Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
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Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
1–10 of 99 posts
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#2Yes. No question.
"Blah blah eternal life oligarchs or whatever" - who cares it's not like we don't have that problem now. Those people are powerful because we let them be, it's not innate. Maybe we might do something about the problem when there's a risk it'll last forever rather then pretending it's not a systemic failure.
If it's possible to do, it's going to be done: the question is actually "should we let poor people (non-billionaires) have it?".
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#3Interestingly the people who say others should die to “fix” overpopulation change their minds when they’re up. We can solve overpopulation in other ways than letting people die.
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#4Yes. No question. "Blah blah eternal life oligarchs or whatever" - who cares it's not like we don't have that problem now. Those people are powerful because we let them be, it's not innate. Maybe we might do something about the problem when there's a risk it'll last forever rather then pretending it's not a systemic failure. If it's possible to do, it's going to be done: the question is actually "should we let poor p…
Are you advocating accelerationism for The Purge?
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#5Imagine that the status quo was that everyone lived forever. If someone suggested that we should kill literally everyone to solve overpopulation or rich people or meaning of life or whatever, they would rightly be called batshit insane.
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#6Yes. No question. "Blah blah eternal life oligarchs or whatever" - who cares it's not like we don't have that problem now. Those people are powerful because we let them be, it's not innate. Maybe we might do something about the problem when there's a risk it'll last forever rather then pretending it's not a systemic failure. If it's possible to do, it's going to be done: the question is actually "should we let poor p…
You do realize it's only going to be available for very rich people right? Assuming that the technology is not trivial, only the rich will ever get it. Same thing with genetically modified kids. Even if it is trivial, corporations will just hike up the price because clearly everyone wants it.
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#7Yes. No question. "Blah blah eternal life oligarchs or whatever" - who cares it's not like we don't have that problem now. Those people are powerful because we let them be, it's not innate. Maybe we might do something about the problem when there's a risk it'll last forever rather then pretending it's not a systemic failure. If it's possible to do, it's going to be done: the question is actually "should we let poor p…
I wonder if FDR would still be in office if he were still alive? It's an interesting thought experiment to consider how long he'd have lasted given his prior record.
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#8If science invented a way to turn each human into an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God, bioethicists would have an essay five minutes later about how deeply problematic it was.
No one loves throwing cold water over literally everything more than bioethicists.
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#9Imagine that the status quo was that everyone lived forever. If someone suggested that we should kill literally everyone to solve overpopulation or rich people or meaning of life or whatever, they would rightly be called batshit insane.
Would enough people die in accidents? Also heart attacks and cancer. And how would it work? Some drug you take after a certain age?
Re: Science says we could “cure” ageing. But should we?
#10Lionel Shriver’s ‘Should We Stay or Should We Go’ (book, 2021) is a fun look at this idea.
No-spoiler TL;DR: a couple decide to end it when she hits 80, because they know that life only gets worse. The book plays through various scenarios: some positive, some negative.