X-Message-Number: 24820 Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 01:52:05 -0500 From: "Bruce J. Klein" <> Subject: Some Problems with Immortalism - by Ben Best <>Some Problems with Immortalism - by Ben Best http://www.benbest.com/lifeext/immortal.html <> Ben says that wanting to live forever is "unrealistic" and "self-defeating." He says that life has "diminishing returns" when applied to life now verses the value of life in the future. He says that wanting immortality is like wearing a "kill me" sign as an affront to religion. <>In reply to Ben's argument, I agree that thinking about "forever" may not be easy now, but only because we're using limited thinking machines, the biological brain. Upgrades in our thinking ability, with brain-computer interface technology, will give us the ability to understand complex concepts. Are not computer programs great at infinite loops? When possible, I think its advantageous for people to focus on physical immortality because it gives an answer the question of death=oblivion. Religion has a majority hold on this problem now with afterlife scenarios - heaven. Physical immortality, on the other hand, gives a more concrete alternative. We're alive now. We know it works. Let's make heaven on earth because all indications point the fact that when people die, there's nothing. <>More discussion on this topic: http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=106&t=4298&st=0&#entry38647 <http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=106&t=4298&st=0&#entry38647> Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24820