Poll: Would you become ageless?

[AlexWinter]

Futurists predict than within a century - if not sooner - technology will have allowed us to halt ageing, indefinitely.

The primary question is in the heading but moreover if the world adopted being an ageless society then how would you regulate it if it were up to you?

What are your objections to a world where the physical ageing process is no longer existent after reaching maturity?

When would you decide to end your unlimited lifespan?

 

[DJ_DEnM]

Yes.

I'd save up money, Buy a Blue Police Box, attach wheels to the bottom and go around screaming "I'M THE DOCTOR, I'M THE DOCTOR!" and be known as that one guy who still isn't dead running around like a mad man.

 

[Goofguy]

I wouldn't want to for several reasons. First off, I wouldn't want to outlive ALL of my friends and family (assuming they haven't gotten the 'treatment'). Secondly, I think I would get bored. I have not seen everything the world has to offer but knowing I can die at any point adds a certain sense of urgency to it.

 

[Esotera]

The only caveat is that people taking the treatment should not be allowed to have children until they stop the treatment and continue the normal ageing process. This is for pretty obvious practical reasons - if our current attitudes to reproduction weren't drastically changed with this technology, then the outcome would be disastrous.

I think this would be a really good thing though, as we would have more time to pursue interests, scientists & engineers would have the opportunity to conduct research on vast scales, and retain their knowledge, and society would have far more emphasis on pursuing hobbies like art & sport. Then when someone grows tired of indefinite lifespan, they can have children and allow them to live long & interesting lives too. It's a natural extension of how given the choice, a lot of couples will have children later in their life to improve their careers.

I've no idea when my lifespan would end. Probably not much over 1000, but at that point I may have a completely different view on living.

 

[Ruedyn]

Population I foresee being a huge issue.

Still, I chose Pokemanz option for teh lulz.

 

[Dags90]

Futurists are usually pretty sucky at their jobs. Like baseball players, they're allowed to fuck it up the majority of the time and still be considered awesome at it.

Things futurists told us we would have by now:
Cancer? Gone
Heart attacks? Not a problem, enjoy your Double Down.
*The internet. Would it be so sweet by any other name?
*3-D TV/projection. Sort of. It's not quite the holograms people hoped for, but maybe in another 30 years.
Privately operated space stations.
A Mars base.
A Jude Law sex machine.

*I'll give them these.

 

[Jedoro]

Overpopulation is a concern. But that's why we have space.

Lightspeed is no longer a limit if we assume an infinite lifespan. Given technology to sustain life aboard a starship (the hardest need to circumvent being the need for fresh water) we could finally begin to expand and explore our galaxy - and perhaps even other galaxies. Without the limits of time we can truly begin to find out what exists beyond our tiny fragment of the universe.

So yeah, I'm all for it.

That's one of my reasons, but it'd still take a fuckton of fuel to do that flying.

Besides, if this tech's available enough that I can afford it, surely my loved ones can, as well.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

Futurists are usually pretty sucky at their jobs. Like baseball players, they're allowed to fuck it up the majority of the time and still be considered awesome at it.

Things futurists told us we would have by now:
Cancer? Gone
Heart attacks? Not a problem, enjoy your Double Down.
*The internet. Would it be so sweet by any other name?
*3-D TV/projection. Sort of. It's not quite the holograms people hoped for, but maybe in another 30 years.
Privately operated space stations.
A Mars base.
A Jude Law sex machine.

What exactly is the process to becoming a futurist? I'm pretty sure that it isn't a full-time job, seeing as for the most part their predictions are wrong.

 

[Dags90]

What exactly is the process to becoming a futurist? I'm pretty sure that it isn't a full-time job, seeing as for the most part their predictions are wrong.

Maybe it's just a pompous self identifier. In which case this futurist predicts that people will still be dying of cancer, and heart attacks, even malnutrition in 100 years.

/cynical

 

[Basement Cat]

As far as the scientific basis for this question goes--Yeah, as a non-practicing biologist I can tell you that we're getting close. In fact I would be surprised if it would take us a century to achieve relative agelessness.

That's not me talking as a 'futurist', whatever they may be, but as a guy who understands the hard science behind such potential break throughs.

To paraphrase Wierd Al's parody: "It's all about the Telomeres, Baby!"

