From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Thu Aug 29 2002 - 02:09:18 MDT
Hi gts, I'm enjoying our discussions. But why are your
lines so chopped up? It makes it very hard to read. Can
you adjust your emailer options so that the problem goes
away?
I don't know how most people do it. I just set it for
a very large number, and then type a newline myself at
around 50 characters or so.
Thanks,
Lee
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-extropians@extropy.org
> [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org]On Behalf Of gts
> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 12:10 AM
> To: extropians@extropy.org
> Subject: Quantum tunneling and human immortality
>
>
> It is a hard fact of physical science that molecules decompose
> spontaneously. This spontaneous decomposition happens through a process
> called "quantum tunneling." Both organic and inorganic molecules are
> subject to
> this form of decay.
>
> Quantum tunneling is probably the last and final frontier in anti-aging
> science. It has yet to be addressed because there are so many other
> problems
> which must first be solved. It may be hundreds of years, perhaps even
> thousands of years, before the problem of quantum tunneling even appears
> on
> the radar screens of physicians. But those of us interested in defying
> death
> should consider it now.
>
> Quantum tunneling damages organic molecules including those that
> comprise the
> human body. Quantum tunneling deforms the molecule in which it occurs.
> It happens randomly, according to the same laws of quantum mechanics
> that
> predict the frequency at which radioactive atoms emit radioactive
> particles. For molecules in the body these deformations do not happen
> frequently. However the human body is made of billions of molecules and
> so it happens
> quite frequently in terms of the over-all human organism. Eventually
> every
> molecule is deformed by quantum tunneling, including the critical
> molecules
> that comprise our genetic material and which control the synthesis of
> important life proteins.
>
> This type of damage happens very slowly and is hardly
> relevant to anti-aging medicine circa 2002. But anti-aging doctors of
> the
> distant future will be faced with what appears to be an insurmountable
> problem. As such it appears to be a problem that extropians should
> consider.
>
> Most people are aware that the molecules in our bodies can be damaged by
> free radicals. The suppression of free-radical damage is a main
> objective
> of anti-aging medicine. Probably we can control free-radical damage with
>
> natural and artificial anti-oxidants and thus slow aging to some degree.
>
>
> The laws of chemistry support this theory that anti-oxidants can slow
> aging
> by controlling the damage caused by free-radicals. However damage to the
>
> body from quantum-tunneling is a completely different problem. Unlike
> the
> laws of biology and chemistry, which allow for the suppression of
> free-radical damage, the laws of quantum mechanics (particle physics)
> do not allow for the suppression of quantum-tunneling damage. For this
> reason the theory of quantum mechanics predicts that true human
> immortality
> is simply not achievable unless immortality is not dependant upon
> biology.
>
> It may be possible in the future to use one's own DNA to grow new organs
> to
> replace old diseased organs. This emerging technology may even overcome
> the
> problem of quantum-tunneling to some degree for those organs that are
> freshly grown from preserved genetic material. This will be a huge step
> toward immortality. But what about diseases of the brain and mind?
>
> Perhaps science will someday discover new laws of physics and biology
> that
> allow for the suppression of quantum-tunneling damage. However for now
> it
> appears that spontaneous quantum decomposition of organic molecules and
> human mortality are unavoidable facts of the physical universe.
>
> -gts
>
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