Post: #1

Last year Google acquired an R&D biotech firm named Calico that's goal is stop aging and its associated diseases.

This trend of being aware and putting big $ in stopping aging is just beginning.

Back in the early 2000s Aubrey de Grey, a computer scientist turned biogerontologist(study of the biology of aging and diseases caused by it) at the University of Cambridge, went from trying to create artificial intelligence to push us into a Post-Work world to instead finding out no one was working on solving the diseases and maladies caused by aging. I find this admirable as I believe these are the two biggest problems for humanity. An aging population will crush our economy at large. Yes you can be in the top 1%, but the average cat especially single men will get the raw deal.

Aubrey de Grey started SENS.org (non-profit to fight aging) in 2007. I have had this organization in my sig for awhile now.

SENS has gotten the backing of many of the top scientists in biology on board including Craig Venter, the man that first sequenced the human genome (current GrandDaddy of genetic research).

I believe this is just yet another reason why $ is so important over women as having the funds to get aging treatments as well as genetic enhancements in the future will be invaluable.

Here are two videos explaining everything in broad strokes. The first is the most entertaining as it is a live interview in front of an audience and debates many questions which would normally arise.

The second is a much more condensed independent TED talk appearance.









The insane thing is even if aging itself cannot be completely cured for centuries the science and research of attacking diseases before they start will make everyone's lives more healthy. The funding for SENS right now is $5 million per year. It is estimated at a $100 million a year they would be working at full capacity in order to prove that mice can be made to stop aging and stop any age-related diseases.

$100 million sounds like a lot, but for all the other things global society wastes money on it is a pittance for how immense an impact this would have on humanity.

Post: #2

That sounds terrible. Life is supposed to end. Stopping diseases- great idea, but prolonging life to astronomical lengths? Bad idea. Read Brave New World, it might change your perspective on this topic. Death isn't a glitch in life, it's a feature.

Post: #3

(06-08-2014 01:52 PM)Switch Wrote:  That sounds terrible. Life is supposed to end. Stopping diseases- great idea, but prolonging life to astronomical lengths? Bad idea. Read Brave New World, it might change your perspective on this topic. Death isn't a glitch in life, it's a feature.

Death would still happen. Violence and accidents would still happen. While you are alive though you would minimize suffering from natural maladies.

Also this sounds selfish, as this science would help stop cancer, Alzheimer's, and may other diseases that probably don't affect you but many others.

Beyond this the science would also as we learn more would help people with genetic defects and diseases that occur over life.

You cannot stop all diseases without stopping aging.

Also a more grim reality will be the majority of the population over 65 years old and living to 120+ years old as we get incremental advances in organ transplants and new medicines. This population will be mostly in a state of old age and in hospital beds and wheelchairs while the tiny minority of youth slaves away to support their medical expenses.

Fuck that.

Post: #4

(06-08-2014 01:52 PM)Switch Wrote:  That sounds terrible. Life is supposed to end. Stopping diseases- great idea, but prolonging life to astronomical lengths? Bad idea. Read Brave New World, it might change your perspective on this topic. Death isn't a glitch in life, it's a feature.

Death is not feature of life. Death is the antithesis of life. The greatest enemy of life is death. If you enjoy life, then you hate death. This shit is so obvious I can't believe I'm spelling it out. If I were the world's richest man I would gladly give up all that money + my left nut to be biologically 20 years old forever (or rather, until statistics took me out).

Post: #5

(06-08-2014 02:17 PM)rekruler Wrote:  Death is not feature of life. Death is the antithesis of life. The greatest enemy of life is death. If you enjoy life, then you hate death. This shit is so obvious I can't believe I'm spelling it out. If I were the world's richest man I would gladly give up all that money + my left nut to be biologically 20 years old forever (or rather, until statistics took me out).

Yes exactly, to state otherwise is fear.

Imagine if all the old people with wisdom and creativity could stay young and help shape our world to be a better place.

Yes there would be bad people, but as humanity plods along and information is shared I believe we as humanity are becoming better and better in killing those people off and not letting them get into power in the first place. Yes we have a long ways to go, but we will get there.

Post: #6

I've read around this topic a bit. And in general the politicians havent funded this area of research since they have the view that death is expected, and in fact selfish to reduce aging and playing "God".

I disagree, the debate around aging is very similar to debate around surgery when it first started. The idea of prolonging life by messing around with the insides of humans was considered to be playing God and selfishly extending the life of people that God had chosen to die. I believe once people see the results, they will change their mind as they always have with quality of life extending inventions.

