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Want to create a startup that truly has an impact on the world? Make the breakthroughs needed to deliver immortality.

pyre 15y ago
The problem is that there is no immediate solution. You could bang away at the problem for the better part of a decade and still be 'almost there.'
- publicus 15y ago
  The real problem is nobody is even trying. Then they all die.
- pjscott 15y ago
  You'll be doing fine if you manage to extend people's lives by at least one year per year. Think of it as lowering your burn rate. :-) Of course, that's easier said than done, but living longer, healthier lives is important.
  - pyre 15y ago
    Solving the 'immortality problem' isn't like grinding in an RPG. You don't slowly increase the maximum lifespan at regular intervals. Immortality would probably involve solving various different, discrete problems. When I said 'almost there' I meant in solving one of these issues.
doubleconfess 15y ago
I think mankind should treat aging as the biggest threat it faces, and pour our every last resource into delivering us from its tyranny. It's like we all have this really slow and really insidious fatal disease (aging) and no one wants to admit that it's beatable. The downside to immortality is that the wealthy would just keep getting wealthier (since building wealth is at least partly a function of having wealth and having experience accumulating wealth) until eventually they are more important than governments. And the great War of 2188 will be of the nation of Zuckerberg vs the nation of the United States of Buffett, winner gets Earth, loser is expelled to roam space for all time. Ok, I should drink less coffee. :)
- maratd 15y ago
  > I think mankind should treat aging as the biggest threat it faces This is absolutely outrageous. We are already immortal. My children and my children's children are my continuation. They are me. More than that, your infinite existence is harmful and is a threat to your children, who are essentially you. It's very important that you die. Otherwise, your children will have to compete for resources not only with everyone else, but you as well. On top of all of that, we all go through phases as we age. Those phases are essential to our maturing and experiencing life. To stop aging is the equivalent of stopping the maturation process and stunting life itself. Death is as natural as birth. We are born, we grow, we experience, we die. To break that cycle is a perversion in itself and would destroy any concept of humanity that currently exists. We should fear untimely death, certainly. However, timely death should be embraced as much as birth. It is the completion of a cycle. There is absolutely no need to fear it.
  - XLcommerce 15y ago
    Meh... you're entitled to your opinion. I wont lament the 'threat' to my unborn children's children. Of course if you're content to treat death as 'natural' then you're free to embrace it. I for one wish for eternal life... I can't imagine this ever getting boring.
  - orangecat 15y ago
    Wow. My children and my children's children are my continuation. They are me. No, they aren't. More than that, your infinite existence is harmful Citation needed. Otherwise, your children will have to compete for resources not only with everyone else, but you as well. Yes, that's why we're so much worse off today than we were when the human population was 100 million. Death is as natural as birth. As is a 50% childhood mortality rate, people with bad eyesight being eaten by bears, cancer and Alzheimer's. To break that cycle is a perversion in itself and would destroy any concept of humanity that currently exists. Wow. Aging is terrible. Not only does it cause immense suffering and reduced quality of life, it's the major cause of the impending Medicare fiscal train wreck. Although by your "logic" we could get rid of all of that humanity-destroying medicine and solve that problem...
  - 15y ago
grammr 15y ago
It's worth noting that achieving immortality isn't just about medical breakthroughs. Even if one were to have "immortal" cells, an accident resulting in fatal physical trauma would likely occur within about 400 years [0]. [0] http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality
- jodrellblank 15y ago
  Does this estimate account for more and more serious trauma being repairable with future technologies? If the entire body and even bits of brain can be regrown/rebuilt, does that still apply? ("In case of car crash, drop severed head in cryoliquid and take to hospital when convenient, preferably within 10 years")
  - sireat 15y ago
    In addition, behaviour would radically change once body immortality (short of smashed head) was available. In other words, immortal people would be less likely to base jump, fish beyond Arctic circle, drive without a 5 point seatbelt and helmet, etc. They would use simulators for kicks like these.
reasonattlm 15y ago
There is even a clear and concise list of specific goals in biotechnology you could be working on or funding, all of which have many intermediary points of viable product and opportunities for incremental profitability: http://sens.org/sens-research/research-themes http://sens.org/sens-research/research-themes Use the links in the table in the middle of the page above to find explanations for the layperson, references, etc.

