The possibility of immortality

[Marshalscienceguy]

Will immortality ever be possible, if it was created what do you think the people with the key to it would do with it, how would having the key to immortality affect society in such a case?

[Moontanman]

Nothing can be immortal, even the universe ends...

[Endy0816]

I think the smart thing to do would be to share the information after having traveled some distance away from the planet.

 

Let everyone else deal with the fallout, not like you are short on time. Come back when things have normalized again.

[Delbert]

Aren't plants essentially immortal?

 

It seems one can take cuttings as many times as one likes, which are clearly all the same plant. For example a particular apple variety, whereby all the trees are cuttings from one original plant how ever many years ago - and doubtless cuttings from cuttings.

 

In other words, the cells of plants can apparently repeatedly divide without end without suffering deterioration in the process - unlike our cells apparently do.

[Moontanman]

Aren't plants essentially immortal?

 

It seems one can take cuttings as many times as one likes, which are clearly all the same plant. For example a particular apple variety, whereby all the trees are cuttings from one original plant how ever many years ago - and doubtless cuttings from cuttings.

 

In other words, the cells of plants can apparently repeatedly divide without end without suffering deterioration in the process - unlike our cells apparently do.

 

 

No a cloned plant is not the same organism any more than your clone would be the same organism and animals cells can be grown forever as well.

[Delbert]

 

 

No a cloned plant is not the same organism any more than your clone would be the same organism and animals cells can be grown forever as well.

A technical point perhaps, but unlike our cells - or any similar creature - plant cells appear to be able to reproduce without deterioration. Like a tree (for example) that didn't either fall over under its own weight or become diseased and rot away, presumably it could live for a very long time to the point of being described as immortal.

[K Sky]

Hi there. My opinion stands without scientific research. Nevertheless, I am of the impression that the pursuit of cloning in the interest of growing replacement body parts for medical reasons coupled with the amazing progress the tech industry displays will lead to immortality. I think science will eventually grow a brain in a lab (animal first), and alongside will be a computer science grad trying to find some way to attach a bio connector. That process will develop and well, you probably get me by now. The whole download into a computer thing. The science will grow from nothing like reality, to scientists gathering the know how to produce the feelings our nerve endings sensate, and so on. Most old people do not want to die and would likely be happy to go first. Undoubtedly, the ethical issues will not escape the matter, but over time all that will work itself out. Frankly, I think humans will explore space from right here on earth, in a big bio computer. We could simply drop relays along the routes. Any planet could be walked on. A robot of some sort with sensors could relay back feelings. All of humanity could experience such an event simultaneously. If this becomes the case, we could outlive the universe. Is that too positive? I would guess science could get there in 1500-2000 years from now. Maybe a little longer, but think up to 5,000 and it feels like a lock.

 

Other than space exploration, the effects on society I cannot imagine. I liken the sensation to a person born 2,000 years ago. She/He's enculturation and education would hinder the capability of grasping many of our current gadgets. How about germs? They seem like a no brainer. Maybe the most advanced thinkers conceived ideas like, I bet there will be a better way to write things down. Maybe along the way someone was smart enough to have fashioned a paper airplane. If we go into a big brain bio computer our line of societal processes change. And so goes evolution and thought.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Kevin D.

[CharonY]

A technical point perhaps, but unlike our cells - or any similar creature - plant cells appear to be able to reproduce without deterioration. Like a tree (for example) that didn't either fall over under its own weight or become diseased and rot away, presumably it could live for a very long time to the point of being described as immortal.

 

Plants are long lived for a variety of reasons, including their ability to just shut off areas of themselves without killing themselves. That being said, there is little evidence for immortality in the practical sense. From a quick search it appears that the oldest individual plant specimen are only about 5-6k years old.

[Sensei]

how would having the key to immortality affect society in such a case?

 

People would have to find a job they like..

 

[Phi for All]

Let's set the bar realistically, with some natural limits. Unlimited age isn't really rational, we know of nothing else that lasts forever. So let's say "immortal" for a human means we've cracked the embryonic regeneration code and we regrow new cells, including teeth, lost limbs, etc. Is it realistic to think we could live 1000 years instead of 100? Ten or twelve lifetimes seems like immortality at this point. OTOH, if we could regenerate tissue, how would we die a "natural" death?

 

Immortality while restricted to Earth = BAD, imo. Either it's the "elite" who get to live forever, or everyone does so you have to either stop having children or do something with all those extra people. Start investing in growing cultured food, all those folks need to eat and we can only raise so many animals given limited land.

 

Immortality coupled with <C space travel, this has real possibilities. If we gathered our resources off-planet, we could send colonizing ships out as floating universities, figuring that everyone on board will have a few hundred years to learn everything they can before landing on their chosen planet.

[zapatos]

A technical point perhaps, but unlike our cells - or any similar creature - plant cells appear to be able to reproduce without deterioration. Like a tree (for example) that didn't either fall over under its own weight or become diseased and rot away, presumably it could live for a very long time to the point of being described as immortal.

The shoot apical meristem in trees is generally considered 'immortal'. This is the portion of the plant at the end of stems, which controls longitudinal growth. The plant as a whole is not immortal, and therefore the apical meristem dies when something critical happens, such as the tree falling over. But as you said it is theoretically possible to take cuttings indefinitely from the shoots without deterioration of cells.