It makes economic sense to reduce aging because health care, especially for old people, is the biggest cost in economies today. Second, every person that dies loses their years of experience and education that was hard earned over the years. Think about how much more productive you are today than 10 years ago. Imagine if you could increase your prime for a good 10 to 20 years. That would make you richer and in turn your country richer. Third, from our perspective, if we can increase the prime age of girls for a 10 more years, much like reducing obesity, this increases the supply of bangable girls and in turn reducces some of the cuntiness too.

Post: #7

^ I am glad to see more open minds.

Also on the most superficial level:

Every woman is in her prime. You would get a much better chance at meeting women that fit your personality than just a hot girl with a vagina in general.

More pleasure for everyone in life.

Post: #8

Of course Google is involved. Ray Kurzweil is a driving force behind their vision.

I'm not against the technology, but I am against its privatization, especially by Google.

Post: #9

^ Interesting. I have been following more SENS than Google, but Google's $ will make them the lead dog now.

I like SENS because it is an open non-profit and seeks to get as many university researchers involved as possible.

Post: #10

I watched the first video. Needless to say I'm still not convinced. I think you guys are missing the fundamental cause of happiness. Money doesn't cause happiness. Just the simple fact of being alive doesn't cause happiness. Overcoming struggle and achieving goals causes happiness. What's the point of life if it doesn't end? If you simply live forever, your happiness would have to decrease. Sure you could accomplish more in your life, but more isn't necessarily better. I think seeing how much you can accomplish in your 100 years on earthis a task in itself. If you eliminate the time limit you kind of defeat the purpose.

Post: #11

(06-08-2014 02:17 PM)rekruler Wrote:  

(06-08-2014 01:52 PM)Switch Wrote:  That sounds terrible. Life is supposed to end. Stopping diseases- great idea, but prolonging life to astronomical lengths? Bad idea. Read Brave New World, it might change your perspective on this topic. Death isn't a glitch in life, it's a feature.

Death is not feature of life. Death is the antithesis of life. The greatest enemy of life is death. If you enjoy life, then you hate death. This shit is so obvious I can't believe I'm spelling it out. If I were the world's richest man I would gladly give up all that money + my left nut to be biologically 20 years old forever (or rather, until statistics took me out).

Who wouldn't?

Post: #12

(06-08-2014 02:59 PM)Switch Wrote:  I watched the first video. Needless to say I'm still not convinced. I think you guys are missing the fundamental cause of happiness. Money doesn't cause happiness. Just the simple fact of being alive doesn't cause happiness. Overcoming struggle and achieving goals causes happiness. What's the point of life if it doesn't end? If you simply live forever, your happiness would have to decrease. Sure you could accomplish more in your life, but more isn't necessarily better. I think seeing how much you can accomplish in your 100 years on earthis a task in itself. If you eliminate the time limit you kind of defeat the purpose.

I'm having a hard time understanding your logic. Are you comparing life to a video game or something? Well, life is not a video game, bro. When I bust a nut I neither look for the greater cosmic purpose of the act, nor do I fret over whether I 'beat the game' by taking X amount of time to achieve the orgasmic effect. I just enjoy the dopamine rush and savor the physical pleasure. You're really over-thinking this, dude. I think someone here has a signature that says "Life is about busting your nut." Amen to that.

Post: #13

^I don't think this topic could possibly be over thought. We're talking about fundamentally changing the way people live life. The planet cannot physically withstand infinite human growth. What do you do when you have to start killing people off and telling people sorry you can't have kids. How do you decide who stays and who dies? Life is cyclical. If you take away the end, then what happens? Living 200 years, I can see. 500? Sure. But immortality? Too many problems. It would he a disaster. Read Brave New World, that's what our world would turn into. That would suck.

Post: #14

It would be interesting to see how this would impact things economically, were something like this to come to fruition.

Would people stop retiring? Or would it be staggered along class lines - IE, the working poor still only live to their 70s while the middle class and above, who can afford to get access to this type of technology, get to live out much longer lives.

Would younger people have a harder time finding work since positions would be taken by earlier generations for much longer periods of time?

Would social security still be necessary since people would conceivably have much more time to save (and earn interest)?

It would change the landscape in some dramatic ways, that's for sure. Maybe in 60 years, 60 will be "the new 20".

