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>and imagine we might live forever. The idea that it's physically impossible is simply ridiculous, and a religious belief. We're able to effectively be immort

>and imagine we might live forever. The idea that it's physically impossible is simply ridiculous, and a religious belief. We're able to effectively be immortal now, simply because of reproduction: cell lines continue forever, just not in the same organism. Can we achieve this anytime soon? Perhaps not. But to say it's impossible is silly, it's like saying you can't transmute elements (like lead to gold), when it's been done countless times in stars. Of course, there's a way, but it might involve very advanced tech like nanomachines and genetic engineering.

somenameforme 3y ago
Are you sure you're not projecting there? The idea we might live forever turns technological development into a path that might one day lead to 'salvation.' And, most tellingly, that day of salvation invariably tends to lie just within one's life expectancy, again as with Ray Kurzweil - though there are endless other examples. By appealing to advanced tech you can convince yourself anything is possible, when that's obviously not the case. I think this was an issue, even in the distant past. The Fountain of Youth would have been being 'thought up' about the time mankind was discovering all sorts of strange wonders in the world, like what happens if one chews on the bark of the willow tree. You will feel a bit odd, but all of your pain and discomfort will just magically fade. Of course that is where Aspirin comes from. And similarly for all other sorts of other seemingly magical discoveries. In this context it's easy to convince oneself that even the waters of immortality are just one more discovery away, but really there's no reason to really think it was, or is.
- shiroiuma 3y ago
  The "waters of immortality" are certainly more than just one discovery away; they won't be easy or simple at all, because they require re-engineering human biology. However, the idea that aging is somehow necessary is purely a religious belief. There's absolutely no physics-based reason why it has to be this way.

somenameforme 3y ago

Are you sure you're not projecting there? The idea we might live forever turns technological development into a path that might one day lead to 'salvation.' And, most tellingly, that day of salvation invariably tends to lie just within one's life expectancy, again as with Ray Kurzweil - though there are endless other examples. By appealing to advanced tech you can convince yourself anything is possible, when that's obviously not the case. I think this was an issue, even in the distant past. The Fountain of Youth would have been being 'thought up' about the time mankind was discovering all sorts of strange wonders in the world, like what happens if one chews on the bark of the willow tree. You will feel a bit odd, but all of your pain and discomfort will just magically fade. Of course that is where Aspirin comes from. And similarly for all other sorts of other seemingly magical discoveries. In this context it's easy to convince oneself that even the waters of immortality are just one more discovery away, but really there's no reason to really think it was, or is.

shiroiuma 3y ago
The "waters of immortality" are certainly more than just one discovery away; they won't be easy or simple at all, because they require re-engineering human biology. However, the idea that aging is somehow necessary is purely a religious belief. There's absolutely no physics-based reason why it has to be this way.