[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')cientist Ray Kurzweil claims humans could become immortal in as little as 20 years' time through nanotechnology and an increased understanding of how the body works. The 61-year-old American, who has predicted new technologies arriving before, says our understanding of genes and computer technology is accelerating at an incredible rate.

He says theoretically, at the rate our understanding is increasing, nanotechnologies capable of replacing many of our vital organs could be available in 20 years time. Mr Kurzweil adds that although his claims may seem far-fetched, artificial pancreases and neural implants are already available.
Mr Kurzweil calls his theory the Law of Accelerating Returns. Writing in The Sun, Mr Kurzweil said: "I and many other scientists now believe that in around 20 years we will have the means to reprogramme our bodies' stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse, ageing.
Then nanotechnology will let us live for ever. "Ultimately, nanobots will replace blood cells and do their work thousands of times more effectively. "Within 25 years we will be able to do an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, or go scuba-diving for four hours without oxygen.
"Heart-attack victims – who haven't taken advantage of widely available bionic hearts – will calmly drive to the doctors for a minor operation as their blood bots keep them alive. "Nanotechnology will extend our mental capacities to such an extent we will be able to write books within minutes.
"If we want to go into virtual-reality mode, nanobots will shut down brain signals and take us wherever we want to go. Virtual sex will become commonplace. And in our daily lives, hologram like figures will pop in our brain to explain what is happening.
"So we can look forward to a world where humans become cyborgs, with artificial limbs and organs." link

[dbruning]

I'd be interested in seeing models depicting the fallout of a zero mortality rate....just where do they plan to put all these immortals? Or do only the ultra-rich becomes the new gods?

As a sidenote, if they are taking pre-orders, I'd like my cybernetic body to look like Optimus Prime

[vision-master]

Who in their right mind would want Immortality in this World?

[mefistofeles]

Evolutionary biology is very complicated once we begin to understand one thing we gain a better understanding....of how much we really don't know. I have been reading a book by author Luis Villareal it's Origin of Group Identity: Viruses, Addiction and Cooperation.

http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Group-Iden ... 0387779973

What he says is that we are actually viral systems (by that he also includes introns or "junk dna") and that having these viruses actually precludes infection by other viral groups. Basically what he says is that life is very complicated and that by looking at the organism itself we don't understand it. We need to look at the genetic colonizers and virsuses to gain a better view of survival and evolution.

Once we start screwing stuff up we could totally throw off all these evolutionary relationships and cause big problems.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dbruning', 'I')'d be interested in seeing models depicting the fallout of a zero mortality rate....just where do they plan to put all these immortals? Or do only the ultra-rich becomes the new gods?

[TheAntiDoomer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n another thread, Smallpox Girl wrote something to the effect of "if something hasn't been cured by now, it isn't going to be," and essentially made the point we just need to accept death.

[TheAntiDoomer]

while not exactly a crippling disease this came out the other day:

Scientists Discover Cure for Color Blindness

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,551402,00.html

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')Genetic scientists have discovered a cure for color blindness, offering hope to millions of sufferers.

Scientists at the University of Washington, in Seattle, and the University of Florida restored normal vision to two color-blind monkeys. The technique could prove to be a safe and effective cure for color blindness and other visual disorders related to the cones in the retina.

[vision-master]

Kings List$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript, originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer from Sumerian and foreign dynasties. It records the location of "official" kingship, along with the rulers and their supposed reign lengths.

"After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years." The earliest listed ruler whose historicity has been archaeologically verified is En-me-barage-si of Kish, ca. 2600 BC. Reference to this individual in the Epic of Gilgamesh has led to speculation that Gilgamesh himself may be historical.
Map (huge) Sites mentioned in the Sumer Kinglist before the flood

[NeoPeasant]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dbruning', 'I')'d be interested in seeing models depicting the fallout of a zero mortality rate....just where do they plan to put all these immortals? Or do only the ultra-rich becomes the new gods?

