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| Immortal Jellyfish; Turritopsis Nutricula | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 5 2009, 07:50 PM (104 Views) | |
| East Anarx | Jan 5 2009, 07:50 PM Post #1 |
Anarchitect
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Crazy... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula |
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| A.Q. | Jan 5 2009, 07:52 PM Post #2 |
Beautiful Snowflake
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I want that gene in a syringe, for me to sell or use at my leisure. Science? are you out there? |
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| Tristan da Cunha | Jan 5 2009, 10:10 PM Post #3 |
Science and Industry
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Immortality, hell yes. That's what Civilization is all about. The one end and the one goal. Not sending a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri!
Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Jan 5 2009, 10:11 PM.
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| East Anarx | Jan 5 2009, 11:06 PM Post #4 |
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Anarchitect
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I agree, however once a practical level of immortality is achieved, and the likelihood of outliving Earth increases, I'd like to get off this rock before it becomes uninhabitable. |
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| Tristan da Cunha | Jan 6 2009, 12:55 AM Post #5 |
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Science and Industry
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1.) I think we will first develop the technology to manipulate the genes in a fertilized egg, leading to the birth of a practically immortal human baby. At that point only this baby (and subsequent babies) are immortal but not any of the people who were born before that baby. 2.) Next we will develop the technology to graft the consciousness and brain cells of an existing human adult onto a durable non-biological infrastructure, like a robot. 3.) Finally, and most difficult of all I believe, is to develop the technology that allows us to manipulate the genes in every single cell among the trillions in a pre-existing adult human body, leading to that pre-existing person's immortality. On the other hand this step might precede the second step, if we achieve some amazing breakthrough in the appropriate nanotechnology. And if the second step is achieved, perhaps there wouldn't be much interest in this 3rd step anyways. I hope to live long enough to see the second stage in the quest for immortality, i.e. the grafting of consciousness and brain cells to a durable non-biological construct. I think all 3 feats will have been accomplished long before the natural desolation of the planet Earth, as long as mankind does not annihilate itself first. At that point I would like to have my consciousness grafted onto some sort of robot. Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Jan 6 2009, 12:57 AM.
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| New Harumf | Jan 6 2009, 09:23 AM Post #6 |
Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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I expect to die before I am 95. I will prefer to die before I am 95. I do not want to be infirmed, kept alive past my usefulness, or kept alive artificially. There are already too many people on the planet - getting virtual immortality would greatly complicate that situation, deny younger people the means to make a living, and screw up whatever evolution has in store for our species, or the planet as a whole. Death is the natural progression of living. I am already seeing too many changes that I do not like in my short 57 years on this planet. In anouther 35 I am sure I'll just be sick of it all, and quite ready to go. Also, Shakespeare was dead by the time he was my age! Now, if they could develop means to make cigarettes safe, drinking heavily safe, eating rich foods safe, then I'm all for it, because I really would like to fully enjoy my last years on this planet! |
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Jan 10 2009, 07:22 PM Post #7 |
The Devil's Advocate
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+1. And I think that 6th Day/Asguard "clone a new biological body" will come way before step 3, and possibly before step 2. We can, of course, clone animals. We can clone dead animals. What is lacking is the process of transcribing memories into a new body. If that technology can be invented for robots, I see it as being much more feasible to adapt it for clones than it is to change every cell in the body. Not that you'd need to change every cell in the body for stage 3. Cells die. Insert new cells with the "immortality" gene and let them replicate to replace the original cells rather than seek to adapt the original cells. Maybe use drugs to help make the improved cells replicate faster while inhibiting the mitosis of the unaltered cells. |
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12:01 PM Jul 13