Why do we get old and die?

Glenn Holland

Joined Dec 26, 2014
703
Actually, there is.

Women are waiting longer to have children.

It has been shown with fruit flies that, by delaying procreation, future generations live longer.

Will humans duplicate this result? Only time will tell.
One observation about human procreation is the replacement of humans with some form of labor saving technology. People must carefully evaluate the quality of the their potential offspring before deciding to have children.

The San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing a baby boom, however the parents don't seem to have any extraordinary intellectual talent. From the poor quality of the parent's DNA, I'm seriously wondering if their children will be of any economic value in a technology driven market where humans are being replaced by machines.

I call them "Buggy Whip Babies" since their parents are essentially producing an obsolete commodity with no market.
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
6,323
One observation about human procreation is the replacement of humans with some form of labor saving technology. People must carefully evaluate the quality of the their potential offspring before deciding to have children.

The San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing a baby boom, however the parents don't seem to have any extraordinary intellectual talent. From the poor quality of the parent's DNA, I'm seriously wondering if their children will be of any economic value in a technology driven market where humans are being replaced by machines.

I call them "Buggy Whip Babies" since their parents are essentially producing an obsolete commodity with no market.
Well, then. I guess they'll just have to fit in that basket of deplorables.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
That which doesn't kill me weakens me sufficiently that the next blow, however slight, may easily finish me off. o_O
That's why I no longer go up the ladder to replace bulbs in my 20 foot tall lights. I'm not sure I can survive a solid hit at 20+ MPH, but I am pretty sure it will break some of my parts.:(

Besides, I can hire a sign crew with a bucket truck to change one light bulb for $25. Safer and cheaper than medical care.;)
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,050
He gets burned out on posting once in a while. Not too much out of character for him. But like the rest, hope he is OK. Maybe see if the Elbo Room has it's live feed up, maybe him and Loosie are discussing the worlds problems and how to solve them.:)
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
6,323
For those who enjoy vigorous exercise -- and know how well frequent high intensity physical activity makes one feel -- the conclusions of this study are not surprising at all.

I run 3 to 6 miles most days of the week. It keeps me both sane and alive.

As a side benefit: running keeps the Guinness from making me fat.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
34,829
If we didn't die there would be too many of us miserable ol' farts constantly complaining about how the world was a lot better in the good ol' days.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,777
If we didn't die there would be too many of us miserable ol' farts constantly complaining about how the world was a lot better in the good ol' days.
Yeah... back in the day we used to have teeth, we were thin and fit, and had an endless amount of energy... the world was much better alright :p
 

RacerFlash

Joined Nov 2, 2018
0
I think it’s part of human nature to seek this so-called “fountain of youth.” Whether we’re actively working out in the gym, practicing a meticulous skincare regime, eating clean –we all want to live a long and healthy life. And people nowadays aren’t even exploring longevity drugs and treatment anymore. If you look into transhumanism topics, you’ll be blown away with what’s being discussed now. AI, blockchain, robotics, virtual and augmented realities are now being studied for this search for immortality. We could one day be cyborgs or have our minds uploaded into a computer. What do you think about all these possibilities?

https://www.researchgate.net/public...Some_Philosophical_Problems_of_Mind-Uploading

https://www.academia.edu/24268306/Mind-Uploading_The_Hard_Problem_of_Transhumanism
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
I think it’s part of human nature to seek this so-called “fountain of youth.” Whether we’re actively working out in the gym, practicing a meticulous skincare regime, eating clean –we all want to live a long and healthy life. And people nowadays aren’t even exploring longevity drugs and treatment anymore. If you look into transhumanism topics, you’ll be blown away with what’s being discussed now. AI, blockchain, robotics, virtual and augmented realities are now being studied for this search for immortality. We could one day be cyborgs or have our minds uploaded into a computer. What do you think about all these possibilities?

https://www.researchgate.net/public...Some_Philosophical_Problems_of_Mind-Uploading

https://www.academia.edu/24268306/Mind-Uploading_The_Hard_Problem_of_Transhumanism
I think nothing because you are no longer human. What does it mean to be alive? Can life exist without death? People looking at things like life extension and uploading seem to me like fanatics with unresolved religious issues (fear of death).

It is funny to be working on augmented realities when no 2 people can agree on reality that they are living in currently Maybe a selling point will be to have people inhabit same AI!?
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,237
Way back on page one, someone mused on the problems we would face if we lived for thousands of years. Besides the science quoted herein, mythology was discussed.

I want to go in a different direction. In fiction, Robert Heinlien created a character, Lazarus Long, who lived over 4000 years. Heinlein published both short stories and novels, and his characters appeared across several stories. Lazarus was one such character, who also appeared in his own novel, Time Enough For Love.

This long introduction is merely to state that Heinlien deeply explored the problems that would face mankind, if he were to live for thousands of years. Look up Time Enough For Live for a synopsis.
 
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