THE PROBLEM WITH IMMORTALITY
FROM: LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER
September 20 2004
by Reason
The problem with immortality is really a problem with people, and it extends to
any discussion of the topic. As soon as you mention immortality outside of a
religious context you are in danger of being lumped in with the vocal wingnut
and oddball fringe. Sadly, these are the people who tend to make the most noise
outside of theological circles - vendors of magnetic rings, self-proclaimed
mystics and the like.
>From where I stand, the problem is the same as that suffered by anti-aging
science and medicine - a confusion of alternate meanings, many of which are
colloquial or specific to certain groups or professions. I have previously
outlined the way in which something as simple as diverging definitions for
similar words and phrases can cause deep, costly and long-lasting problems:
http://www.longevity..._anti-aging.cfm
Merriam-Webster defines the state of immortality as being "exempt from death,"
or "exempt from oblivion." This definition is not used in many modern day
discussions of immortality, however - neither by the wingnuts nor more sensible
folk. We can look at J.R.R. Tolkien and derived formulaic modern fantasy for a
good example of colloquial immortality: The ageless elves of Tolkien and his
imitators are referred to as immortal but are not exempt from death or oblivion.
I will not attempt to pinpoint the origins of this alternative meaning of
vulnerable agelessness - I suspect that it goes back a lot further than fifty
years - but it is in common use.
In scientific, rational circles - such as the cryonics community or Immortality
Institute forums - the term "physical immortality" is often used to denote
"vulnerable agelessness," or freedom from the degenerative effects of aging. For
many people, this accurately describes the ultimate goal of medical science:
prevent or cure all disease, disability and degeneration, thus allowing people
to live in perfect health for as long as they desire. This sounds like an
admirable goal to me! A physical immortal, enabled by future medical
technologies, could still die through accident or violence - physical
immortality has no bearing on spiritual or religious matters, and it is quite
different from the dictionary definition of "immortality."
So what can we do - what should we do - when the wingnuts, frauds and a
collision of definitions have rendered it hard to discuss a sensible topic in
public? It's a tough problem, and not one that has an easy solution. History
teaches us that until science and the market can provide a desired product,
there will be any number of borderline or outright fraudulent imitations sold to
the credulous - but the noisy marketplace for those imitations damages the
chances of real progress. Who funds physical immortality research in medical
science or publishes on the topic when everyone knows that only wingnuts use the
word "immortality?" While any talk of "physical immortality research" is far in
advance of reality, it's certainly worth discussion as a serious long-term goal
in front of a wider public audience.
You can see this same wingnut- and definition-driven dynamic in action in the
tension between serious anti-aging science and the anti-aging marketplace - and
my own two-cent answer to the question "what can we do" is "activism."
http://www.longevity...cs/activism.cfm
If there are enough people talking sense - about anti-aging science, healthy
life extension or physical immortality - then topics can be rehabilitated in the
eyes of the public and media ... and that ultimately leads to support, funding,
research and progress.
DISCUSSION
That is all for this issue of the newsletter. The highlights and headlines from
the past two weeks follow below. If you have comments for us, please do send
e-mail to newsletter@longevitymeme.org.
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LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER
September 20 2004
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