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[Armok]

counterargumnt.

Yes, that bad. Very bad in fact.
But is it bad enough justify the deaths of billions(, and one among those billions most likely being you)?

[redacted123]

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[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

I very much like the idea of biological immortality. One of the things most humans share is a wish for more time to do things, and I think that achieving that is the right thing to do. Also, we could theoretically live for 1000+ years, but only with care. You might be immune to infection and, presumably, most wounds, but being crushed flat or in any other way totally obliterated and jumbled up, you'd probably be as dead as anyone else. If anything, your splattering would become more likely over time as you try out as much stuff as you can in your theoretically indefinitely extended life.

[Korbac]

Immortality (to aging and disease - I think we can agree that complete physical immortality is impossible) -

Pros
Death will always be an exciting affair
Society can be ruled by extremely wise, spiritually advanced people
Said people increase science output exponentially
Life less 'luck based' - seeing as fairly random hitting problems like cancer are eliminated
Less worrying about death being "just around the corner" - most of the time it will be spontaneous (like being hit by a truck)
Friendships may be strengthened - if, say, immortality of this sort stops aging, and you're able to work for 200+ years, you're going to have some damn close friends. And friends are lovely.

Cons
Mass starvation causes more death than we would have if we lived 'naturally'
Who's to say people will mature as they age? Maybe we'll all become very cunning materialistic people
Life becomes 'cheap' and mass chaos will take place (this is a risk, not a certainty. However, it's a damn dangerous risk)
If you believe in religion, you're going to spend longer on Earth, which isn't heaven! Also, nasty people avoid hell for longer, which is bad.
Life as a whole loses meaning
People living for 150+ years without proper mental care go insane and must be euthanised for their own good

Overall, I don't really mind - if immortality comes about, cool. If it doesn't... No biggie. 

Also, Maggarg - good side of the story. Nice to hear intelligent people's opinions. 

[Osmosis Jones]

People living for 150+ years without proper mental care go insane and must be euthanised for their own good

Uhhhh say what?

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

Eh, I'm not really seeing that.

[Korbac]

Sorry about that, should have explained.

People around 70 - 80 often go senile as it is now. Perhaps I should have used that term. Think of living to 150 - and the chances increase every year you are alive.

So basically I was talking about people's brains breaking down.

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

Depends on what you mean by immortality and longevity, which would presumably halt, or slow the bodies natural aging process down.

[Korbac]

Correct, in which case I would be wrong. Unless of course as you get older you get more and more information until your brain can't handle any more and just randomly erases bits to let new stuff in.

[DJ]

Immortality would make the world grow stale. Change of generations is what pushes science and culture forward. That, and nobody would get anything done if they had millennia to do it.

[Lord Dakoth]

If we have immortality, or even if we extend human life by a few years, we'll have even more of an overpopulation problem.

I think that if we work on researching ways to extend human life, we should also research cheaper, more efficient contraceptives.

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

And better space travel, which could also be a major aid.

[Korbac]

Reading Lord Dakoth's comment, and then what DJ said again, makes me think that immortality is good for the generation who get it but not for the advancement of the human race in the long run.

[Kagus]

Well bugger the current derailment and gimme some o' that nanogel.  I just managed to cut my fingertip open and this bandaid is playing havoc with my typing.

And besides, hasn't anyone considered how immortality will turn us into elves?

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

You mean we'll all become tall, pale-skinned, nature-worshiping, anthrophagic, zerg rushers?