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Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

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Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#71

Post by usrusr »

crusso wrote: post #52
hohenheim wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better way to put is that, without death we wouldn't have progressed as a race as much as we have done. We need new people with fresh ideas to come to top, take higher roles and make radical decisions. People living longer will stay in power longer and keep the status quo alive. In a longer stretch, conservationism, which grows like age, is an impediment for innovation and progress, IMHO.

If we were immortal, the birth rate would decline as people worried less about continuing through progeny and more about continuing through their own lives. How many wars do you think anyone would want to fight if we didn't have an endless streams of the young who are willing to die on the battlefield? How many murders are committed by people over 30 vs under? How many people die in car accidents after 30? There's so…

> If we were immortal, the birth rate would decline

Would it? In modern, low reproduction societies the dominant interpretation of the universal "honour thy father and thy mother" focuses on care. Even the slightest resemblance to a chain of command that might be present earlier stops at adulthood. But with people forever overshadowed by their undying ancestors, we might see a massive resurgence of the competing interpretation which sees it as a natural power structure. If that happens, well, welcome to pyramid scheme hell.

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#72

Post by hohenheim »

jokoon wrote: post #20
hohenheim wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better way to put is that, without death we wouldn't have progressed as a race as much as we have done. We need new people with fresh ideas to come to top, take higher roles and make radical decisions. People living longer will stay in power longer and keep the status quo alive. In a longer stretch, conservationism, which grows like age, is an impediment for innovation and progress, IMHO.

This sounds like darwinism. Evolution is a law of nature, not a law of society. What you say is true for species that don't have language or civilization. But since humans have technology, evolution happens in our minds, not in our DNA. And new ideas don't necessarily require new people. > radical decisions Like what? > People living longer will stay in power longer and keep the status quo alive. What kind of predict…

> Like what? Take any norm breaking innovation in the pass 2000 years. Any idea that sounded arcane at its time: Earth is not Flat, its not the center of universe, light is a wave and a particle, etc. Perhaps decision was not the correct word to use, "ideas" would be better.

> What kind of prediction is that? A prediction like any other. I think we tend to become risk averse as we age, risk averse people don't like changes, without change you don't have a chance to fail, or succeed. If people to live longer I would think that every other stage of life would start to stretch. Take presidency as an example, its a four year cycle. If life expectancy was 200 years, would it not make sense to have presidents for 8 years? Would you retire after 30 years or 60 years?

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#75

Post by jksmith »

yAnonymous wrote: post #46
erikj wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can still be shot in the face, stem cells won't help them with that.

Artificial body parts and a backup of the mind on USB...

I think we'll see anti-aging treatments before that happens, so yes, a shot in the face would probably be effective until the singularity comes. Then a shot in the face will become some powershell script.

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#76

Post by andrewtbham »

mcgarnagle wrote: post #33
timthelion wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine a world in which Xi, Kim Jong *, and a host of other wealthy dictators were immortal, and the rest of us pee-ons were not. I believe that is the future of high tech immortality.

I don't think immortal is the right word here. You can still die from physical harm, no matter how many stem cells you consume. So in theory if someone abused the pee-ons for enough time, probably one of them would get mad enough to overthrow the power. Just like many revolutions throughout history.

yeh the correct term is biological immortality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#77

Post by devdoomari »

yAnonymous wrote: post #46
erikj wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can still be shot in the face, stem cells won't help them with that.

Artificial body parts and a backup of the mind on USB...

hm... but wouldn't they still fear death-experience? also, mind-on-usb != my-mind imho... (it could be a ctrl-c,v of my mind, but can be said as someone else with my thoughts?)

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#78

Post by wu-ikkyu »

crusso wrote: post #52
hohenheim wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better way to put is that, without death we wouldn't have progressed as a race as much as we have done. We need new people with fresh ideas to come to top, take higher roles and make radical decisions. People living longer will stay in power longer and keep the status quo alive. In a longer stretch, conservationism, which grows like age, is an impediment for innovation and progress, IMHO.

If we were immortal, the birth rate would decline as people worried less about continuing through progeny and more about continuing through their own lives. How many wars do you think anyone would want to fight if we didn't have an endless streams of the young who are willing to die on the battlefield? How many murders are committed by people over 30 vs under? How many people die in car accidents after 30? There's so…

>How many wars do you think anyone would want to fight if we didn't have an endless streams of the young who are willing to die on the battlefield?

We've got killer robots for that now.

>How many murders are committed by people over 30 vs under?

I'd guess the majority of murders have been caused by people over 30 declaring war.

>How many people die in car accidents after 30?

Self-driving cars sounds like a good solution

>There's something to be said for having a world dominated by people who are mature and understand the value of their own lives.

Yes, of course the elderly possess great wisdom, but they are also highly inflexible when it comes to thinking of new solutions to new problems. The imaginative power of the child is something highly undervalued and suppressed in our society.

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#79

Post by brixon »

yAnonymous wrote: post #46
erikj wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can still be shot in the face, stem cells won't help them with that.

Artificial body parts and a backup of the mind on USB...

Let's hope they only transfer at USB 1.0 speeds.

Re: Anti-aging stem cell treatment proves successful in early human trials

#80

Post by narag »

timthelion wrote: post #49
mcgarnagle wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think immortal is the right word here. You can still die from physical harm, no matter how many stem cells you consume. So in theory if someone abused the pee-ons for enough time, probably one of them would get mad enough to overthrow the power. Just like many revolutions throughout history.

Most dynasties in history were overthrown by competing heirs, not the people. It is actually very rare for dictatorships to turn into democracies. Many reigns only end in death. Do you think Putin will ever be overthrown?

It is actually very rare for dictatorships to turn into democracies.

In the last half century give or take some years, half of Europe and Latin America nations have successfully and peacefully made this transition. And only Venezuela has returned to dictatorship.

Do you think Putin will ever be overthrown?

No idea. Formal democracy is still in place, so there's hope.

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