Reply #84: If this can be done, it will be done... [View All]

...and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. It doesn't matter if people don't like the "concept" of living for hundreds or thousands of years, if it looks like such a thing is possible in 50 years or so, someone will fund the research and "take the pill". It'll be a rich someone of course, probably someone who doesn't deserve to live that long. Initially the drug will only be available for the rich anyway. But as time goes on, it will eventually slip through their fingers and the masses will be able to get their hands on it.

All the problems and considerations that have been talked about in this thread are valid, but that doesn't change the fact that they're moot. People don't care about the effect on the population or their minds, they'll still take the drug. And I'm convinced that something like this will eventually be created.

I saw the segement on 60 minutes last night and despite the detractors trying to paint the Oxford fellow as a snake oil salesman, he was still within the realm of scientific possibilities. He was talking about tinkering with human DNA...with that all kinds of new possibilies are created. It doesn't matter what nature made us to me, or how long we evolved to live, we're talking about the artificial modification of human beings. We didn't evolve to be able to spring back from cancer or other diseases, or to have artifical hearts etc. If you don't think its possible to tinker with DNA, then fine...I think you might be in for a big surprise.

Now, as to question of would I take the drug... Well I'm still young and I don't have a family to worry about so I'd say yes. I'm also an agnostic and terrified of death. I can't fully beleive that there's some kind of afterlife to fall back on, yet I hope there is. I find the prospect of nothingness and non-existance that atheists find comforting more terrifiying than anything. So just to be sure I'd like to live as long as possible. Also, I have an interest in space exploration so I'd like to be around to witness some progress...seeing as how it looks like we're not doing anything about it now.