Immortality
First, Happy And Healthy New Year to all. I've been reading Michio Kaku's book called "The Future Of Humanity." The book is mainly about space travel in the future. We all want to know if there are others like us out there. Most of us realize that no matter what we do, the Earth is not going to be here forever for so many, many reasons. Most scientists believe there are many, many Earth-like planets in our solar system.
The problem today and for the foreseeable future is - how the hell to we get there. All of these Earth-like planets are so far away that unless we are able to build a WARP engine (Like the one in Star Trek) we will need at least 200 plus years to get to the nearest one.
Scientists, backed by billions of dollars from supper rich people (so they can live forever), are working on a few ways to become Immortal or at least enable humans to live at least 200 years. NASA is also chipping in because they know we have to populate another world or the Human Race will become extinct.
All of the solutions will never happen in my lifetime, but if you were just born today you have a shot. The body's cells break down over time. One solution is to stop them from breaking down. However, if we were able to fix the good cells from breaking down, we would also enhance bad cells (like Cancer cells that may be dormant), to spread throughout our body.
Another solution is to modify our DNA at birth so that the mortal gene's clock slows down. There are many, many moral issues with screwing around with our DNA to create that solution (can you spell Designer Babies).
Still another solution is to copy our brain into a Robot that can live for the long trip to the stars. Believe it or not, scientists are working on such a solution. We have already mapped the human brain. We have already been able to convert a very small part of a human brain onto the chips that run our computers.
There are two problems with this solution. First, the computer chips of today are limited on how many you can put into a computer to mimic the human brain. How about billions of chips in a computer that would have to be the size of Philadelphia and cost more than the economy of the United States.
In the many decades to come we might be able to stop using silicone memory chips and use memory chips made of the same stuff our brain uses. That would be a good first start (remember we still have to build a spaceship that can get to these distant planets), but some scientists and many other people have concerns that these Robots will take over humanity.
Sooo, I have been asking myself do I want my brain put into a Robot? Do I want Robots to colonize another Earth instead of ME? Most importantly, do I want to be Immortal?
Everybody who is healthy would say YES. But just think about it. The current population of the world is already eating up much of our resources. Do I really want to be 200 years old trying to find some food to eat, air to breathe and shelter? Do I really want to live on a distant planet that doesn't have a supermarket, an Italian restaurant or a casino?
Well, what about the Robot idea? Sure, my memories would be intact. Sure, I would be superhuman with skills beyond what the human body can do today. Sure, my brain would be much smarter than it is today. The BIG BUT IS, what about the taste of a delicious desert? What about the love and closeness of another human being? What about the enjoyment of a great movie or concert and what about no longer having a fabulous organism?
I'm Not Willing To Give Those Things Up Just To Live A Few Years Longer