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheAntiDoomer', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n another thread, Smallpox Girl wrote something to the effect of "if something hasn't been cured by now, it isn't going to be," and essentially made the point we just need to accept death.

[mos6507]

Too bad Ludi isn't around anymore to aggregate these "bold predictions" anymore.

[Cloud9]

Nice Webley.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'W')ho in their right mind would want Immortality in this World?

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '[')b]Kings List

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript, originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer from Sumerian and foreign dynasties. It records the location of "official" kingship, along with the rulers and their supposed reign lengths.

"After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years."

The earliest listed ruler whose historicity has been archaeologically verified is En-me-barage-si of Kish, ca. 2600 BC. Reference to this individual in the Epic of Gilgamesh has led to speculation that Gilgamesh himself may be historical.

[Tyler_JC]

dinopello is right.

Unless you think we're going to somehow perfectly rebuild neurons ( ), I don't think our brains will last much beyond their current life expectancies. We have machines that replace organs but the brain degrades over time. We can pump your blood, oxygenate it, clean out its metabolic wastes, and infuse it with nutrients...but we can't rebuild a brain. It's one thing to rebuild a heart with technology, it's just a pump. But a brain is several orders of magnitude more complicated.

We are designed to die after a certain period of time. We MUST accept this fact and plan accordingly.

There may be immortality after our time on Earth, but we certainly won't have it here.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', '
')Unless you think we're going to somehow perfectly rebuild neurons ( ),

[hillsidedigger]

This reminds me of a comment by a 'fundie natalist' on another message board. He often states that any woman who doesn't bear at least 12 children is a waste.

Anyhow, he was fantasizing out loud one day and said he had found a Biblical scripture which states that during the Millenial Reign of Christ on Earth that no one would die and making and having babies would be the activity to pass time.

Let's see, 6 timezing (12 childen per each couple) during each 25 year (get 'em busy early at age 12) generation for a thousand years yields a number of descendents in the octillions for each couple that was started with.

Inspite of my best efforts, I have yet to convince that guy just how small the world is and how overcrowded it has already become.

Obviously, with widespread immortality, baby making would need to cease possibly except to replace those who would still die from accidents.

Ain't goina happen, either way.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dbruning', 'I')'d be interested in seeing models depicting the fallout of a zero mortality rate....just where do they plan to put all these immortals? Or do only the ultra-rich becomes the new gods?

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', 'D')uring the time of Utnapishtim's kingship over Shurupakk, the goddess Ea came to him in a dream and warned Utnapishtim of an upcoming flood designed to wipe out the population of the earth. Just like the God of Israel in the story of Noah and the Ark, Ea instructs Utnapishtim to construct and ark and bring his family and animals. The hard rains fell and after many days Utnapishtim and his ark ran aground on a mountain and after three days of sending out birds, Utnapishtim was able to exit the ark. Lambs were sacrificed to the gods, and the gods came to meet Utnapishtim. After conferring with each other the gods decided that Utnapishtim should be made an immortal, and live at the source of the rivers.

After the tale of the flood Utnapishtim challenged Gilgamesh. If Gilgamesh was able to stay awake for seven days, then perhaps he too could defeat death and become an immortal. Gilgamesh sat against the wall, and immediately fell asleep. Gilgamesh awoke and found himself surrounded with seven loaves of bread, one for each day he slept. Mortified from realizing his failure Gilgamesh once again inquired from Utnapishtim as to how he could become an immortal. Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh of a plant at the bottom of the sea that held the secret to youth. Gilgamesh tied stones to his feet, and scoured the bottom of the sea for the plant. Upon finding the plant, Gilgamesh decided it would be best to test it on an old man to make sure it worked. Later that night, Gilgamesh bathed in a pond and left the plant on the ground. A snake wandered by and ate the plant and immediately shed its old skin. When Gilgamesh saw this he once again realized his failure. Disappointed at the though of staying a mortal, Gilgamesh returned to his city of Uruk, and praised its magnificence, strength, and beauty.