Have the first immortal, or long-term humans been born?

[kranky]

I will be interested to know how the ones who live to be 150 support themselves. Will they work until 100 so they have enough money to live on for 50 more years?

 

[SolMiester]

Im not that religious, but werent the first people of the bible supposed to have lived for hundreds of years?

 

[BoomerD]

I will never understand why a person would ever want to live beyond the age of, say, 50.

Silly child. Once you grow up, you'll understand better.

 

[Ruptga]

Im not that religious, but werent the first people of the bible supposed to have lived for hundreds of years?

Yeah, the first several generations supposedly lived several hundred years each, it's a major factor in the computed 6000 year age of earth. Of course that's all bullshit, but then again so is this whole thread so... carry on?

 

[MongGrel]

I'm beginning to think Keith and Mick are immortal.

 

[mmntech]

The problem right now is not extending lifespan but extending youth. Who the hell wants to live to 200 when you're an old man for 140 of those years?

 

[Jeff7]

The problem right now is not extending lifespan but extending youth. Who the hell wants to live to 200 when you're an old man for 140 of those years?

Can I still yell at young people on my lawn and complain about politics and not have to work?

 

[moonbogg]

The problem right now is not extending lifespan but extending youth. Who the hell wants to live to 200 when you're an old man for 140 of those years?

They will repair the cells and clean them out. Repair telomeres.

 

[Ruptga]

They will repair the cells and clean them out. Repair telomeres.

There is so much more involved than that. Random mutations slowly accumulate in all body cells, and there's not much we can do about that. When we get to the point of serious gene therapies and/or organ cloning, then I might buy it, but that's not happening any time soon. Maybe I'll get lucky and within the next fifty years we'll have that kind of medical breakthrough, and maybe I'll get dealt a straight flush twice in a row and that kind of treatment will actually be affordable and allowed by whatever regulatory agencies. I'm not holding my breath. We're all going to die, some later than others, and that's pretty much it.

 

[Jeeebus]

I know for a fact that at least one immortal was born 400 years ago in the highlands of Scotland.

He is immortal. He cannot die.

Cue music.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I say yes. If you have 50 years left in you, it just might end up being 1,000.

After all the shit I've been through, all those eons that passed away. Finally I made it here, the generation that's here to stay.

I see you've been reading some comments from Aubrey de Grey or have watched his TED talk. I enjoy his talks and insights, but I am skeptical. Humans will definitely be technologically capable of being biologically immortal at some point and quite possibly this century. I'm just not sure it will arrive in time to save most of us.

What de Grey says is that he believes within 20 years, anyone alive will be effectively immortal (or more specifically, will not age; accidents and disease will still be able to kill). He believes it will be achieved in stages and that every few years, lifespan will be extended by incredible amounts and at some point, they'll achieve complete biological immortality. It sounds nice but again, I'll believe it when I see it. At any rate, the societal implications will be huge and I am not sure we can adapt quickly enough.

If a person born today lives to see 200, what kind of advances will happen in 200 years? That same person will live long enough to see new advances which would push them out even farther. They leap frog over death several times over.
At some point during the advancement of biotechnology, things tip, and if you make it past the threshold, then you can live a really long time.

That's basically what de Grey says. He believes that there will be advances to quickly extend lifespan to 150-200 for most people (and I'm sure outliers might hit 250). By the time people would get to that point, further advances would be made which might extend your lifespan to 500-1000 years. And the march will continue.

Again, I'm skeptical -- not that I don't believe it will happen one day, but I'm skeptical we'll reap the benefits of it. It seems to me that to be truly immortal from a biological standpoint, massive genetic engineering would need to occur and most likely, it would have to be implemented at the very beginning of life.

I will be interested to know how the ones who live to be 150 support themselves. Will they work until 100 so they have enough money to live on for 50 more years?

Assuming that this kind of advance would keep your body and mind "young" (ie, you're 120 but have the body and mind of a 30 year-old), I'd imagine you'd work one career, "retire" for 20 years or so, and then maybe go back to school and work another career or update your skills for your previous career. Or, maybe by that point, automation and AI will reach the point where people will no longer have to work due to machines producing all our food, clothing, and manufactured goods. You could therefore engage in activities that interest you -- art, history, etc.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I will never understand why a person would ever want to live beyond the age of, say, 50.

You will when you hit 50.

Sadly.


It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the body getting old.

There are 50 year-olds who could kick your ass and probably beat you in just about any physical contest. being 50 in the 2000s isn't like being 50 in 1940.

 

[gorcorps]

The question is, is it the PERSON who is able to live longer or is it medical technology that would keep them alive?

 

[Fingolfin269]

If I'm going to live to be 200 then that retire by 55 thing may need a minor tweak.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm beginning to think Keith and Mick are immortal.

