For those people who are living longer, generally yes, and their immediate social networks yes. For wider social networks, absolutely not. It's a misallocation of resources in the economy and will lower social welfare. Unless we have a "baby boom", more and more people will be taking benefits and less paying tax. It's the age time bomb that this country will suffer (and others with similar benefit systems) from.
Will we grow old?
- Thread starter Spit
- Start date
For those people who are living longer, generally yes, and their immediate social networks yes. For wider social networks, absolutely not. It's a misallocation of resources in the economy and will lower social welfare. Unless we have a "baby boom", more and more people will be taking benefits and less paying tax. It's the age time bomb that this country will suffer (and others with similar benefit systems) from.
Whilst it is true that with improved health care we will live longer, we will never avoid growing old and dying. It would be an evolutionary impossibility. The reasoning why we are getting old is called 'senescence'.
To put it one way, imagine we all died at the age of 30 due to a genetic disease. As long as we all reproduce before the age of 30, this disease is 'a moot point'. It is totally irrelevent what happens to us once we reproduce. Once reproduction sucessfully occurs, we have fulfilled our evolutionary purpose.
Extend that example to the multiple genetic diseases which appear as 'the process of ageing' and you have the scenario before us today. We will all die because we have evolved to be reproductively successful, not to survive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senescence
To put it one way, imagine we all died at the age of 30 due to a genetic disease. As long as we all reproduce before the age of 30, this disease is 'a moot point'. It is totally irrelevent what happens to us once we reproduce. Once reproduction sucessfully occurs, we have fulfilled our evolutionary purpose.
Extend that example to the multiple genetic diseases which appear as 'the process of ageing' and you have the scenario before us today. We will all die because we have evolved to be reproductively successful, not to survive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senescence
Soldato
Soldato
I plan on living forever, or at least until the year 3000 so that I can say I have rubbed one out in 3 different millenia.
Associate
Haha. I think he meant metaphysically. You could just be a brain in a jar etc. Then again from that perspective even death is uncertain.
Quantum physics says everyone can live forever, the drawback is that you are the only one that knows about it. Say you get a gun with 100 bullets and a 50% chance each time to either get shot or a missfire. There are only 2 possible outcomes, death or living. When the trigger is pulled both possible outcomes happen and reality splits into 2 different threads, one in which you die and one in which you don't.
Since the only reality you will be able to perceive is the one in which you lived, you will stay alive. The same goes for the next 100 bullets, and the same goes for everything in existance that has a possibility to kill you (even if you have terminal cancer the final chemical reaction that kills you could happen or it could happen a millisecond later, in your reality your death is always delayed for a millisecond).
Everyone will live forever, but there are infinite universes where you are dead, just as there are an infinite amount of dead people in your universe.
Since the only reality you will be able to perceive is the one in which you lived, you will stay alive. The same goes for the next 100 bullets, and the same goes for everything in existance that has a possibility to kill you (even if you have terminal cancer the final chemical reaction that kills you could happen or it could happen a millisecond later, in your reality your death is always delayed for a millisecond).
Everyone will live forever, but there are infinite universes where you are dead, just as there are an infinite amount of dead people in your universe.
Soldato
I predict anyone born after the 31st of July 1990 will only live to be 32.
Man of Honour
One of the guest speakers that comes in from Age Concern to talk to my students reckons that some of our generation (50 ish) will live until 120 (it won't be me).
One of my students has got a Gran who is 106 and still lives on her own
One of my students has got a Gran who is 106 and still lives on her own
Permabanned
I intend to be the incredible hulk by the time Im 30 (3 years............ wtf Im 30 in 3 years!?!?!?!?!?!?!? wtf has happened with my life!!!!?????) GET ON WITH TECHNOLOGY BLOODY HUMANS! I got 10 years before my self promise to kill myself is due!
Permabanned
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technology will take over one day, we will make it too powerful
Man of Honour
Man of Honour
Soldato
Learn the difference between imply and infer
Advances in medical technology, better nutrition and a general reduction in other stuff that'll kill us (lead in paint, chemicals in plastics, etc) that generally our life expectancy will increase.
There are some (fatties, I'm looking at you!) of course to which this does not apply.
Man of Honour
Science keeps advancing, like using stem cells to grow new limbs etc. Hell in the future we might be able to grow whole new bodies or some crazy stuff to combat aging.
That would be funny.
That would be funny.
Soldato
This just makes me think of Peter F Hamilton's Commonwealth universe. Clones and memory sticks with our existence on them.
That would be pretty awesome, or being a Confederation universe Edenist.
Soldato
I think you need to. OCUK Forums are here to stay & you need to be immortal to moderate them.
I can't say I'd want to live for ever, as a Certain immortal once said 'its better to burn out than fade away'