pyre 15y ago

The problem is that there is no immediate solution. You could bang away at the problem for the better part of a decade and still be 'almost there.'

publicus 15y ago
The real problem is nobody is even trying. Then they all die.
pjscott 15y ago
You'll be doing fine if you manage to extend people's lives by at least one year per year. Think of it as lowering your burn rate. :-) Of course, that's easier said than done, but living longer, healthier lives is important.
- pyre 15y ago
  Solving the 'immortality problem' isn't like grinding in an RPG. You don't slowly increase the maximum lifespan at regular intervals. Immortality would probably involve solving various different, discrete problems. When I said 'almost there' I meant in solving one of these issues.

doubleconfess 15y ago

I think mankind should treat aging as the biggest threat it faces, and pour our every last resource into delivering us from its tyranny. It's like we all have this really slow and really insidious fatal disease (aging) and no one wants to admit that it's beatable. The downside to immortality is that the wealthy would just keep getting wealthier (since building wealth is at least partly a function of having wealth and having experience accumulating wealth) until eventually they are more important than governments. And the great War of 2188 will be of the nation of Zuckerberg vs the nation of the United States of Buffett, winner gets Earth, loser is expelled to roam space for all time. Ok, I should drink less coffee. :)

maratd 15y ago
> I think mankind should treat aging as the biggest threat it faces This is absolutely outrageous. We are already immortal. My children and my children's children are my continuation. They are me. More than that, your infinite existence is harmful and is a threat to your children, who are essentially you. It's very important that you die. Otherwise, your children will have to compete for resources not only with everyone else, but you as well. On top of all of that, we all go through phases as we age. Those phases are essential to our maturing and experiencing life. To stop aging is the equivalent of stopping the maturation process and stunting life itself. Death is as natural as birth. We are born, we grow, we experience, we die. To break that cycle is a perversion in itself and would destroy any concept of humanity that currently exists. We should fear untimely death, certainly. However, timely death should be embraced as much as birth. It is the completion of a cycle. There is absolutely no need to fear it.
- XLcommerce 15y ago
  Meh... you're entitled to your opinion. I wont lament the 'threat' to my unborn children's children. Of course if you're content to treat death as 'natural' then you're free to embrace it. I for one wish for eternal life... I can't imagine this ever getting boring.
- orangecat 15y ago
  Wow. My children and my children's children are my continuation. They are me. No, they aren't. More than that, your infinite existence is harmful Citation needed. Otherwise, your children will have to compete for resources not only with everyone else, but you as well. Yes, that's why we're so much worse off today than we were when the human population was 100 million. Death is as natural as birth. As is a 50% childhood mortality rate, people with bad eyesight being eaten by bears, cancer and Alzheimer's. To break that cycle is a perversion in itself and would destroy any concept of humanity that currently exists. Wow. Aging is terrible. Not only does it cause immense suffering and reduced quality of life, it's the major cause of the impending Medicare fiscal train wreck. Although by your "logic" we could get rid of all of that humanity-destroying medicine and solve that problem...
- 15y ago

grammr 15y ago

It's worth noting that achieving immortality isn't just about medical breakthroughs. Even if one were to have "immortal" cells, an accident resulting in fatal physical trauma would likely occur within about 400 years [0]. [0] http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality

jodrellblank 15y ago
Does this estimate account for more and more serious trauma being repairable with future technologies? If the entire body and even bits of brain can be regrown/rebuilt, does that still apply? ("In case of car crash, drop severed head in cryoliquid and take to hospital when convenient, preferably within 10 years")
- sireat 15y ago
  In addition, behaviour would radically change once body immortality (short of smashed head) was available. In other words, immortal people would be less likely to base jump, fish beyond Arctic circle, drive without a 5 point seatbelt and helmet, etc. They would use simulators for kicks like these.

reasonattlm 15y ago

There is even a clear and concise list of specific goals in biotechnology you could be working on or funding, all of which have many intermediary points of viable product and opportunities for incremental profitability: http://sens.org/sens-research/research-themes http://sens.org/sens-research/research-themes Use the links in the table in the middle of the page above to find explanations for the layperson, references, etc.