21–30 of 42 posts
Deathism appear to be rather popular here on HN [0]. 0. https://hpluspedia.org/wiki/Deathism
Allow me to ask this related question: of our modern (if I may say so) societies, in our modern era; we see a lot of improvements and optimisations. But I rarely see ideas about the simple question of happiness. It's as if we think happinnes comes by x or y (in here longer existence).
Well, what would a society that optimizes for happiness actually do differently?
No society should ever optimise for a single simple factor.
Mildly amusing, but basically silly. There is a reason why everyone in the past failed, and that is because they didn't have sufficiently advanced biotechnology to (a) understand the causes of aging in terms of specific low-level cell and tissue damage, and (b) identify and build ways to repair those forms of damage. We've only had a way to progress towards therapies for aging with this model of development for somew…
To most people, any advance in longevity science just seems like a scam to sell vitamins or expensive cosmetic procedures.
Deathism appear to be rather popular here on HN [0]. 0. https://hpluspedia.org/wiki/Deathism
I think individual death is necessary for the greater of tapestry of life to flourish and to be something worth being involved. Most great people I ever knew or read seem to share this "live and let live" attitude. In contrast, the individuals who really really want to live forever are the ones that bore me to death after 5 minutes.
Allow me to ask this related question: of our modern (if I may say so) societies, in our modern era; we see a lot of improvements and optimisations. But I rarely see ideas about the simple question of happiness. It's as if we think happinnes comes by x or y (in here longer existence).
Well, what would a society that optimizes for happiness actually do differently?
Make sure to read the article all the way to the end; I think it’s quite a powerful statement. We’re too focussed on our individual choices, looking for elusive cures for aging; instead of fighting for things we know will help. Reducing engine emmissions will make us live longer. Reducing pesticides will also make us live longer. Limiting work hours will make us healthier. But instead, we pretend that our health is d…
> Today, the greatest threat to your life span may be the Trump administration’s assault on public health and medical research
Yeah, the end turns it into "what you can do to live longer is fight the trump administration". When paired with the lack of information presented in the article, makes it seem like some pedestrian political clickbait.
I believe to know, what might make me live longer, my body often tells me: sleep more, eat less, avoid too much meat, fat and sugar, don’t drink etc. Many times, I catch myself thinking though: do I really wanna miss out on a great moment/feeling just to live a couple of years longer with a broken body and/or mind? I can enjoy now. Who knows if I can then.
Short term thinking is one way, rarely the best, at least if done regularly. You'd be dead long if nature didn't accumulate a set of non long term mechanisms and learning schemes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just like, in spite of the fact that cancer cannot be cured, it’s a lot easier to market research to “cure” it rather than “treat” it.
Of course cancer can be cured. What I wish we did is spend more on preventing cnacer, but the regulatory system basically makes this impossible.
It seems to me to be a truism, much more akin to thermodynamics than typical biology.
Make sure to read the article all the way to the end; I think it’s quite a powerful statement. We’re too focussed on our individual choices, looking for elusive cures for aging; instead of fighting for things we know will help. Reducing engine emmissions will make us live longer. Reducing pesticides will also make us live longer. Limiting work hours will make us healthier. But instead, we pretend that our health is d…
> Make sure to read the article all the way to the end; > Today, the greatest threat to your life span may be the Trump administration’s assault on public health and medical research Yeah, the end turns it into "what you can do to live longer is fight the trump administration". When paired with the lack of information presented in the article, makes it seem like some pedestrian political clickbait.
The important argument is that our incredible success in extending human age over the last century is not due to individual lifestyle changes, but societal changes.
If we want to live longer, we need to stop poisoning our environment.
Deathism appear to be rather popular here on HN [0]. 0. https://hpluspedia.org/wiki/Deathism
I think individual death is necessary for the greater of tapestry of life to flourish and to be something worth being involved. Most great people I ever knew or read seem to share this "live and let live" attitude. In contrast, the individuals who really really want to live forever are the ones that bore me to death after 5 minutes.