For any child born today, how long can we expect them to live, taking into account advances in medical science and healthier lifestyles and all that we can expect to occur this century. Would you expect almost all to live to see the 22nd century, or is that maybe too far-fetched?
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How long can we expect to live?
- Thread starter nasher168
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Giliell
Active Member
Boy or girl?
Well, since it's already 2009, which means only 92 years till 2101, I think that many of the children born today in the western world might make it to that day. Since the life-expectancy in the industrialised world today is over 80 on average, I think those who make it to 70 (which means they didn't crash their car into a tree at age 21 or died of cancer age 54) might well make it to 90 or 100.
Well, since it's already 2009, which means only 92 years till 2101, I think that many of the children born today in the western world might make it to that day. Since the life-expectancy in the industrialised world today is over 80 on average, I think those who make it to 70 (which means they didn't crash their car into a tree at age 21 or died of cancer age 54) might well make it to 90 or 100.
TonyBtheEG
Member
I'll be cool if I hit 80 and achieve the status "old fuck".
Well, forever is too ambitious for me, but I am hoping for a solid ninety years at least for myself. My son was born last year and it sure would be cool for him to see the dawn of the twenty-second century. I suspect it's possible too. each generation (estimated at about twenty-five years) seems to add two or three years to life expectancy so we gen-Xers should be good for eighty some-odd (under good circumstances) and my boy's generation should crest ninety. I don't have the raw data at hand to back that up though so it's a shot in the dark.
connorkimbro
New Member
I don't plan on dying. I'll enhance my body with bionics to live longer, even if it means that after a while it'll make me be a brain-in-a-robotic-suit.
.....
What am I taking about? I'm a machine!
Anyways, I think that we'll figure out how to grow or build replacements for most of the body within the next 100 years, except for the brain, perhaps. That's why I'm going into bionics, so I can try and help develop these replacements.
I would expect people born (or in my case, built) around 1990 to have a very good chance of living to the 22nd century.
.....
What am I taking about? I'm a machine!
Anyways, I think that we'll figure out how to grow or build replacements for most of the body within the next 100 years, except for the brain, perhaps. That's why I'm going into bionics, so I can try and help develop these replacements.
I would expect people born (or in my case, built) around 1990 to have a very good chance of living to the 22nd century.
According to Barry Schuler who serves on the board of directors for Synthetic Genomics (co-founded by Craig Venter):
"And all I can tell you is, stay healthy for 20 years. If you can stay healthy for 20 years, you'll see 150, maybe 300."
"And all I can tell you is, stay healthy for 20 years. If you can stay healthy for 20 years, you'll see 150, maybe 300."
I have terrible genes. :| Heart disease and cancer. Not to mention, worst of all, baldness.
Hopefully I will see 80-something if I don't become obese and start smoking.
I'm kind of disappointed that I'm most likely going to die a century or something before humanity starts colonizing space (of course I have no real idea how long that will take, but I think it is a reasonable guess.)
I've heard of people talking about reaching a "technological singularity" and getting the technology to live indefinitely, but I doubt that it is going to become available to the general public any time soon. If it did, would that be a good thing? The Earth probably couldn't sustain us if we stopped dying.
Hopefully I will see 80-something if I don't become obese and start smoking.
I'm kind of disappointed that I'm most likely going to die a century or something before humanity starts colonizing space (of course I have no real idea how long that will take, but I think it is a reasonable guess.)
I've heard of people talking about reaching a "technological singularity" and getting the technology to live indefinitely, but I doubt that it is going to become available to the general public any time soon. If it did, would that be a good thing? The Earth probably couldn't sustain us if we stopped dying.
Skillbus said:
Baldness is naught but the next stage in evolution
As for living forever, it would make life boring. Think of the things that you do now that you would never consider doing if you could live to be, say, 20,000 years old. Driving a car for one, big no no. Your chances of being involved in a serious car accident in a given year are, say, 1 in 100. 3000 people die every year on British Roads, so figure you have a 1 in 10,000 chance of dieing in a given year just driving a car.
That makes it a statistical probability that you will die before you are half your maximum age simply through driving a car, but much better odds that you will end up a cripple through one of the many serious car crashes you would experience in your lifetime.
Climbing ladders is out, as are any sports you might like to participate in that lead to injury.
We measure risk based on the typical human lifespan of 70 years or so. Increase that by a small factor and you start to re-assess all the things that are worth doing. Increase it by orders of magnitude and you need to wrap yourself in cotton wool to enjoy the prolonged life expectancy, or alternatively accept you are going out in a blaze of glory.
Actually, out in a blaze of glory...
Icefire9atla
Member
I would willing to have an indefinite life span only if I could have my closest friends and family have it too, without that, I would rather just die naturally.
Infinite life is unatainable because while we can stop a natural death, accidents will happen no matter how carefull you are. Eventually some freak accident will take us out.
Infinite life is unatainable because while we can stop a natural death, accidents will happen no matter how carefull you are. Eventually some freak accident will take us out.
Death doesn't give life meaning and purpose, you do. For some reason your chosen purpose is linked to death.
I do have to say this: there is no way we can keep breeding after we eliminate death. I think that means we should fully master genetic engineering before we get to that point if we really ever do. We need some way to evolve into better beings, and what could be better than giving everyone a 300 i.q. and the strength to lift a truck? Genetic engineering might be able to do that.
I do have to say this: there is no way we can keep breeding after we eliminate death. I think that means we should fully master genetic engineering before we get to that point if we really ever do. We need some way to evolve into better beings, and what could be better than giving everyone a 300 i.q. and the strength to lift a truck? Genetic engineering might be able to do that.