16 replies to this topic

[Calvary]

Having watched Ghost in a Shell recently, I've been pondering human mortality more than normal recently. I figured it might be an interesting topic to breach, I have no idea what other people's opinions on this are. I was thinking about maybe putting this in the science subforum, but since I suppose this will mostly be a theoretical/philosophical topic, rather than a scientific one, it may as well sit in EE.

 

I for one, am a transhumanist; I firmly believe that the continuation of the human species rests in our ability to augment our feeble human bodies and escape the limited resources of planet earth. More importantly than that though, I believe our best chances to experience happiness and excitement are locked within the realm of transhumanism, mind-uploading and bodily augmentation.

 

If you were to ask me whether I wanted to live forever, I wouldn't hesitate to affirm. I honestly believe that the chance to become biologically immortal will be granted to us within our lifetime, and that immortality will be achieve through the uploading of our minds to a neural network, or artificial brain that is house alternatively in a ; computer network or sensory android-like machine; think cybermen but less silver and more feelings.

 

A recent episode of Black Mirror touched on mind-uploading: San Junipero was based almost entirely in a purely non-physical world, and I really do believe this is where our future lies, or at least where we can experience a level of stimuli that vastly improves our state of living.

 

Anyway, would you guys wanna live forever? Are you a transhumanist? Do you believe there are moral quandries with the notion of immortality?

[SpleenBeGone]

I would do so much stupid shit if I could quicksave before hand.

 

If it's just one body though, I think it might get boring. 

[Bestmand902]

Honestly, there's both a plus to immortality, and a downside IMO:

On the plus, you could do so much with Immortality, both very stupid things (I.E jump off a mountain without a parachute and survive), and very good things (Dedicate your life to the pursuit of knowledge and possibly know everything)

 

But at the same time...There's always the possibility of the problems we already face (Pollution, Overpopulation, world hunger, etc.) increasing if we're immortal. It'd be difficult to easily feed or find space for an infinite and growing number of people unless planetary colonization was a thing by then, but even then, what happens after THAT planet would get overrun/ruined? Uncomfortable as it may be to admit, Death's a pretty important part to life. Doesn't mean I'd really go seeking it out or glorify it, but I do feel like it's what keeps some things in line. 

 

Um...Sorry if this came off as stupid...

[Affray]

Humans augmenting ourselves in ways that will prolong our lifespan is nothing new and isn't going to go away any time soon.

As a species our average lifespan has gotten insanely high comparatively in an insanely short amount of time, which we have accomplished through several means.

Since the sword of Damocles that is death has been getting less and less threatening thanks to advances in society and medical science, humans have been focusing on how we can beat death instead of accepting it as a definite end game.

 

Anyone who is against humans augmenting themselves with hardware/software in order to further push our lifespans/capabilities hasn't really looked at the past and seen that it is exactly that which got us to this point. We are insanely overpopulated because we have relentlessly searched for anything and everything that can keep us alive longer. Medicine/medical care, genetic mapping/tweaking, physical hardware that replaces limbs, eyes, ligaments, organs, etc. Humans adding more stuff that we invent to ourselves in order to become stronger, smarter, better is just a natural progression of our knack for survival. We will do anything and everything within our power(which is growing every day) to stay alive as long as possible. As a species we have broken through the walls of our niche on this planet and now most things in this world bend around our will/presence. The next logical step is to push for understanding of everything that there is, which is tough when our individual lifespans are relatively short even compared to many things on our planet alone. As a species we have already surpassed our assigned limits and we need something else to work toward, which isn't going to be a purpose that we were created for but rather a purpose that we decide for ourselves.

 

As far as I see it we only have a few options in the long run.

 

Our population continues to grow and we exhaust our global environment which results in our species either being obliterated from the world or dwindling down to a more manageable number.

 

We cull ourselves down to a more manageable number to minimize overall loss. (Not likely given our human rights and general will to not be killed in mass)

 

We continue our current path and keep finding ways to prolong our mental/physical selves so that we can sidestep death and continue on our own hand crafted journey, which would have to lead to colonizing other planets because the population boom would be even worse than it is now.