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Alzheimers/aging-reversed-mice/story?id=12269125#.UEaCJahRGso.email


The reason I don't get worked up or excited about this subject it is that the odds are good that everyone I love and I myself will be dead by the time they do figure it out.

OT: I voted yes because I like to keep my options open. Moreover while the science for 'ageless' immortality may come to fruition it's not true undying immortality.

Seriously, you may not die of old age but what are the odds of any of us who underwent a "Prolong" treatment (to use the applicable term from David Weber's Honor Harrington series) actually surviving a thousand years without dying in a car wreck, of food poisoning, or by being murdered, or struck by lightning, or getting drunk on our 999th birthday and tripping and falling down the stairs and breaking our neck, etc, etc?

And throw in the occasional caldera explosions, too. Mega-tsunamis, anyone?

We're all born into the grave. A 'Prolong' treatment just has the capacity to extend our time maybe a few centuries longer.

On a less fatalistically philosophical note maybe if I lived to be one or two hundred years old I would finally start to figure women out.

It COULD happen.

[small]Theoretically.[/small]

 

[MammothBlade]

Of course. I will rule the world forever, and use immortality as a reward for my most loyal servants. Muahaahahaa!

 

[Ruedyn]

A Jude Law sex machine.

I believe that would be called a 'clone'

 

[ClockworkPenguin]

As far as the scientific basis for this question goes--Yeah, as a non-practicing biologist I can tell you that we're getting close. In fact I would be surprised if it would take us a century to achieve relative agelessness.

That's not me talking as a 'futurist', whatever they may be, but as a guy who understands the hard science behind such potential break throughs.

To paraphrase Wierd Al's parody: "It's all about the Telomeres, Baby!"

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Alzheimers/aging-reversed-mice/story?id=12269125#.UEaCJahRGso.email


The reason I don't get worked up or excited about this subject it is that the odds are good that everyone I love and I myself will be dead by the time they do figure it out.

OT: I voted yes because I like to keep my options open. Moreover while the science for 'ageless' immortality may come to fruition it's not true undying immortality.

Seriously, you may not die of old age but what are the odds of any of us who underwent a "Prolong" treatment (to use the applicable term from David Weber's Honor Harrington series) actually surviving a thousand years without dying in a car wreck, of food poisoning, or by being murdered, or struck by lightning, or getting drunk on our 999th birthday and tripping and falling down the stairs and breaking our neck, etc, etc?

And throw in the occasional caldera explosions, too. Mega-tsunamis, anyone?

We're all born into the grave. A 'Prolong' treatment just has the capacity to extend our time maybe a few centuries longer.

On a less fatalistically philosophical note maybe if I lived to be one or two hundred years old I would finally start to figure women out.

It COULD happen.

[small]Theoretically.[/small]

Its interesting you brought up Alzeimers. If we managed to 'halt' ageing, would we still have the problem that our brain cells don't get replaced. Effectively meaning that eventually we would all get dementia.

 

[DugMachine]

Unless the ones I love do the same there is no point in living forever. Once everyone is gone it's going to get damn lonely and boring real fast.

 

[Dags90]

I believe that would be called a 'clone'

It's a movie reference. Jude Law played a literal sex machine in AI: Artificial Intelligence, aptly named Gigolo Joe.

 

[Ruedyn]

I believe that would be called a 'clone'

It's a movie reference. Jude Law played a literal sex machine in AI: Artificial Intelligence, aptly named Gigolo Joe.

I need to watch more movies ._.

Sorry if I ruined your joke. Please don't hate me ;_;

 

[Hawk eye1466]

I'd so do that and yes I'd probably be sad for a while that all my friends are gone if they didn't become immortal like morons but the main reason I'd do it in a heartbeat and with no regret is because I want a goddamned spaceship the size of Nebraska where I can cruise the endless galaxy having adventures all the time.

 

[deserteagleeye]

If they have the science to halt the aging process them I'm sure forcing someone to age would be a cinch. That way, I can experience old age whenever I want to when I'm tired of eternal youth. If not, I'll find other ways of giving myself wrinkles, flabby jowls, poor eyesight, short-term memory loss, stiff joints, receding hairline, short-term memory loss, old man smell, and death.