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The Ethics of Life Extension
buggieboy writes "The President's Council on Bioethics
met this month to discuss Age-Retardation: Scientific Possibilities and moral challenges. The consensus was that "aging is a natural part of the life cycle, not a disease." Think Social Security was discussed?" Bruce Sterling's book Holy Fire is a good look at this issue if you find it interesting.
Age-Retardation
I thought this referred to a disease that PHBs get.
Hey, then we could make criminals actually experience their 7 consecutive life terms. I'd bet the death penalty would become more popular among the public and the inmates.
I think that was pretty much on topic..
There's two things I'd like to bring up to expand on that idea, in a way. First, a quote:
"Millions long for immortality who don't know
what to do on a rainy afternoon." -Susan Ertz
Which I think pretty much sums up the situation for most of the people who would buy into the treatment. (Just look at how many hollywood burn-outs keep hacking their bodies up trying to stay young!)
The second is an obligatory reference to the HHGTTG:
"Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged was --indeed, is - one of the Universe's very small number of immortal beings.
Those who are born immortal instinctively know how to cope with it, but Wowbagger was not one of them. Indeed he had come to hate them, the load of serene bastards. He had had his immortality thrust upon him by an unfortunate accident with an irrational
particle accelerator, a liquid lunch and a pair of rubber bands. (snip) To begin with it was fun, he had a ball, living dangerously, taking risks, cleaning up on high-yield long-term investments, and just generally outliving the hell out of everybody."
=Smidge=