Living Forever
Ramblings, Philosophy, Polls July 11th. 2007, 9:29amLiving Forever is the subject of the current poll, on the right side of this page.
In 1900, the life expectancy for newborn babies in the United States was 46 for males and 48 for females. By the year 2000, life expectancy had increased by an average of 64% to 74 for males and 80 for females. Even a modest increase at half that rate over the next century would put average natural life expectancy above 100 years of age. If our civilization continues at the current rate, it will be over 125 years by the year 2100.
With the exponential growth of scientific advancement over the last half century, we might even expect an increase in that rate. Some scientists are saying that the first person that will live to see 200 is alive today. Some are saying we’re on the brink of flat out reversing the aging process. Crazier ones are purporting that the scientific discoveries and possibilities offered by gene/DNA manipulation will allow us to live as long as we want.
But what kind of social consequences does that have, if we just won’t die? How long would you want to live? 200 years? 500 years? 1000 years?
If you think our current life expectancy is ‘just right’, then what do you think the people alive in 1900 thought? What age will the first generation of the 22nd century think is ‘just right’?
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July 31st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
It’s a scary thought that so many people aren’t dying. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish death upon the masses, but this life expectancy thing is really messing with nature. We’re wearing natrual resources thin, and there’s overpopulation as it is. With people living so long, this planet is only going to waste faster.
Hell, I don’t even want to live past 50, half a century seems long enough =P.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:38 am
i want to live for a couple of thousand years! if things get to much for me, there’s always euthanasia! of course with all the extra time i have i could go to university and solve the problems an aging populous places on our natral resources
August 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Funny, my boyfriend and I were just talking about this the other day. I have this idea that I would live forever if I could (preferably in an eternally young body), but realistically I would rather just live much longer. 500 to 2000 years would be awesome, again barring health problems due to age. Especially if everyone I loved was aging slowly too, then there wouldn’t be the whole issue of “you wouldn’t want to live forever because your entire life would be watching people die.”
Then again if everyone was living 2000 years population and resources would be a huge problem.
I think ultimately life expectancy is a balance anyway, and it will continue to be. We will live as long as science and resources allow. And the more we take care of ourselves when we are young, the longer we will live healthfully.