Would you like to Live longer or forever?

[HolyDevil2053]

I voted yes-youthful...

I think it would be interesting to say the least...

[whoa182]

I dont understand the people on here that say it would be boring.

If a Educated person and has much time to study stuff and learn. They would want all the time in the world to do it.

I agree with this point in the BBC article

Should we cure ageing?

Curing ageing will change society in innumerable ways. Some people are so scared of this that they think we should accept ageing as it is.

I think that is diabolical - it says we should deny people the right to life

The right to choose to live or to die is the most fundamental right there is; conversely, the duty to give others that opportunity to the best of our ability is the most fundamental duty there is.

There is no difference between saving lives and extending lives, because in both cases we are giving people the chance of more life. To say that we shouldn't cure ageing is ageism, saying that old people are unworthy of medical care."

I have the pretty much the same view as that, Atleast this way, you could choose when you want to die, mabey you can even have a choice to have a Very long sleep lol... I dont know.

There is soooo much to do, I have A LOT of interests any believe me, There is not enough time to do them all because of aging.

I still find it amazing how people say they would be bored.

Edited January 9, 2005 by whoa182

[Tetanus]

I'd like to have an extended life span and stay youthful, but still die... and only if everyone around me was the same way. It would be much too painful to watch your family members and loved ones grow old and die... and I'd still want to die because it'd really suck to be alive during the apocalypse.

[whoa182]

This is on today. hes a Very Famous inventor and futurist that makes prediction on Real models, not looking into a crystal ball. He researches a lot, has written some books and is very much interested in Technology trends

"Ray Kurzweil will be interviewed live on CNN cable television on Sunday, January 9 sometime between 4 pm ET and 4:30 pm ET. The topic will be health and longevity. "

Try and watch it, I guess he WILL take about this subject and he might give a more clearer idea of what im trying to put forward.

he wrote his latest book called Fantastic voyage - live long enough to live forever

1 of his old big selling books was called : The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence

Edited January 9, 2005 by whoa182

[scooby-doo]

"There are stories throughout the world of people searching for the "Fountain of Youth." It is said that Pizarro desperately searched in vain for this rejuvenating fountain during his expeditions to the New World. The great secret, however, is that the "Fountain of Youth" does not exist outside of us, but rather exists within us. This fountain is our own sexual energies and drinking from this fountain refers to the transmutation of the sexual energy. The alchemists of medieval times were searching for the Philosopher's Stone, which was supposed to give them eternal life. Great alchemical treatises talk about creating this Stone, but use veiled language. The first step in order to create the Philosopher's Stone is to begin working with the rough mercury. This mercury is our own sexual energies. Working with the mercury means to transmute the sexual energies. Samael Aun Weor states: "Age does not exist. It is merely a crutch that people lean heavily on. What does exist is cellular mechanics. New cells are born, to replace the old cells that die due to erroneous processes of assimilation, etc. The rate of such replacement decreases because of us wasting our energies foolishly and thus, so-called old age arrives at our doorstep."

Even though it may sound like an extraordinary claim to the average individual, physical death does not have to take place. The idea that physical death must occur is an erroneous concept. We currently have defective mechanical and unconscious processes occurring within the body, and it is these erroneous processes that are responsible for the aging process. The people of Lemuria lived for thousands of years. The people of Atlantis lived for centuries. There are accounts of various Masters who are said to have lived for tens of thousands, and even millions of years, with the same physical body. There are a set of exercises within the Gnostic teachings called the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation. These exercises have as one of their purposes the rejuvenation of the physical body. A person of seventy years can, if correctly practicing these exercises, transform himself into someone who is thirty or forty years old. Through transmutation and prayer, a person practicing these rites can ask for rejuvenation, the healing of an organ, general good health, increased intelligence or memory, the healing of an illness or disease, etc.

