New telescope is going to revolutionize what we know about our universe

[-p.tiddy-]

How terrified are you of death?

not terrified as I believe in an afterlife

but I would very much like to avoid death if I could...I like living


I would like to live say around 1,000 years...I would conquer 5-6 different professions in that time I think, get my doctorate in all of them lol...then probably get bored of "everything"

or maybe I wouldn't be bored at all in 1,000 years...idk

lots to do and see here...not much time

[macmac]

How terrified are you of death?

I am terrified. It is the only thing I am afraid of really

[Timmy D for MVP]

Living to be very old seems really cool at first blush. But there would have to be some systems set up to deal with what would happen to someone who lives to like 1000 years. For example the passage of time would really start to feel funky. Years would go by in what seems like a blink.

[bladefd]

Living to be very old seems really cool at first blush. But there would have to be some systems set up to deal with what would happen to someone who lives to like 1000 years. For example the passage of time would really start to feel funky. Years would go by in what seems like a blink.

I am sure the Vulkuns realize that to some degree, but why would they give up their expanded lifespans??


BTW - I think they did some research on human bones, skins and other organs and estimated that the limit for humans is approx 150 years if their health and everything stays good throughout entire lifetime with some artificial ways to slow down aging. Without being able to completely stop aging, the organs would degenerate and break down after approx 150 years. Humans just don't have the mental physique to live for 1000 years or whatever without being able to reverse aging or simply stop it (Ra's Al Gul life regeneration pool or something )

[-p.tiddy-]

I am sure the Vulkuns realize that to some degree, but why would they give up their expanded lifespans??


BTW - I think they did some research on human bones, skins and other organs and estimated that the limit for humans is approx 150 years if their health and everything stays good throughout entire lifetime with some artificial ways to slow down aging. Without being able to completely stop aging, the organs would degenerate and break down after approx 150 years. Humans just don't have the mental physique to live for 1000 years or whatever without being able to reverse aging or simply stop it (Ra's Al Gul life regeneration pool or something )

cell degeneration is in our DNA...in all animals DNA

nature has us die because that is the only way animals can evolve...

we can remove it from our DNA...it is possible, and many predict it to happen somewhere in the somewhat near future...I think most are guesstimating 40 or so years

[OhNoTimNoSho]

100 years ago it was assumed going to the moon would be litterally impossible.

use your head.

Great argument. We were wrong in the past therefore we will always be wrong in the future...



We are not going to be colonizing space. The human species will die on this planet with this planet. Hate to break it to everyone.

[IamRAMBO24]

cell degeneration is in our DNA...in all animals DNA

nature has us die because that is the only way animals can evolve...

we can remove it from our DNA...it is possible, and many predict it to happen somewhere in the somewhat near future...I think most are guesstimating 40 or so years

Really interesting concept. Yes there is a genetic code in our DNA somewhere in the Y chromosome that is pretty much eliminating a lot of our ancestral phenotypes (ape-like genes), so humans are advancing mentally more so than a physical evolution.

Here is the kicker, we don't know where these special sets of DNA came from since it can't be link to any other species on the evolutionary chain. Sure we are mostly ape-like, but the Y chromosome in humans is very different from an ape because it is actually regulating and destroying other genes that would make us ape-like.

[Patrick Chewing]

Are we going to be able to see aliens having sex?

[IamRAMBO24]

Are we going to be able to see aliens having sex?

We already did. Haven't you seen Paris Hilton's sex tape.

[bladefd]

Really interesting concept. Yes there is a genetic code in our DNA somewhere in the Y chromosome that is pretty much eliminating a lot of our ancestral phenotypes (ape-like genes), so humans are advancing mentally more so than a physical evolution.

Here is the kicker, we don't know where these special sets of DNA came from since it can't be link to any other species on the evolutionary chain. Sure we are mostly ape-like, but the Y chromosome in humans is very different from an ape because it is actually regulating and destroying other genes that would make us ape-like.

Bigger philosophical issue. Why would we want to stop evolution of humans at this early stage even if it were possible? Do the ends of that justify the means? Current Homo Sapiens are still a very young species. By stopping cell degeneration, you are essentially stopping evolution of humans to where it is now. So that's it? We will be at this stage forever and ever? Screw that. Humans will be bit different genetically in 15,000-20,000 years. I don't want that process to stop. We are still a very flawed species if you really think about it. We are only a few steps over chimps for crying out loud (we share what? 97% of dna?).

Then comes to ethics issues. Face it - if you change the DNA makeup of a few, you have to alter it for everyone, regardless of class, race, gender, skin color, etc. Who or what gets to decide that? Money? **** that. If money were to buy you immortality so that would mean the rich right now would never die and so they would stay rich forever. The poor? They would die every generation and so never gather any wealth/resources. Same rich dominate the world forever?

