What if you could live to age 1000?

[Courtesy Flush]

You may have heard about this story... http://www.speculist.com/archives/000056.html A geneticist is claiming that the technology exists to allow people to live healthy lives to age 1000 or more. But what would that really mean for us?

If your nose continues to grow as you age, how big would it get in a thousand years?

If you wanted to visit your childhood home, you'd need a team of archeologists to help you dig it up.

On the upside, you could learn to speak dozens of languages, and play dozens of musical instruments. You could dedicate a century to excelling at your chosen craft, become legendary for your exceptional skills, then change course, and become just great at something different.

But when would you be eligible for Medicare? When would you be allowed to retire? Even if you have a normal memory, would you remember your wedding day, 600 years ago? Would lenders offer 500 year mortgages, and would housing prices rise, because they know you'll live long enough to pay for just about anything?

Too many questions. How would it affect you?

[rogerashton]

1. I'm willing to give it a try.

Great believer in the experimental method.

[China_cat]

2. The way things are going

we'd still have somebody named Bush in charge. 4 more years is too much, let alone another 996.

[StopTheMorans]

4. where's my cyanide pill?

[msgadget]

20. That was going to be my question - thank you!

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Of course, it would only be available to the rich, right?

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Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[Courtesy Flush]

8. Good question

If this stuff works, I'd invest in it. If I invested in it, I'd probably get rich. Then I could afford to buy it:)

There would be some interesting ethical questions. Should it be available to everyone? If not, it would be like a death sentence to those who don't receive it. If the average life expectancy is, say, 700 years, how could we say some people only get 70 years?

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. We would be so overpopulated that special tricks or not, people

would just starve to death.

-------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[dolo amber]

5. Fuck. That.

[StopTheMorans]

7. exactly! If I could live to 1000, I'd f**k everyone!

:evilgrin:

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. But who woulf F*** someone who looks as old as he is.. 1000?! *g*

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Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[arwalden]

6. It's An Interesting Thought...

I think I'd do it. (Except for the nose continuing to grow... I imagine I could deal with everything else. Perhaps I could get nose reduction surgery.)

[MsAnthropy]

11. My gawd would that be boring!

There is no way someone could keep themselves entertained or even mildly interested in anything for that long. That's why old people can only talk about other people's illnesses and death, that's all they've got for entertainment. Jeez, 600 years of nothing buy "my kids never come to see me!"

[Courtesy Flush]

15. Or "my great great great grandkids never come to see me."

Supposedly, these life-extended people will not age like we do now. I'm guessing that you'd have the same sharp mind, and curious nature you always had (if you ever did).

And who would want to stay interested in the same thing that long? You can move on to new things, you know.

[amazona]

16. well some people don't get bored

I don't. Well, I'm only middle-aged, but I know lots of old folks who also don't get bored. Kinda depends on the old folk in question. Those who are fascinated by the minutae of their hobbies or careers may bore others, but we ourselves are never bored. Just in the birdwatching world alone, there are women who make a career of putting little bands on hummingbirds and weighing them and measuring all their feathers, and men who want nothing more than to paint or photograph each tiny variation in how a hawk's feather grows in. When Roger Tory Peterson was asked about how he felt about all his accomplishments at age 80, he said that he was angry, because he was just getting started and we were not given lives long enough to do all we need to do.


That said, I am aware of the kind of old people who are only interested in/stimulated by other people -- and yes, as human nature is rather predictable in the end, I do understand why those people become bored and boring. Humane euthanasia should certainly be an option offered to the terminally bored, although I'm confident that many will stay alive just to see the next episode of "must-see TV."

[Aristus]

12. I'd clean up on high-yield long-term bonds. n/t

[XNASA]

13. We'd really have to rethink the "Til Death Do Us Part" thing.

I don't think I could stay married for 900+ years.

[amazona]

14. sounds good to me

Did you read Kim Stanley Robinson's treatment of this in his Mars books? It answers a lot of your questions in a very interesting way.

As far as your nose continuing to grow, once you're over 40, you're entering the plastic surgery years anyway. At least with a 960 more years to look forward to, you won't be so angry and impatient at all the time spent waiting around in spas, salons, and doctor's offices to stay fine-tuned. So you have to get a new nose job every 20 years or so, BFD, it's worth it to have all the extra time to explore the universe.

Of course, everyone else would also have 1,000 years to become excellent/exceptional at whatever so I think you might still find the universe a very competitive place...perhaps unpleasantly so for any new kids being born with all these highly accomplished 300 year olds way out in front of them.

[terrya]

17. That "nose getting bigger" thing alone scares the hell out of me.

As anyone who has met me in person will attest, I have a rather largish sized nose. I can't possibly imagine how big it would be in 1000 years. :-)

I'd hate the idea of living to 1000 years old. Somehow, it sounds rather lonely. What about the people you become attached to?

[Courtesy Flush]

18. Another consequence...

Lifetime warranties would become a thing of the past. Buy your Craftsman tools now, and really stick it to them in 200 years.

[BiggJawn]

19. Some day they WILL offer 500-year mortgages...

Your descendants will be responsible for paying them off.

"Lost Great-great-grandpa's home to Ditech-dot-Com!"

[Placebo]

21. Oh gawd, who would want to?

I don't even want to live to be 70 or 80, KILL ME NOW! PLEASE!

[Boswells_Johnson]

22. I'd like to marry a woman 800 years younger.

[nini]

23. oh no way

especially if I had kids to worry about for that long! NOOOOO

[Niccolo_Macchiavelli]

24. i'd be in for a try too

All the knowledge to gather, the arts to excel in...screw beauty for a millenium of (mental healthy) life... it would be great.