[Liberator]

9/10's of the world would scream atrocity.  Humans seem to think they have a right to reproduce and anything that interferes with that right is seen as evil and grotesque.  

It seems like an equitable trade: 10+ lifetimes in exchange for you're ability to have children.  The problem I forsee is us somehow sterilizing the every human on the planet accidentally, unless it's surgical sterilization.

[pyro-manic]

Well, it is one of the most basic instincts to reproduce. It's kind of hard to resist it, because it's so deeply engrained in the mind. You could take two directions: you could sterilize people through the anti-age treatment or surgically, or you could treat them to eliminate their sex drive. Neither of which will be universally accepted. It's a tricky one.

[Rictor]

If this actually comes about, I would make it my life mission to eradicate the technology and anyone who knows how to duplicate it.

Doesn't anyone think this is a horrible, terrible thing? The entire human identity, since the first time we rubbed two sticks together has been definded by our relative lifespan. Age is the great equalizer. You can be the richest man or the poorest man, powerful or powerless, regardless of religion, nationality, skin colour, gender or whatever else, everyone lives for about the same amount of the time. Like I said, the great equalizer.

Eliminate ageing/dying, and all of humanity gets turned sideways. Society would be changed in a million tiny, but significant ways, which you don't really notice unless you stop to think about it.

Aldous Huxley must be spinning in his grave.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Rictor
If this actually comes about, I would make it my life mission to eradicate the technology and anyone who knows how to duplicate it.

Doesn't anyone think this is a horrible, terrible thing? The entire human identity, since the first time we rubbed two sticks together has been definded by our relative lifespan. Age is the great equalizer. You can be the richest man or the poorest man, powerful or powerless, regardless of religion, nationality, skin colour, gender or whatever else, everyone lives for about the same amount of the time. Like I said, the great equalizer.

Eliminate ageing/dying, and all of humanity gets turned sideways. Society would be changed in a million tiny, but significant ways, which you don't really notice unless you stop to think about it.

Aldous Huxley must be spinning in his grave.

An equalizer it may be, but somehow I'd rather just not die.  Besides which, the poorer people tend to die earlier anyways (lack of nutrition, living conditions, even the cost of medicine in non National Health countries).

[Rictor]

Uh huh, but the relative lifespan is still more or less the same.

How would you feel about the rich living to be 950, while the poor die at 40? If you think that life-extension would result in greater equality, you are wrong, so very wrong.

[aldo_14]

Well, frankly, I don't really give a ****.  

With regards to my life, I'd be quite happy with another few decades of youth.  If that puts me in an 'elite' class, then fair enough.

[Flipside]

The thing is, do you think these treatments will be cheap, or widely available? They won't, at least at first, that was what I meant by the fact it will throw mankind into another War

[WeatherOp]

I basicly go's like this "The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Get Poorer".

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Flipside
The thing is, do you think these treatments will be cheap, or widely available? They won't, at least at first, that was what I meant by the fact it will throw mankind into another War

Which will clear up a lot of space for the longevity-treated people.  Y'see, there's a logic behind it

NB: there's a rebuttal linked on the bottom of that article by another scientist.

[Rictor]

This isn't about equality or whatever, this is about giving the finger to tens of thousands of years of human evolution, thought, society and well, life.

Take away age as a factor, and everything changes.

[WeatherOp]

But, what if you're on the side that goes to war? Not Good then

[Ford Prefect]

I don't see evolution as nature's "intent." It's just cause/effect, like everything else. So by that token, I don't find anything "wrong" with this because there's no such thing as going against nature; what happens happens.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Rictor
This isn't about equality or whatever, this is about giving the finger to tens of thousands of years of human evolution, thought, society and well, life.

Take away age as a factor, and everything changes.

Meh.  We do that all the time, anyways.  I would not trade my lifespan - be it 40, 70, or 1000 years for anything.  I'm sorry if I'm being a selfish bastard over that, but it's true.  

I'm not going to sit here and lie and say "yeah, I'd like to live as a 21-year old for an age, but only if everyone can".  i'm well aware of the philosophical issues and whatnot.

[Ghostavo]

Liberator, mankind will live longer than 120 years old...

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gwr5/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48373

Unless by man you really mean man (as in male human).

[Unknown Target]

I would sit here and say I'd only do it if it was available to anyone who wanted it.

[Clave]

Wait till you're older, then you will trample over your own mother to get hold of it...

[Flipside]

Heh, my mother would elbow me in the groin in the rush

[Kazan]

rictor what gives you the right to do any such thing?

if you even attempt that you're just as bad as the christofascists

[pyro-manic]

It would completely change humanity in a very short space of time. That would lead to all kinds of problems, which would mean the suffering of millions. If this is ever possible, there will have to be massive changes in society's attitudes to all areas of life, which takes a long time to accomplish. If it was to be introduced at all, it would have to be over a long period of time, so that each generation lived slightly longer than the last. That way, you would have time to gauge the effects, and bring population growth under control so that a food crisis didn't occur.

[WeatherOp]

(Thinks of that movie Logan's Run, where they kill everyone over 30)