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Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

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Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#11

Post by moyix »

Zikes wrote: post #10

There's a short story of a woman who was a bit of a luddite, but late in life her children and grandchildren convinced her to adopt "upgrades" here and there, until she became almost entirely virtual. She retained much of her humanity, but was able to be in many places at once, "inhabiting" purpose-built bodies, and building up a certain reputation and popularity. Eventually humanity's probes make contact with aliens…

I believe that's "The Gentle Seduction", by Marc Stiegler: http://www.skyhunter.com/marcs/GentleSeduction.html

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#12

Post by Zikes »

tenpoundhammer wrote: post #6

Assuming we could keep the human body alive forever, I don't think we could handle it a person would eventually go insane. Also it would get incredibly boring at some point and I imagine the suicide rate would be somewhere near a 100% or at minimum people would allow themselves to die. I definitely don't want to live forever. So my answer is No, and no one will ever be immortal.

It really depends on what sort of definition you have for immortality. I would say in this case it would be the ability to live until you choose for yourself not to live any longer, not necessarily that you can never die.

I disagree that it would drive people insane, though, excepting the increasing chances for mental illness to set in as we age which I would assume would be solved as a part of the implementation of immortality as a concept. Our perception of time changes as we age, the passing of a single year takes on less and less meaning each time, becomes less of a milestone and more of just another regular occurrence. Depending on how we go about achieving immortality, time may take on dimensions we can't currently understand, and we may even have the option to choose not to perceive its passing at all.

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#13

Post by Zikes »

moyix wrote: post #11
Zikes wrote: post #10

There's a short story of a woman who was a bit of a luddite, but late in life her children and grandchildren convinced her to adopt "upgrades" here and there, until she became almost entirely virtual. She retained much of her humanity, but was able to be in many places at once, "inhabiting" purpose-built bodies, and building up a certain reputation and popularity. Eventually humanity's probes make contact with aliens…

I believe that's "The Gentle Seduction", by Marc Stiegler: http://www.skyhunter.com/marcs/GentleSeduction.html

That's the one! Thank you, I'll be sure to bookmark it this time.

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#14

Post by sonnyz »

gallamine wrote: post #7
mhurron wrote: post #4

You won't really know until they don't die.

It's kind of like being a cancer "survivor" - XKCD explained it well: https://xkcd.com/931/

The comic has that one part a bit wrong. You're considered a cancer survivor as soon as you're diagnosed with cancer.

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#17

Post by mattmanser »

tenpoundhammer wrote: post #6

Assuming we could keep the human body alive forever, I don't think we could handle it a person would eventually go insane. Also it would get incredibly boring at some point and I imagine the suicide rate would be somewhere near a 100% or at minimum people would allow themselves to die. I definitely don't want to live forever. So my answer is No, and no one will ever be immortal.

Siri, what's my favourite memory?

Hi Matt, going on the Mars Safari is your favourite memory.

Siri, store Mars Safari memories, wipe from my soft drive and book a ticket on a Mars safari.

Never bored again.

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#18

Post by pyrrhotech »

tenpoundhammer wrote: post #6

Assuming we could keep the human body alive forever, I don't think we could handle it a person would eventually go insane. Also it would get incredibly boring at some point and I imagine the suicide rate would be somewhere near a 100% or at minimum people would allow themselves to die. I definitely don't want to live forever. So my answer is No, and no one will ever be immortal.

What is boring about it? Is living 40 years more boring than living 30? What about living 1000 years instead of living 100 years? At what point does it become boring?

It's hard for humans to conceptualize eternity, so don't think of it in those terms. If I could live in my current body for 1000 years, I'd still never get around to most of my backlog of things I'd like to do.

Boredom is mostly caused by lack of purpose IMO. As long as there is something to learn, something to explore, something to achieve, something new or pleasurable to experience, boredom is the last thing I'd worry about.

Re: Has the First Person to Achieve Immortality Already Been Born?

#20

Post by crimsonalucard »

tenpoundhammer wrote: post #6

Assuming we could keep the human body alive forever, I don't think we could handle it a person would eventually go insane. Also it would get incredibly boring at some point and I imagine the suicide rate would be somewhere near a 100% or at minimum people would allow themselves to die. I definitely don't want to live forever. So my answer is No, and no one will ever be immortal.

I'd rather be bored and alive than dead. Heck a good chunk of my life is already spent being bored.

I'd do unspeakable things for immortality.

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