Samael Aun Weor tells the story of an old English army colonel regaining his youth:

"While in India at the age of 70 years, an English colonel learned that a lamasery (monastery of lamas) existed in Tibet where people could rejuvenate. He invited a friend he had, to come along. His friend was young and obviously did not want to listen to him because he may have thought that since he was young, there was no reason to seek a place to rejuvenate. On the day of the old man's departure, his young friend, as is to be supposed, laughed a great deal to see this poor 70-year-old man, with his cane, bald head, a few white hairs, very old, traveling towards the Himalayas in search of youth. His young friend thought: How funny, this old man has already lived his life and wants to live it again. And, of course, he saw the old man leave and the only reaction in him was laughter. The interesting thing of it all is that after about four months, the Colonel's young friend received a letter from the old man in which he said that he was already on the track of that lamasery called "The Fountain Of Youth", and this information, of course, caused the friend laughter and that is how matters remained. The truth is that four years later, something which was no longer a laughing matter occurred. Someone knocked at the young man's door.

The young man went, opened the door and said,

"At your service, what can I do for you?"

The visitor, who appeared to be a man of about 35 or 40 years answered,

"I am Colonel so and so."

"Ah..."said the young man, "You are the son of the Colonel who left for the Himalayas?"

"No," he answered, "I am the Colonel himself."

"But how is that possible if I know the Colonel, he is my friend and he is an old man and you are not old..."

"I repeat, I am the Colonel who wrote you a letter four months after my departure informing you that I had found the way to the Lamasery."

The visitor showed the young man his documents and obviously, the latter was astounded. Interestingly, while in the Himalayas, the Colonel saw many youths with whom he made friends at the lamasery known as "The Fountain of Youth". There was not a single old man there; everybody was young. He was the only old person; all the others were persons between 35 and 40 years. But later, after he became a very good friend of many, he discovered that all of them were older than 100 years old. In other words, all of them were older than he was, but none of them showed signs of old age. Of course, the Colonel was astonished; he committed himself to the discipline of the lamasery and succeeded in reconquering his youth."

To conclude, transmuting the sexual energies is the key to healing and rejuvenating the body and remaining free from illness and disease. Of course, psychological work on oneself is indeed necessary to combat illness. Since the hidden causes of disease are psychological in nature and created by the ego, the threat of illness will always remain as long as the ego is not completely disintegrated. Transmutation gives us large quantities of energy to work with in our daily lives and in our exercises. By working with transmutation we are opening the door to new possibilities, to the awakening of consciousness, and ultimately to self-realization."

[girty1600]

This is on today. hes a Very Famous inventor and futurist that makes prediction on Real  models, not looking into a crystal ball. He researches a lot, has written some books and is very much interested in Technology trends

"Ray Kurzweil will be interviewed live on CNN cable television on Sunday, January 9 sometime between 4 pm ET and 4:30 pm ET. The topic will be health and longevity. "

Try and watch it, I guess he WILL take about this subject and he might give a more clearer idea of what im trying to put forward.

he wrote his latest book called  Fantastic voyage - live long enough to live forever

1 of his old big selling books was called :  The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence

442663[/snapback]

What you are forgetting is that humans are emotional. Given the opportunity to live forever, most people will say no after thinking it over. No one wants to see all their friends, family and culture come to pass before their very eyes. No matter how scientific we allow ourselves to be, we can't change the fact that we are human.

We don't need a "more clearer" idea to make us want to live forever. I suppose if I were to sacrifice my humanity for scientific purposes and shut down the will to be human then I could do it. But, I would never make that choice, immortality is not an option for me.

[whoa182]

"no1 one wants to see all their friends, family and culture come to pass before their very eyes"

most/all of them will live with you in the time when it all happens. They will have the choice too.

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2004/07/...0712_b_main.asp

heres a radio show where ray kurzweil was on a few months ago. he talks about all the points you guys made in the topic and has some good idea how we will tackle them.

