X-Message-Number: 24935 Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 11:07:51 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #24926 - #24933 More for Mike Price: In a brief piece for Cryonet I recently argued that very long lifespans would affect us in many ways even without any special biological or physical redesign. I am agreeing with Mike Perry on this issue; however I would argue further, by saying that a virtually immortal lifespan will give anyone so endowed with a character that wouldn't even think of hurting others or being "evil" toward them. (This doesn't mean that they would fail to defend themselves if attacked, and with technology less and less damaging ways to do so will be found). In short, our wish for a very long lifespan brings with it a loss of any desire to commit evil on any other. Immortality plays an essential role in the argument here; we don't just become nice because of general technology, but specifically because our lifespans have increased so much that we've outgrown such inclinations. If anyone on Cryonet is interested, here are a few more changes, told about as briefly as I can. We may lose our interest in history, since after all we would have ourselves experienced the events history tells about. A good deal of literature deals with love and death; we'd hardly lose interest in love, but most of that literature (yes, Shakespeare and others such included) would be forgotten. One way or another, we may take on many lovers, not all at the same time but sequentially. After all, two independent people following their independent lives may have paths which match for a while but not forever. Nor for that matter would we "fall in love" any more, so that the term "lovers" would cease to be exactly correct. We wouldn't want to produce children in such unions, of course. Production of children, ie. new human beings, may turn out to bear little relation to any sexual unions at all --- when they are produced, which would be quite rare. Groups of people (though just from looking at evolution 2 seems the most likely size of such a group) would combine to produce a child, not just from their genes but their ideas about what a new human being should be like. These groups would occur independently of any pairing for sex. We would not seek honor or acclamation from others because in our long lifespans everyone will have done something worthwhile and striking. Our status at any instant and for any other person will depend on just what we and the other person seek together. We would have differences in wealth, but they would be seen as choices anyone could make if they wished. If we were the equivalent of scientists today, we'd put out the results of our efforts for anyone to see, be glad if someone finds a way to carry them further, and interested if someone finds arguments against them (it's our short current lifespans that makes some scientists oppose a new theory contradicting their work so vehemently). AS readers might guess, that's what TALES OF SKASTOWE is about: my attempt to see what life will be like for us as immortals. Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24935