Posted on 09/22/2009 4:16:27 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Scientist Ray Kurzweil claims humans could become immortal in as little as 20 years' time through nanotechnology and an increased understanding of how the body works.
The 61-year-old American, who has predicted new technologies arriving before, says our understanding of genes and computer technology is accelerating at an incredible rate. He says theoretically, at the rate our understanding is increasing, nanotechnologies capable of replacing many of our vital organs could be available in 20 years time.
Mr Kurzweil adds that although his claims may seem far-fetched, artificial pancreases and neural implants are already available.
Mr Kurzweil calls his theory the Law of Accelerating Returns. Writing in The Sun, Mr Kurzweil said: "I and many other scientists now believe that in around 20 years we will have the means to reprogramme our bodies' stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse, ageing. Then nanotechnology will let us live for ever.
"Ultimately, nanobots will replace blood cells and do their work thousands of times more effectively.
"Within 25 years we will be able to do an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, or go scuba-diving for four hours without oxygen.
"Heart-attack victims who haven't taken advantage of widely available bionic hearts will calmly drive to the doctors for a minor operation as their blood bots keep them alive.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I'm down with that. Only thing is, you gotta know when to quit. Acne and anxiety really suck.
Do you think we will be able to imprint human memories / personas into machines, using that as a venue for human immortality?
Seriously, if anybody can do this it would be the baby boomer generation.
I believe that in heaven we “are” 30 ish.
That’ll be nice, eh?
Yeah 30ish would be good but with a lifetime of wisdom.
The unintended consequences of these technologies is going to be cataclysmic. I appreciate the benefit of increased health and life expectancy resulting from new technology, but nobody can even begin to predict the outcome from this.
Way, way too optimistic. Sorry, Kurzweil, you're not going to make it...nor am I, for that matter.
Of course if you have to ask how much the initial treatments cost, then you can't afford it.
I would probably hang onto the age I’m at now. I could get used to that. Alas, it is not to be. However, I would have also held onto 25 forever, and I’ve made many gains since then. I suppose a successful life is taking each year for what it is and trying to improve.
Exactly.
See you there, one day.
I’ll buy you a beer.
Let’s hope not.
My ego doesn’t deserve immortality.
“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
But by the time the technology is available, would humans matter that much?
The other idea associated with Ray Kurzweil is "the Singularity": the creation of a superhuman superintelligence that would dwarf us petty mortals.
Human mortality or immortality may not matter much once that point is reached.
Here are my worries....
a/ What will it do to my loved ones?
b/ If God exists, why should I be afraid to go home to Him?
c/ How much will it hurt?
d/ Will I get to see my (fill in the personal name_______) Dad?
Still, it can't be much worse than the other parts of life.
I hope.
:-)
Reminds me of the Star Trek episode on the planet where people didn’t die any longer. They were packed together like sardines and had to have volunteers for death chambers. Gene Roddenberry says, not utopian as it sounds!
"Most people seem to assume that if you've scanned someone's mind into a computer, the natural thing to do is make an environment in the computer for the patient to live in. Though this is sometimes called "virtual reality," I prefer to use "artificial reality" to avoid confusion with the current generation of immersion-interface for us biological (non-uploaded) folks.
"Artificial realities would probably come in varying degrees of realism -- to duplicate the patient's familiar world, you'd have to calculate wind currents, light reflections, gravity, friction, and so on, as well as the effect all of these have on the senses. Then you'd have to interpret activity in the motor neurons of the simulated nervous system, to update the patient's simulated body position.
"These will be difficult, and will never perfectly match the real world, but it is reasonable to suppose that algorithmic shortcuts will be found which generate results that are "good enough".
"Artificial reality would have the advantage of being able to shape the laws of physics to the programmer's whim, allowing, for example, magic spells or anti-gravity devices.
However, there would be a risk of people getting addicted to direct brain stimulation, or simply getting lost in some virtual game and losing touch with reality. "--Artificial Reality
I don’t know what’s scarier, not getting this stuff to work, or getting it to work.
Death scares me. Living forever here scares me. I’m apparently easily scared.
You think health care’s a mess now — wait for this!
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