Ray Kurzweil is a legendary dynamo of human innovation. He's founded nine businesses in everything from speech recognition to artificial intelligence. Now Ray Kurzweil's restless mind is focused on human life.

Immortality is just around the corner, according to Kurzweil. The super-charged convergence of biology, computing, and nanotechnology, he says, is about to radically extend human life. And it may be just a matter of a couple of decades, not centuries, before the human lifespan becomes essentially unlimited-- not 100 but many centuries.

Tune in to hear techologist Ray Kurzweil talk about his how-to-achieve the unlimited human lifespan guide.

PLEASEEE Take a listen, its only 32kb audio for about 30minutes.

The link is in this post, You can listen with Windows media player, real player, quicktime it starts around 6 minutes into the audio

When you are ill. Are you going to refuse these treatments that cure you're heart disease. basicly reversing damage to you're organs and cure you're cancer?

Edited January 9, 2005 by whoa182

[girty1600]

^meh......To each his own. Not me though.

[Fluffybunny]

I wouldn't want to live forever.

It would be nice to be able to live a little longer as long as I could be healthy; maybe a couple of hundred years but no more.

It would be nice to be able to live long enough to have many varied careers and an incredible education, as well as the wisdom that would come with living so long. It would be very hard to want to live so long in a society like what we have today where there are so many bad things happening in the world and uncontrolled greed and ignorance seem to be gaining a stronghold like nothing that we have seen in recent times...

[RaginCajun]

i would love to live for a very long time. maybe even forever. when and where can i sign up. (seriously). i can really start dreaming of my ultimate goals and plans. i would like to be maybe the only one too. i would be a history book but can talk and interact with you guys.

[whoa182]

I think that If life were to stay the same as today, it would be quite boring for living for hundreds of years without change.

But thats where you need to look more to the future, Life today is far different from 50 years ago. to be honest life is quite different even from 25 years ago!. so things will always change, There will always be new discoveries.

Imagin if this model is correct. look at what it is saying.

An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense "intuitive linear" view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century -- it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The "returns," such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth.

the future: it's widely misunderstood. Our forebears expected the future to be pretty much like their present, which had been pretty much like their past. Although exponential trends did exist a thousand years ago, they were at that very early stage where an exponential trend is so flat that it looks like no trend at all. So their lack of expectations was largely fulfilled. Today, in accordance with the common wisdom, everyone expects continuous technological progress and the social repercussions that follow. But the future will be far more surprising than most observers realize: few have truly internalized the implications of the fact that the rate of change itself is accelerating.

for the actualy Data and graphs and more info you can see it all here

http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1

Mabey this will convince you. mabey not. If you scroll down you might be facinated about the type of technology we will probably see. scroll and see the sub headings

Then it will be upto you, when the time comes

Edited January 9, 2005 by whoa182

[Mad Manfred]

"no1 one wants to see all their friends, family and culture come to pass before their very eyes"

Well, I guess it's easier for people who aren't dependant on others for physical and emotional support.

Imagine what wonders you'd see in a thousand or tens of thousands of years from now. Family, friends and lovers come and go, knowledge and experience is forever.

I'd sell my little ficitious soul for the chance

[Alien_child]

no matter how you put the matter, alot of people would not like to live 4 ever. yes a hell lot of things will change over 500 years perhaps everything, but when your talking about living forever your still going to be living day by day week by week and 1 year at a time. at the start of the topic you describe how nothing much has happened in the last 10yrs nor 20, years well what is the difference when u live 4 ever your not going to wake up 1 morning and 50yrs have just flew past. your days will still be 24hrs long and at 500yrs old all those 182,500 days are just going to blend in to one another and unless you have a hell awsome memory u wont be able to remember jack of the last 300yrs , so you will be living each day just like we do now, nothing will seem special. every thing we find entrancing about the future now will just seem boring to that generation and it will just seem boring to us. even in 500yrs time nothing will seem to change over a ten year period. just like nothing seems to change now.... i think thats what all u people who are chasing a never ending life forget.