 

The bottom line is that we aren't going to give up our struggle for survival, even if it is us that we are trying to survive.

We will keep going and doing what we need to do in order to continue as a species and there isn't much we can do to fight the future.

 

To partially quote Dylan Thomas (and Bill Pullman):

 

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light

[Capsicum Annuum]

How do people even die of old age? What happens to the body when someone has natural causes?

[idk]

How do people even die of old age? What happens to the body when someone has natural causes

 

Deeming death being caused by "natural causes" could be anything that could naturally kill you.

 

90 years old and died of a heart attack? Chock that up to natural causes.

 

25 and trying to fist-fight a shark? Darwin award plus natural causes.

[Affray]

How do people even die of old age? What happens to the body when someone has natural causes?

As far as I understand it ageing only even exists because when our cells replicate the resulting generation of cells has very slightly weaker molecular bonds than it's predecessor. Span than minimal weakening over ninety years and it all adds up to an overall shitty product.

 

Think of it like a printer that slowly runs out of ink until all that is left is a sad shadowy version of it's former self.

Then it dies.

[m1splacedSan1ty]

I feel like there should be population control or we just die out.

[The Robstar]

Personally I don't mind dying. Sure that may not be for another 50 years or a few months.....

 

But I simply could not stand the idea of watching all my loved ones die. 

 

There's that Justin Timberlake movie "In Time" where one of the characters says that "Humans simply must die" I agree with him.

[Calvary]

How do people even die of old age? What happens to the body when someone has natural causes?

I think it's to do with the fact that your bodily cells have a Hayfleck limit--that is--the maximum number of times they can replicate before they just turn to useless gunge.

[m1splacedSan1ty]

If nobody dies then we'll be severely overpopulated. Unless you mean only the rich people are alive at this point.....

[Calvary]

Perhaps immortality will allow us the option of whether or not to bother having children, in which case it's not too much of an issue. Alternatively, if biological immortality is achieved through the use of mind transfer rather than bodily augmentation then it won't matter, as we'll be consuming power sources, we will be able to revert all arable and pastured land to their natural states.

[Mister Sympa]

Honestly, I'm scared of death and nothingness, but watching everyone I know and love die around me forever isn't something I'm prepared to deal with.

 

I've had enough of that, thank you.

[Affray]

Honestly, I'm scared of death and nothingness, but watching everyone I know and love die around me forever isn't something I'm prepared to deal with.

 

I've had enough of that, thank you.

That's why most people get eighty something years to come to terms with it all.

Everyone who has half a brain is concerned and scared about what happens to them when it's time.

Welcome to adulthood, the first drink is on the house.

[Photography Raptor]

Immortality sounds boring.

I want to say no - not for watching the loved ones die. That's inevitable going to happen. The only way I could accept it was if I were alive at the beginning of civilization. Beginning to end. Jumping in at the 'half way' point seems kinda dumb. See history through my own eyes. Make my own records. Live in every country, learn every dialect. That would be cool.

[Tiger's Blood]

In 1974, when I was 14, I saw a girl outside of our group when we were on a field trip outside of a shop. I knew that the girl had been killed, I saw her die, but I didn't help. Soon after, we walked down the alley, and she was dancing recklessly and she was naked. It was the first time I saw a ghost in real life. Another possibility was when we had a party. It was when an old man sent a young girl out of the room during a baseball game when she was caught by multiple men, pushed to the ground, had her clothes stolen, but they stopped and then she was worshipped. I haven't ever seen such a big beautiful sass like that. Did she get her sass from her mom? If that's the case, her sass could only get bigger when she grew up. I bet she's older now, but she still has a very nice sass. There were many other occasions when I heard about the school bus, and stories like that today are never going to happen, but things are making a comeback. These memories are my favorite.

[bombeast]

What the hell?