From: Scott Badger (wbadger@psyberlink.net)
Date: Wed Jun 02 1999 - 22:28:59 MDT
> Michael S. Lorrey wrote:... If it is seen as common that all
>
> > are immortal, and that immortality is some sort of right, would not
imposing
> > death of any kind be seen as too excessive to allow as a punishment for
a crime
> > or for a defense against a criminal in the act. Thoughts, anyone?
>
> Mike, the thing that concerns me more than this is the notion that
> if some of us achieve immortality (or greatly extended lifespans)
> through extreme effort, cost and discipline, that we would be targeted
> by those who choose short lifespans. Look around you: most people
> choose to shorten their own lives in one way or another. I ride
> motorcycles, way too quickly, for instance. In general, people
> eat terribly unhealthfully, drink way too much, *smoke* tobacco still,
> among other life shortening habits. I could easily see how some
> misguided, deliberately short lived person would see an immortal
> as a threat to mother earth, or some such foolishness, and would
> try to identify and kill us. spike
Reminds me of that old Heinlein story, where some foundation was created and
covertly arranged the marriages of people whose anscestors were long-lived,
breeding them for longevity. After numerous generations, it worked and the
foundation had to explain to the subjects why they weren't aging like the
rest of the population. They all had to keep it a secret for fear that the
rest of the population would never believe that it had been accomplished
through genetics. They would assume that a "potion" had been discovered
that would stop aging. Eventually the secret got out and "Methuselah's
Children" barely escaped from Earth with their lives. I won't ruin the end
for those who haven't read it yet.
Your other point:
>most people choose to shorten their own lives in one way or another.
made me wonder. Do you think when people have nano-immune systems and other
enhancements designed to optimize and protect our bodies from abuse that
they will take that opportunity to see just how much abuse their new bodies
will take? I mean, I would eat a lot more pizza and drink a lot more beer
if I knew that my nanites were programmed to disallow the formation of love
handles. I might even pick up smoking if I knew that my lungs wouldn't be
harmed.
Scott
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