Immortality: Who gets it?

Okay, consider this. Tomorrow, or the next day, genetic engineers discover how to make us immortal.

Who gets it?

Doing it to everyone would result in overcrowding, starvation, probably a resulting general slide into global economic recession, wars for land and resources, and so on. It would screw us and the planet.

Only the smartest 1% or 2% of people? Those minds might be able to do the most for humanity. Test people at five year intervals to get a general idea of IQ and reasoning ability, and give it to the highest scorers?

Give it to the rich people? After all, they are the ones with the clout to create lasting industrial bases which can take us to the stars. They are the ones feeding half the world (and screwing half the world).

Give it to poor, uneducated people for some reason?

So, who gets it, and why?

 

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Oh well, then I go for the poor, because when you kill all the rich, the poor wil inherit the Earth and it's goods...

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Does it really matter who you "give it to".
The strong, powerful, & ruthless will end up with it.
As is always the case...

The Strong will survive!

 

Or, of course, we could kill all the poor and let the rich inherit the Earth.

 

So, all the poor are good people and the rich are bad?

 

Hmm ...

1. Hold a planetary lottery;

2. Select a number of 'immortals' equivalent to the number of zoos
on the planet plus 10% (to cover future construction);

3. Kill all the genetic engineers!

Take care

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Of course strgrl.....
Anyone who works his ass off, learns as much about subject as he cans and becomes incredibly good at something deserves to die.

 

Dying is very important for the life we live. If we should stop dying, there would be a much lesser motivation to for example study. Why bother? You have endless time.

This reminds me of a person who asked eternal life and got it. Only he forgot to ask for eternal youth...

 

Of course *stRgrL*, it's all that black and white! My goodness!

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Agreed...

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"Oh well, then I go for the poor, because when you kill all the rich, the poor wil inherit the Earth and it's goods..."

Well Banshee, you definetly made it seem that black and white. And I for one would gladly die over seeing the bum that sits outside the local LCBO inherit the wealth.

 

While I think that a lotto type drawing would be the fairest, I suspect that it would also be one of the biggest targets for shenanagans. After you won the prize and it was administered, could it be taken away? So what is a hundred years in jail to pay for your crime?

Short of that, the only other system that would make sense would be your contribution to society. Just because you can make money does not mean that is a big boon to society. However if you were voted for the Noble Prize of some catagory prehaps that could be a starting place.

 

Tyler, you forgot to quote the

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in the post.

I don't think immortality is an option anyways. What is with you people that you want to be immortal? Be careful what you wish for, you might get it, only not the way you want it probably.

One life-time at the time. There will be a new one and maybe, just maybe, you will be the bum sitting outside the LCBO in the next life...

 

I wouldnt want to be immortal - ever. This lifetime is hard enough, for me anyways, why would I want to live 50 lifetimes? Plus, I wouldnt want to be around while all my loved ones grew old and died. That would be too sad

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"One life-time at the time. There will be a new one and maybe, just maybe, you will be the bum sitting outside the LCBO in the next life..."

Then so be it. If I fail and end up a lazy bum on the street begging for money to buy booze instead of looking for a job it will be nobodies fault but my own.

 

A lottery may be fair in the short term, but would be disastrous in the long term. I can't see it as fair to the human species if a million dumb-arses and KKK-wannabes are made immortal. It would be totally unfair to make immortal people who would be bad for the future, who might make a worse world for all those yet to be born. Lotteries are, I think, a very bad idea.

 

This kind of idea seems to be very common. I don't understand that. Do they teach you that in school so you won't feel too guilty when tripping over one?

Everybody has their own story. Everyone has their errors, mistakes and misfortunes. It's not right to judge so quickly.

 

Yes it is. For every bum with a hard luck story, theres a person made good with a story just as bad. Its how you deal with it that matters.

 

Being not able to deal with it, is no reason to not help that person. There are unintelligent and uneducated people. They should not just be left lying on the street.

I also believe that 'the American dream', which can show some fine examples, is not a general truth. Sometimes, you can not make it, not even when you try.

 

For the sake of this argument, lets assume that:
A) a series of scientific breakthroughs eliminates all disease and enables humans to stop aging.
B) this technology is available starting today.
C) this technology is affordable due to economies of scale so that price does not limit who can receive this "immortality cocktail".
D) no one can force anyone else to be immortal if they don't want to be immortal.

It would be unethical for any government body to decide who should receive immortality. Whether by lottery, economic class, race, nation, sexual orientation, athletic prowess, popularity vote, or any other measure, this would create two separate races: mortals and immortals. The only ethical solution would be to offer immortality to anyone who chooses to accept it.

While an ever increasing population would create problems, we would find solutions. "Necessity is the mother of invention." If we are smart enough to develop immortality technology, we should be able to develop other technologies to address issues such as food and living space. We would redirect our resources into developing efficient agricultural practices and space colonization in this solar system. In a few hundred years, we could move on to other parts of the galaxy. A 10,000 light year voyage is not much time compared to eternity.

Doctor, I'll have my immortality cocktail stirred not shaken. Major Tom, I'm here for the interstellar flight...can I sit in the pilot's seat?