[Mad Manfred]

I understand perfectly. I stand by my drunken statement.

[whoa182]

Our brains wont be capable of living that long without being changed in many ways. Artificial neurons etc..

So our mental capabilities might of advanced by the end of the 21st century.

[Alien_child]

by the way your make it out it wont be us humans living for iternity but some big pile of scientificly modified brain.

they still call them selves human, either they cant think of another name for there kind or because they wish they still were. the only thing that remotly looks human about them ne more is there eyes, thats the one thing that the scientists have no need to change. they drink oxygen because the air is so poluted from previous generations, the earth has been raped of all its natural resourses and it it remains to be is a trashed wasteland. The new humans live consantly straped to Virtual reality games, where they can play there lives out as us humans do today where u can still go 2 a beach and fish and swim with no one else is around.

we may only live for a short period of time but that what living life is all about. the risk of not being here tomoro is what drives us to live our lives to the full protential that we possibly can. when life has no end what will u live for , just to see the next big discovery that happens once every 20years perhaps or the new technology that comes out once every 5. wouldnt it just be better to build a time machine and see all these things and once u get bored move ahead a few more hundred years it would defently be a lot more exiting, then waiting for everything to happen because it wont all happen at once its going to happen gradually. 1 thing at a time .

Edited January 10, 2005 by Alien_child

[whoa182]

We already have the ability to re-arrange atoms, The hope is within the next 10-20 years we will have the capability to build anything we want form a nano-assembler.

If this were ever to be built, world resources would be a problem AT ALL. It could grab the raw materials ( atoms ) and arrange them in the in the appropiate order to make any type of material you want, any food, water, diamonds, a house, a rocket.... It would self assemble and basicly build up infront of you on its own.

That is Nanotechnology, that is the future. Probably more far off future, but We know that a nano assembler should be and probably is Very likely to be built within the first half of this century, Most optomistic veiews are around 2020.

Its very dangerous technology, But also will reward humanity in many ways if used right.

This probably sounds really far fetched to you, But believe me... its Already happening and being developed. The first country to come with a nano assembler.

WINS the most powerful position on the planet

its that simple

Examle of what Nanotech really is

A molecular assembler is a device capable of breaking and creating the chemical bonds between atoms and molecules. Since a molecular assembler is by definition able to self-replace, the first could build a duplicate copy of itself. Those two then become four, become eight, and so on. This compounding capital base could lead to a massive and decisive force within days.

a state that makes the assembler breakthrough could rapidly create a decisive military force – if not literally overnight, then at least with unprecedented speed.

The race to build a molecular assembler, if won. will result in its worldwide nanotechnic dictatorship

So there are dangers to living in the 21st century and beyond, Forget nukes. They are nothing compared to what technology is here and is advancing so fast.

I personally want to stay alive long enough to see Space colonization become a reality across our solar system and beyond ( that I need some major extended time ) also I am extremely interested in Computers, Biotech and Nanotech. How far will humans go in the 21st century. Machine and man living together. Possibly merge.

scientists call the 21st century, The post Human era. I want to see it. I want to be in it

Edited January 9, 2005 by whoa182

[Alien_child]

well if you want to see Space colonization become a reality why dont u build a time machine its nearlly as far fetched as your idea of living for ever.

Edited January 10, 2005 by Alien_child

[seeking]

i would love to be able to live up untill the end of civilization, i so want to go into space, i so want to walk on the moon, and other planets, i so want to see the cure for diseases and so want to see what kinds of technology we develop, i would love to know if light speed is ever achieved, or near light speed for that matter, i would love to see it all, i think i have a problem i hate missing out on things, i feel like ive been cheated, its not fair to me that one day i will die and miss out on whats really out there

[whoa182]

Check out what this guy has to say, hes actually 1 of the brainiest guys on the planet. Elezer Yudkowsky

http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=7610

he has a really good philosophy on this whole subject , its just a Audio file, 16mb or 4mb