Post: #15

All the talk about beign forever young and inmortal makes me remember of the political situation of the Solar System in Alita: Last Order. Lets say that in a post-singularity world, without aging and death, population control becomes a lot more important.

Post: #16

(06-08-2014 03:34 PM)Switch Wrote:  ^I don't think this topic could possibly be over thought. We're talking about fundamentally changing the way people live life. The planet cannot physically withstand infinite human growth. What do you do when you have to start killing people off and telling people sorry you can't have kids. How do you decide who stays and who dies? Life is cyclical. If you take away the end, then what happens? Living 200 years, I can see. 500? Sure. But immortality? Too many problems. It would he a disaster. Read Brave New World, that's what our world would turn into. That would suck.

That's an entirely different point altogether. It's a much more valid concern. Obviously, society would need to undergo profound changes in order to cope with radically extended lifespans. I have no idea how that would play out, to be honest. All I'm saying is, from an individual perspective, extended youth would be the greatest thing to ever happen to a person, assuming that person had his shit together and wasn't some kinda self harming emo motherfucker.

Post: #17

The notion of any of this being available to the common man is laughable.

If there ever was technology to stop aging, trust me it would be available only to the global elite. It would reinforce this current socio-economic trend of the ruling vs. slave class. You think our current economic inequality is bad? Just wait until the ruling elite are able to live indefinitely.

I hated Elysium as a movie but that's exactly the dystopian future that the prospect of anti-aging technology will lead to.

Post: #18

^Good call. What I was trying to say is that the average person, (non RVFer) would get miserable pretty quickly. Most people lack direction. I think this forum generally has a pretty good idea of how to live happily and would flourish with an expanded life.

Edit: the dude called it. Elysium.

Post: #19

(06-08-2014 02:17 PM)rekruler Wrote:  Death is not feature of life. Death is the antithesis of life. The greatest enemy of life is death. If you enjoy life, then you hate death. This shit is so obvious I can't believe I'm spelling it out. If I were the world's richest man I would gladly give up all that money + my left nut to be biologically 20 years old forever (or rather, until statistics took me out).

Death is part of the journey. I'm enjoying life more at 43 than I ever did at 20, and learning to accept mortality and loss has given me the drive to achieve my goals, and a great mental weight and maturity that means I'm capable of surviving any hardship life throws at me. I've seen the worst of death, and don't fear it. It's entirely-natural. Cradle to grave. Nothing to fear. Be here now.

Post: #20

(06-08-2014 03:50 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  The notion of any of this being available to the common man is laughable.

If there ever was technology to stop aging, trust me it would be available only to the global elite. It would reinforce this current socio-economic trend of the ruling vs. slave class. You think our current economic inequality is bad? Just wait until the ruling elite are able to live indefinitely.

I hated Elysium as a movie but that's exactly the dystopian future that the prospect of anti-aging technology will lead to.

I completely agree as well. However, the possibility of eternal youth is still better than the utter certitude of aging and death. It's interesting to speculate just how rich you'd need to be. Are we talking about only the people on the Forbes 500 list, or anyone that's moderately rich like your medium-sized business owners, spine surgeons, etc. If it's the latter, you'd definitely have an epic struggle to reach that threshold, as people who would normally be satisfied with being merely affluent desperately try to climb that lust hurdle to transcend to the next level and drink from the fountain of youth.

Post: #21

(06-08-2014 04:13 PM)rekruler Wrote:  

(06-08-2014 03:50 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  The notion of any of this being available to the common man is laughable.

If there ever was technology to stop aging, trust me it would be available only to the global elite. It would reinforce this current socio-economic trend of the ruling vs. slave class. You think our current economic inequality is bad? Just wait until the ruling elite are able to live indefinitely.

I hated Elysium as a movie but that's exactly the dystopian future that the prospect of anti-aging technology will lead to.

I completely agree as well. However, the possibility of eternal youth is still better than the utter certitude of aging and death. It's interesting to speculate just how rich you'd need to be. Are we talking about only the people on the Forbes 500 list, or anyone that's moderately rich like your medium-sized business owners, spine surgeons, etc. If it's the latter, you'd definitely have an epic struggle to reach that threshold, as people who would normally be satisfied with being merely affluent desperately try to climb that lust hurdle to transcend to the next level and drink from the fountain of youth.

Medium-sized business owners and spine surgeons aren't considered "global elites". I'm sure he's referring to the top 1%. World leaders, CEOs etc.

Disease, aging and death are all devices which have regulated life on Earth for billions of years. How exactly is stopping all of them a good thing?

