I saw this idea in Time magazine recently (The Year Man Becomes Immortal), and I immediately came to a few thoughts… The first thought was to question (this is a classic questions too!) whether three has been as much thought about why we should be doing this, and whether there has been much thought as to the potential consequences of this…if it were to take place.
While I certainly wouldn’t want to characterize Ray Kurzweil as a mad scientist, the fact that he has been feverishly working on this topic, and that he seems to be simultaneously working to try to extend his life to make it to this point in time strikes me as both plausible and a bit creepy.
This is certainly an interesting idea to mull around… For instance, IF this takes place…who gets to be raised to this sort of immortality?
How will we have to deal with these far different organisms?
Since those with some sort of power (whether monetary or political, through influence or even coercion) would likely be the first ‘recipients of ‘immortality, what would their role in society be?
Are there longer term perspectives to consider about non-human actors with virtual immortality and potentially much more expansive intellects? Feel free to wallow in as much paranoia or saintliness as you wish…
This idea takes the recent trope of being ‘trans-human’ to a level with would have to be considered…other than as a novelty for a few…
On another tack, the broad concept of immortality has been fodder in science fiction and fantasy writing for decades, and in any number of myths and legends for millennia. There is always some sort of underlying ideal being aspired to here, such that this is the highest plane of existence, or that this represents the ultimate gift to someone…
Is it?
2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal
http://www.infowars.com/2045-the-year-man-becomes-immortal
2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal
http://www.oldthinkernews.com/?p=1119
Futurist Ray Kurzweil Pulls Out All the Stops (and Pills) to Live to Witness the Singularity
http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/16-04/ff_kurzweil?currentPage=all
Immortality Only A Few Decades Away Thanks to Singularity
http://techland.time.com/2011/02/11/immortality-only-a-few-decades-away-thanks-to-singularity
