Theoretically speaking, is Immortality posible?

Are there ways scientists can manipulate cells into regenerating and rejuvenating? Currently, have we the resources and technology to make Immortality a possibility?

Originally posted by FistOfThe North
Are there ways scientists can manipulate cells into regenerating and rejuvenating? Currently, have we the resources and technology to make Immortality a possibility?

Yes its definately possible. Can we do it right now? I doubt it...but I wouldnt be suprised if its available before the end of our lifetimes(though it would probably be rediculously expensive). Thats immortality through genetics...much later on I've speculated we will be able to transfer human consciousness into computers thus ending our current 'easily killed' state.

Genetically speaking, cloning will not solve the problem of mortality. You can clone a person, without cloning their consciousness. So, the Hitler being cloned debate has always been a silly one in that respect. He'd look like Hitler, but wouldn't live Hitler's life..therefore, would never become the same person.

As for computers, maybe...

Andthing is possible though, with a little research(or a lot) we can discover the secrets.

I think we tend to take a very simplistic view of things, seeing only the trees and not the forest. Manipulating This/That gene, duplicating thought patterns into a silicon/magnetic substrate: it all sounds so wonderful, logical and (in time) "easy." But the thing is, for every factor we have covered, there are probably a hundred more we don't and a thousand more we're not even aware of.

Is immortality eventually possible? We probably won't begin to have any answers to that until we really know what it means to "be alive." And a big component of that will be when we discover (if possible) whether or not being alive means having a nonphysical element (eg, consciousness, soul).

My guess is, we will eventually discover that true immortality isn't gonna be like anything we are currently imagining it to be.

yes it is entierly possible..maybe the the tech is about 60 or 70 yrs off. the thing about the animal kingdom is tho we are gentically differernt we do share some traits and genes. scientists have somewhat figured out how and why a salamander can regenerate whole new limb within a week, and other reptiles with a simlarly quick "healing factor"..also they have started to discover how tortoises are able to slow down thier metabolism to a point where little or no energy is used up, therefore, the cells degenerate at a much slower rate than other animals...which enables them to live for 3 or 4 hundred years. they have also been exploring amphibians, for when they hibernate for the winter, they place themselves in suspened animation and thier cells dont degenerate AT ALL during this period.. and leading bio chemists have theorized that humans have that gene to hibernate, its just a matter of findinng out how to unlock it, and the rest of those genes they are activley searching for.......so i give it another 70 yrs and we'll have a reasonable copy of immortality, or at the very least we could cure some diseases, at get ppl to live a little longer along the way😄

I think you are looking the wrong way. With the advent of the artificial heart, can brains and livers be far off? Simply replace that malfunctioning tallywhacker with a new model (flame paint job optional).

but then would you keep aging and getting wrinklier and wrinklier and your bones would keep getting weaker and weakerand eventually you'd just like, sit in a chair and look ugly for the rest of forever.

Why does skin wrinkle when you get old in the first place? I've always wanted to know, but never got around to looking it up.

The best plausible way would be to deactivate the part of your cell's that causes them to die. You woudnt age.

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
Genetically speaking, cloning will not solve the problem of mortality. You can clone a person, without cloning their consciousness. So, the Hitler being cloned debate has always been a silly one in that respect. He'd look like Hitler, but wouldn't live Hitler's life..therefore, would never become the same person.

As for computers, maybe...

Andthing is possible though, with a little research(or a lot) we can discover the secrets.

Genetic immortality doesnt mean cloning, it means preserving the body you have.

Originally posted by Darth Macabre
Why does skin wrinkle when you get old in the first place? I've always wanted to know, but never got around to looking it up.

Your cells are replaced roughly every 7 years totally some like red blood cells every 3 months. Each copy is less precise than the original. Think of it as copying a VHS tape over and over the quality eventually becomes grainy and less precise. Hence wrinkles.

Even if it was possible, what would be the point? Life would get boring after a while.

Originally posted by Talking_Owl
Even if it was possible, what would be the point? Life would get boring after a while.

I wouldn't mind being immortal. I'd never get bored. I travel everywhere, including space in the future. You can never learn too much, knowledge-wise. I'd see the future and civilization and technology advance. I'd see new inventions, spectacular scientific and medical breakthroughs. Movies and entertainment and how far it would go. I'd see stuff that'll probably make current state of the art CGI look like bad 1970's claymation. Video gaming technology, PC's and consoles. PS10, XBox:Holobox, Nintendo:Universe, lol Flying cars and space cruises, clothes and more. Mind numbing planetary or even galactic discoveries beyond anyones current imagination now. I'd never get bored. In fact I think I'd be too fun.

So I think there would be a couple things to do, lol.

Originally posted by Darth Macabre
Why does skin wrinkle when you get old in the first place? I've always wanted to know, but never got around to looking it up.

decrease of collagen over the years which causes the skin to lose it's elasticity.

Originally posted by fruits
but then would you keep aging and getting wrinklier and wrinklier and your bones would keep getting weaker and weakerand eventually you'd just like, sit in a chair and look ugly for the rest of forever.

Originally posted by NyC-gUrL
decrease of collagen over the years which causes the skin to lose it's elasticity.

yup this is a by product if the cell replacement/degradation. Some though will argue the DNA has timers in, hence the menopause etc, their is some validity in this.

Eventually you would have to die. It's just common sense,even if your cells could regenerate infinitely,eventually something would have to happen to you.Plus the world would have to eventually end someday so your'e dying anyway.

Yup... consciousness is more than just a biological manipulable thing, you have to consider more than just some unimportant biological processes... what could happen in a psychological perspective, maybe our consicousness could die in a psychologial perspective, and there is the second law of thermodynamics which tells that everything tends to die eventually, and if consciousness is like some scientists believe : made up of quantum processess, then it is impossible for you to clone it, you can just transfer it to somewhere else.

Even if it is possible somehow I think it is extremely unnatural, people would be like abnormalities in the universe, being totally separated from any other living beings as they do not follow the life cycle which any living being depend on. So, one can even question if they, or those could still be considered living beings. Man is so foolish, and limited, why they want to be immortal.. to immortalize their stupidity, those really could be called "beings" without purpose.

I really don't think Immortality is possible at this point, and my hope is that it will never be. Who are we to play God? But, I do wish I could get my mother back. 🙁

Originally posted by Atlantis001
Man is so foolish, and limited, why they want to be immortal.. to immortalize their stupidity, those really could be called "beings" without purpose.

Because a person wishes to live on doesn't mean he/she is foolish or purposeless. I think wanting to die is.

Stupidity dissolves as time goes by in some humans and fully dissolves if more knowledge and wisdom were to be absorbed or entered the mind because stupidity comes from ignorance. And the only cure for ignorance is knowledge. ([Latin]-Ig=not/Noe=know-) Imagine the knowledge one would gain if he/she had all the time in the world to learn it. Even if it was by accident through osmosis.

And how is it limited to want to live unlimited. What's limited is your mind, Atlantis001. You should reconsider some of the things you say. Not telling you what to do or say or write but just to review before you post.