While on a long drive recently, I was listening to a show on NPR about immortality and time. The one person made a great point about the question: would you really want to live forever? They said, imagine you are now immortal and won't age anymore. Then, count up the scars you have at what ever age you are. Then, how many might you have in a 100 years or a thousand. And, at some point what are the odds you lose a limb or another body part through an accident. After a moment of pondering that, the scientist added, and even if you made it a million.years, how much would have mankind evolved without you, if mankind survived at all. My question to you all is: would any of you wish to be immortal?
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53 comments (51 - 53)
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I do not comment on absurd theoreticals.
Mofo1953
Level 9
Aug 9, 2020
0
Well, the type of immortality being described here is agelessness. Because, if you can lose a limb, you can still die to a regular knife or bullet or what have you. Otherwise, how is it that you're "immortal," but you can still lose an arm. If it really is that simple, then you could always go on your own terms. Never age, but put a bullet to your head when you are finally ready. Technology would be enough advanced to replace anything that you lost.
This guy needs to be clear on these rules of immortality.
FuckReligion
Level 6
Aug 8, 2020
0
I think immortality means impervious to death. That doesn't mean you can't get badly injured or die but it does mean that you'd resurrect good as new by the next day. Kenny on South Park and Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day were immortal.
@Sgt_Spanky I had considered a few types of immortality. But he said that you "LOSE" a limb, whether he meant to or not, the implication is that you are not refreshed in any way. You would have to live with that lost arm. You are ageless, but vulnerable. This immortality has its cake and eats it, too. You get to live beyond your cohorts and decide when you want to tap out.
However, if we were to consider your interpretation, the only downside would be the pain to getting an arm cut or an infection. It would be a real trip to exist beyond the end of the universe, albeit boring for a couple trillion years. Not to mention the suffering of floating through the vacuum of space, dying only to be revived moments later. Or getting caught in a black hole and not be able to respawn anywhere safe after that. Actually, that would be the best thing that could happen to you because time would go by much faster inside a black hole. A year in there would probably be a billion out here.
I'm not sure what the rules of this immortality are according to the scientist guy or even the OP. I would probably consider not taking the second kind of immortality.
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