[Mens Rea]

Originally Posted by Y@}{000

Is it possible that we could find the aging gene and live forever?

If we could live for ever, would we eventually master intergallactic travel? Would we terraform other planets? What type of life would we create? How would we explain things to any "intellegent" life that evolves on these planets? Would we be intelligent designers?

If man conquers death would we become god?

Without death, can there be virtue?

[MadFistWilly]

Originally Posted by Revok

Given that evolutionary progression is determined by rate of procreation, and educated people have far fewer children than uneducated people, I'd say we're destined to evolve into white trash.

Good point. Although instead of evovling into white trash, I'm hoping we just start seeing more and more darwin awards...

[Mens Rea]

On a slightly related note, does anyone else see the myth of Noah's Ark as a ****phor for panspermia?

[MadFistWilly]

Originally Posted by Mens Rea

If we could live for ever, would we eventually master intergallactic travel? Would we terraform other planets? What type of life would we create? How would we explain things to any "intellegent" life that evolves on these planets? Would we be intelligent designers?

If man conquers death would we become god?

Without death, can there be virtue?

I think prolonging life is the only way we'll ever be able to travel any significant distance in space, as even new promising technologies such as plasma rockets and solar sails are still "slow" with regards to how unbelievably huge the universe is.

I don't see man ever conquering death though. I think we will find better ways of prolonging it, but regardless of any advances we make, we're still mortal. I mean, if a grand piano gets dropped on your head from a few stories up, you're still going to be a pile of mush... with or without scientific advancement.

[Mens Rea]

Originally Posted by MadFistWilly

I think prolonging life is the only way we'll ever be able to travel any significant distance in space, as even new promising technologies such as plasma rockets and solar sails are still "slow" with regards to how unbelievably huge the universe is.

I don't see man ever conquering death though. I think we will find better ways of prolonging it, but regardless of any advances we make, we're still mortal. I mean, if a grand piano gets dropped on your head from a few stories up, you're still going to be a pile of mush... with or without scientific advancement.

If we're getting into science fiction, why not just clone a cell which survives the piano mashing?

I think Arnold had a movie about clones, where he himself was a clone.

[Eduardo R.]

A lot of you don't seem to actually understand evolution. Evolution doesn't come up with a idea that would benefit a species every so often (like say a white nose for polar bears) it can only select from genes that exist in the gene pool of a species. Improvements on a species generally come from a genetic mutation in one or more organisms which proves to be beneficial allowing for that particular organism to reproduce more then ones with less beneficial mutations (natural selection) and pass on that gene and there for eventually spread it to his species. Since humans no longer really have differential survival or gene isolation it's unlikely that we will evolve naturally any further.

[MadFistWilly]

Originally Posted by Mens Rea

If we're getting into science fiction, why not just clone a cell which survives the piano mashing?

I think Arnold had a movie about clones, where he himself was a clone.

lol.

Arnold's movie was "The Sixth Day", which wasn't one of his better movies in my opinion. Yeah, you could probably clone the cell, but all you get is a physical copy, so you would lose who the person really was... unless of course the folks at Recall "reinstall" your personality for you.

[Eduardo R.]

Originally Posted by Y@}{000

Good post. I have thought that many times about how we can affect our destiny through genetic engineering.

Is it possible that we could find the aging gene and live forever?

Aging is not caused by one gene. A theory that makes sense to me is that aging is caused by repeated cell fuck ups in the transcription of DNA which leads to less perfect cells (loose skin, grey hair) and each mistake makes another mistake more likely which eventualy leads to total cell failure (death).

[GoForkYourself]

Originally Posted by Mens Rea

If we're getting into science fiction, why not just clone a cell which survives the piano mashing?

I think Arnold had a movie about clones, where he himself was a clone.

yeah, it was the 6th day, and that's basically what the "bad guys" did to avoid the inevitable death arnold was dishing out.

Originally Posted by MadFistWilly

lol.

Arnold's movie was "The Sixth Day", which wasn't one of his better movies in my opinion. Yeah, you could probably clone the cell, but all you get is a physical copy, so you would lose who the person really was... unless of course the folks at Recall "reinstall" your personality for you.

in the 6th day they "took your synchording" which basically scanned your mind through your eyes and put it onto a computer disk, and then somehow loaded that into your new body.

[Y@}{000]

Originally Posted by Eduardo R.

Aging is not caused by one gene. A theory that makes sense to me is that aging is caused by repeated cell fuck ups in the transcription of DNA which leads to less perfect cells (loose skin, grey hair) and each mistake makes another mistake more likely which eventualy leads to total cell failure (death).

i am certainly no expert. I have seen/read so much about "the aging gene" and if we could find it we could just turn it off. interesting stuff nonetheless.