Tell me what you think about his views.. I totally agree with what hes saying lol and he covers nearly everything and gives some answeres to the questions asked here

Edited January 11, 2005 by whoa182

[tanmoychat]

Check out what this guy has to say, hes actually 1 of the brainiest guys on the planet. Elezer Yudkowsky

http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=7610

he has a really good philosophy on this whole subject , its just a Audio file, 16mb or 4mb

Tell me what you think about his views..  I totally agree with what hes saying lol and he covers nearly everything and gives some answeres to the questions asked here

445519[/snapback]

I guess the massive tsunami in Asia proved once again that against Nature man stands nowhere. Hwoever technologically advanced we become still we will remain an atom in front of the collossal mother nature.

Till date we havent even tracked even 10% of all the near earth asteriods. According to one of the articles in Discovery Channel a very famous astronmer was reflecting the fact that for sure we know only 1% of the totoal asteriods and comets and can track their path. But we do not know anything about the remianig 99% of them ....Even with the so called advancement in science...I agree that comparing our forefathers say 1000 years ago we are far far ahead and still going string, yet one immortal fact is thet nature is Infinite. Being mere mortals we can always try to reach infinity but can never reach there.

Also just imagine that in a few yeare huge chunks of ice breaks from the the Artic and Antartic Reagions, it wont be long before another Ice age sets in...How much fuelf or energey do we have which can keep all of us alive till the end of Ice Age. Agreed that Man has always tried to fight against mother nature building houses to shelter from the storms rains sun, building transportation system to cover enormous distaces in matter of minutes, yet the fact remains that nature is really vast and unfathomable. The moment medical science finds a cure for deadly disease like TB or Pox, another one in the form of aids crop up. Studies have shown that the hepatitis viruses are adapting themselves against the vaccination. There are hundreds of other diseases which may break out any day anytime and wipe out millions and millions of people from the face of earth.

Regarding longeivity, yes averager life span of humans is increasing (discounting the many myths of tibetian fountain of youth, and our ancestors living 1000 s of years), but again with the lifespan the other by products like pollution, global warming, resource crunch are also increasing. and there will always a fight . Lets see who wins in that fight.

But certainsly science has atleast allowed us to think that we cahieve immortality. Who knows maybe we can some day...But I really doubt whether mankind can last long against the fury of Nature.

God Bless All!!!!

[Alien_child]

it wont be long before another Ice age sets in...How much fuelf or energey do we have which can keep all of us alive till the end of Ice Age.

Us humans survived the last ice age and we were still in the stone age.... this is the 21st centery mate were not going ne where..... unless like an asteroind hits or something

[tanmoychat]

it wont be long before another Ice age sets in...How much fuelf or energey do we have which can keep all of us alive till the end of Ice Age.

Us humans survived the last ice age and we were still in the stone age.... this is the 21st centery mate were not going ne where..... unless like an asteroind hits or something

445767[/snapback]

Get your facts right Dude before being over-optimistic. Ice Age can result due to global warming. It has even been picturised in The Day after Tomorrow. By the way I am not quoting any movies out here. For more information go to http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0130-11.htm

Probably ya humans may survive the ice age but certainly it would lead to mass wipe out and probably alien species like you may survive who will have to start culture, scientific breakthrough all over again

[Alien_child]

if u noticed the day after 2moro has been greatly over exagerated with the wheather der. u watch way to many movies. so i bet u recon the care bears are real to.

[whoa182]

PLAY: A Theory of Fun - A talk given by Eliezer

http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=7610

Take a listen to this, Right click and ' Save target as ' on FTP or HTTP link on that webpage...

He explains all this in quite a good way, he explains a lot about living forever and boredem. He might make you think again about Death, Longer life may not be how you see it now

edit: ohwell, Ive just noticed I put this link down twice, But if any1 is still interested in discussing this topic, then please do lol

Edited January 23, 2005 by whoa182