[IamRAMBO24]

Bigger philosophical issue. Why would we want to stop evolution of humans at this early stage even if it were possible? Do the ends of that justify the means? Current Homo Sapiens are still a very young species. By stopping cell degeneration, you are essentially stopping evolution of humans to where it is now. So that's it? We will be at this stage forever and ever? Screw that. Humans will be bit different genetically in 15,000-20,000 years. I don't want that process to stop. We are still a very flawed species if you really think about it. We are only a few steps over chimps for crying out loud (we share what? 97% of dna?).

Then comes to ethics issues. Face it - if you change the DNA makeup of a few, you have to alter it for everyone, regardless of class, race, gender, skin color, etc. Who or what gets to decide that? Money? **** that. If money were to buy you immortality so that would mean the rich right now would never die and so they would stay rich forever. The poor? They would die every generation and so never gather any wealth/resources. Same rich dominate the world forever?

No what I am saying is it is a natural process; the Y chromosome is destroying ape-like phenotypes within our DNA; this is why we are not as strong as them, why we don't have thick fur to protect us from the environment, and why our feet is not flat to walk long distances. If we are evolving based on the conflictual environment, then it would go to reason we would develope those traits for us to survive better.

We are not becoming more ape-like; our DNA is destroying those ape genes to make us intelligent beings and we are evolving through intelligence and not any physical means.

Compare a human to an ape as far as intelligence goes: seriously do you think we are in the same ball park at all. An ape's greatest mental accomplishment is pulling ants out of a hole with a twig; dude we are studying dark matter and about to conquer space.

That's the difference. We might be 98% ape DNA, but that small 2% (which resides in the Y chromosome) is making a killing, and guess what, we don't know where it came from since no other species on earth could've of passed it on to us. We are one of a kind.

[Timmy D for MVP]

Bigger philosophical issue. Why would we want to stop evolution of humans at this early stage even if it were possible? Do the ends of that justify the means? Current Homo Sapiens are still a very young species. By stopping cell degeneration, you are essentially stopping evolution of humans to where it is now. So that's it? We will be at this stage forever and ever? Screw that. Humans will be bit different genetically in 15,000-20,000 years. I don't want that process to stop. We are still a very flawed species if you really think about it. We are only a few steps over chimps for crying out loud (we share what? 97% of dna?).

Then comes to ethics issues. Face it - if you change the DNA makeup of a few, you have to alter it for everyone, regardless of class, race, gender, skin color, etc. Who or what gets to decide that? Money? **** that. If money were to buy you immortality so that would mean the rich right now would never die and so they would stay rich forever. The poor? They would die every generation and so never gather any wealth/resources. Same rich dominate the world forever?

I suppose that it would be a given that in a scenario in which we could do that to our own DNA we would tamper with evolution. But simply because we remove the aging process wouldn't mean we would stop evolution. Death would still happen because the tech won't protect us from other threats, simply our own aging. So the mutations, which would NEED to occur eventually, could still go down.

I still feel like the biggest hurdle would be mentally. Think about the memories aspect of it. 1000 years of memory? I'm not sure our information recall system could handle that without some form of augmentation. Everything would blur, your brain would be a mess.

See I'd love to live to be 1000 years so I could just keep learning and discovering all the things I wouldn't otherwise have the chance to. But that it a moot point if I don't remember discovering the things because then I'd still feel like I do right now.

[-p.tiddy-]

Bigger philosophical issue. Why would we want to stop evolution of humans at this early stage even if it were possible? Do the ends of that justify the means? Current Homo Sapiens are still a very young species. By stopping cell degeneration, you are essentially stopping evolution of humans to where it is now. So that's it? We will be at this stage forever and ever? Screw that. Humans will be bit different genetically in 15,000-20,000 years. I don't want that process to stop. We are still a very flawed species if you really think about it. We are only a few steps over chimps for crying out loud (we share what? 97% of dna?).

Then comes to ethics issues. Face it - if you change the DNA makeup of a few, you have to alter it for everyone, regardless of class, race, gender, skin color, etc. Who or what gets to decide that? Money? **** that. If money were to buy you immortality so that would mean the rich right now would never die and so they would stay rich forever. The poor? They would die every generation and so never gather any wealth/resources. Same rich dominate the world forever?

If we can alter our DNA we can speed up evolution...we can create perfect flawless beings

[Timmy D for MVP]

If we can alter our DNA we can speed up evolution...we can create perfect flawless beings

Even with all of our advancement we will never be as effective as nature when it comes to determining what a flawless being is. As the environment changes so too will the need and we will never be able to be as efficient as evolution is in that regard. I rarely deal in absolutes but I am confident in that statement.

If evolution is capitalism then us trying to create flawless beings in communism.

[Patrick Chewing]

we can remove it from our DNA...it is possible, and many predict it to happen somewhere in the somewhat near future...I think most are guesstimating 40 or so years

I would pay arm and legs for this, but then what's the point? LOL

Seriously, there are talks about cell regeneration technology and I am all ears and interested in this as well. My only problem is, let's say I do this and have the funds for it, and let's say I don't want to die and decide to live much longer or forever even, how would I be viewed in the eyes of God? For sure I would be Public Enemy #1