Eternal youth would only beneficial from an individual standpoint if you were the only person it would apply to and even then you'll still watch everyone you know and love age and die in your place.

Some of the guys in this thread supporting this are coming off as incredibly naive.

Post: #22

Working out and eating right tends to help keep you youthful. Avoid smoking and alcohol

Post: #23

(06-08-2014 02:59 PM)Switch Wrote:  I watched the first video. Needless to say I'm still not convinced. I think you guys are missing the fundamental cause of happiness. Money doesn't cause happiness. Just the simple fact of being alive doesn't cause happiness. Overcoming struggle and achieving goals causes happiness. What's the point of life if it doesn't end? If you simply live forever, your happiness would have to decrease. Sure you could accomplish more in your life, but more isn't necessarily better. I think seeing how much you can accomplish in your 100 years on earthis a task in itself. If you eliminate the time limit you kind of defeat the purpose.

I'll say this, I look very young for my age, I'm in better shape and better looking than most 18 year old men, and I'm 31. The vast majority of the people I grew up with have aged badly. A couple of months ago, an old high school acquaintance found me on Facebook and she sent me a message, it read:

"Spaniard...I want to be like you...I don't want to get old...why do I have to get old? It's not fair..."

Last week, my girlfriend said, "I saw your old high school pictures...you're not like other people, you haven't aged."

This lady was talking to me a couple of months ago about nearby bars, and then she stops herself, mid-sentence, and says, "Wait, are you 21 yet?"

It's not an exaggeration to say that because of my looks and physical condition, and because of the way I've set my life up, that I've been given a second youth, or third, or fourth, or whatever. This is an extra youth that a fat single dad with financial problems, for example, does not have. I can (and do) literally go to college house parties and it's all good.

It's awesome. My beautiful girlfriend's age (18) is closer to the age of my friends' daughters than it is to my age.

Would I like to live forever and be given a fifth, sixth, seventh, and eigth youth?

As a person fortunate enough to be living more youth than the vast majority of humans, I can say this:

Unequivocally, absolutely, YES.

I love my life. I'd like to live the way I'm living forever. Every day is AWESOME.

Post: #24

(06-08-2014 01:52 PM)Switch Wrote:  That sounds terrible. Life is supposed to end.

"Supposed to"? Sez who? Speak for yourself buddy...

(06-08-2014 01:52 PM)Switch Wrote:  Death isn't a glitch in life, it's a feature.

Nope -- death is the glitch. It is sentience reverting to being mere material. That's what we fight against in all we do.

(06-08-2014 03:50 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  The notion of any of this being available to the common man is laughable.

If there ever was technology to stop aging, trust me it would be available only to the global elite. It would reinforce this current socio-economic trend of the ruling vs. slave class. You think our current economic inequality is bad? Just wait until the ruling elite are able to live indefinitely.

I hated Elysium as a movie but that's exactly the dystopian future that the prospect of anti-aging technology will lead to.

thedude, there is absolutely no reason to believe this -- none whatsoever. There has never been a single truly important technological breakthrough -- not one -- that has not eventually benefited all of mankind.

People can whine about inequality but today's peasants live better than yesterday's emperors. And demented dystopias like "Elysium" have no grounding in anything except the hatred and cowardice of their creators. They certainly have no grounding in reality.

**************

As far as practicalities go, Kurzweilian "singularity" ideas are fairly ludicrous and all this stuff has got a long way to go. No one is going to be living forever any time soon so all you death lovers can relax. But game-changing advances are indeed coming soon to a theater near you.

Post: #25

Part of what makes life valuable is knowing it will end. It's hard to value something that comes in infinite supply. Knowing you will die one day gives you a sense of urgency to create something meaningful in your short time. If you knew you'd still be alive in the year 6,517AD while looking and feeling exactly like you do now, you'd never be hustling to do anything, because you'd have all the time in universe. If there were any reason though that I'd love to live a very long life it's to see how humanity evolves. Do we solve all global problems and eventually become an Eden? Or do we descend into post-apocalyptic dystopia? Do end up colonizing other planets? What will become of religions? How will cities and technology look in thousands of years. I'm so curious about this kind of stuff.

I honestly think life is way too short. Now that I'm heading toward 40, I'm REALLY realizing that. That though I feel as fit and healthy as I did at 20, statistically I'm half way to the grave. I wish we lived for at least a few hundred years, while retaining our physical youth for much longer.