

Death scares me silly right now.

[Tama]

If I had a good husband, like they seem to have in LOTR. Galadriel and Celeborn were always quite happy, I might. Plus some magic ability or something. Life as an ordinary human with nothing...no.

[Pixilated]

Why assume that humanity would always be confined to earth?

*snip*

I second this. If we can manage not to blow ourselves to smithereens, or kill ourselves off by some other interesting but unpleasant method(s), I think we will solve the space problem and head out into the Great Beyond.

Would I want to live forever? No. Just for a millennia or two, so I could see a longer story arc in humanity's timeline than what's assigned to me now.