You bring up a good point. The Stones are coming to Nashville and I'm debating on buying tickets. Problem is I think either one of those guys could break a hip at any time on stage.

 

[tommo123]

and if this is discovered why would it be released? overpopulation is already a problem. unless they make people infertile

 

[disappoint]

Im not that religious, but werent the first people of the bible supposed to have lived for hundreds of years?

I'm not that religious either, but weren't the first people of the bible supposed to have been more gullible on average than people today?

 

[JTsyo]

I say no. We have not conquered DNA damage.

We're making progress in getting longer cell life before the DNA limits kicks in.

 

[Harabec]

If people stop dying, where do we put the new ones?

 

[CraKaJaX]

You bring up a good point. The Stones are coming to Nashville and I'm debating on buying tickets. Problem is I think either one of those guys could break a hip at any time on stage.

Buy tickets now. I saw them in Newark a few years back and it was fantastic. Still running around the stage belting out classics, smoking 6 packs of cigarettes all the while dancing with Lady Gaga (came out as guest singer for Gimme Shelter - it was awesome). Preservatives are a hell of a drug

 

[moonbogg]

I see you've been reading some comments from Aubrey de Grey or have watched his TED talk. I enjoy his talks and insights, but I am skeptical. Humans will definitely be technologically capable of being biologically immortal at some point and quite possibly this century. I'm just not sure it will arrive in time to save most of us.

What de Grey says is that he believes within 20 years, anyone alive will be effectively immortal (or more specifically, will not age; accidents and disease will still be able to kill). He believes it will be achieved in stages and that every few years, lifespan will be extended by incredible amounts and at some point, they'll achieve complete biological immortality. It sounds nice but again, I'll believe it when I see it. At any rate, the societal implications will be huge and I am not sure we can adapt quickly enough.



That's basically what de Grey says. He believes that there will be advances to quickly extend lifespan to 150-200 for most people (and I'm sure outliers might hit 250). By the time people would get to that point, further advances would be made which might extend your lifespan to 500-1000 years. And the march will continue.

Again, I'm skeptical -- not that I don't believe it will happen one day, but I'm skeptical we'll reap the benefits of it. It seems to me that to be truly immortal from a biological standpoint, massive genetic engineering would need to occur and most likely, it would have to be implemented at the very beginning of life.



Assuming that this kind of advance would keep your body and mind "young" (ie, you're 120 but have the body and mind of a 30 year-old), I'd imagine you'd work one career, "retire" for 20 years or so, and then maybe go back to school and work another career or update your skills for your previous career. Or, maybe by that point, automation and AI will reach the point where people will no longer have to work due to machines producing all our food, clothing, and manufactured goods. You could therefore engage in activities that interest you -- art, history, etc.

I don't know who that guy is, but chances are I've watched him at some point. All of the above is what I'm talking about. I have strong confidence that this will happen and I feel we are living in a very special, unique time. Not because we will live forever, but because most of us today are among the last humans who will live a natural, human life and die a natural human death.
Most of the people born 20 or 50 years from now, at least in modern countries, may wonder, for hundreds of years, what it was like to be an original human with all its natural benefits, struggles and downfalls. We are natural, original humans who are naturally evolved without significant modifications. We are living, natural art pieces, among the last of a great era. We have the benefit of experiencing originality, yet are close enough to have hope for a very different, and perhaps bright future that is close enough to seem within our grasp, and for a few of us around now, maybe it is. We live on the parting line, the transition from one great time to another, like watching where the sun meets the darkness on the earth as it rotates into a new day.

 

[Majes]

I tell my students to prepare to live for a very long period of time. Not sure it will happen for everyone, but I like the odds at this point.

 

[MongGrel]

You bring up a good point. The Stones are coming to Nashville and I'm debating on buying tickets. Problem is I think either one of those guys could break a hip at any time on stage.

Robin Williams on Keith Richards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbHJ0KNYEoA

 

[skyking]

You bring up a good point. The Stones are coming to Nashville and I'm debating on buying tickets. Problem is I think either one of those guys could break a hip at any time on stage.

Wouldn't you want to be there?
<cue really old guy voice> Why I was there when Mick broke his hip in Nashville, the first time!

I was at Nolan Ryan's last game. Some totally no name guy hit a GS off him, he threw one more pitch and that was it.

 

[Jeff7]

The question is, is it the PERSON who is able to live longer or is it medical technology that would keep them alive?

*shrug*
So what if it's medical technology keeping you going?
If it keeps your brain going and you retain your memories and manner of thinking, so what? Be a brain in a jar on a robotic body if you want, though that might affect your personality, depending on the specs of the robot body you get.




(If you're talking a "soul," I place that concept squarely in the same playpen as things like astrology, homeopathy, faith healing, and superstition. Your brain is a collection of cells that are capable of encoding, storing, and processing information. The human brain just happens to be freakishly large and capable.)