It's a lazy saturday and I changed the engine oil of my car with some help from my Buddy. Albert has been teaching me a lot of things about car maintenance for a few years now. Together we've already replaced and upgraded several things on my 9-year-old Honda CRV--such as the air filter, shock absorbers, spark plugs, transmission/brake fluids, and so on.
Although this car is almost getting too small for my growing family, I refuse to sell it or trade it in for a bigger van. Not only because it is still reliable, but because it carries a lot of memories. For one, its the car that I used to fetch my newborn kids from the hospital. I said to my wife that I would keep it and maintain it till I grow old and.....
Then it struck a chord. I remembered a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon an evening talk by Aubrey de Grey entitled "Ending Aging". By now, all Singularitarians know that Aubrey is the man who Christened the concept called the Methuselarity--the point at which the Longevity Escape Velocity is achieved.
After De Grey's talk, I asked him whether it is possible for advanced lifeforms on other planets to achieve their Methuselarity.
Aubrey de Grey casually answered that because life elsewhere in the universe follow the same laws of physics, then it is certainly possible for them to extend their lifespan indefinitely.
It makes sense, I thought to myself. "Maintenance" is the key. Provided the technology, resources and energy is there to sustain the expensive cost to maintain a mortal body (for example by replacing faltering organs or upgrading to new and better body parts) then it is possible for any advanced lifeform to continue living.
I think it is theoretically possible for citizens of Advanced Technological Civilizations (ATC) to achieve the Methuselarity. And there is no reason why any Kardashev Type II Civilizations won't aim for it.
After all, who wouldn't want to live forever in an ever-expanding universe? For one who has reached interplanetary status, I assume the prospect to explore the cosmos seems even more enticing than ever.
As I rested after a greasy day's work on my trusty old car, I typed this post on my Android gPhone. Holding it close so I can type on its tiny keypads, I can still smell the 5W-30 engine oil that spilled all over my hands earlier. And I thought to myself, I smell like a machine! And I wondered, will I ever live to see a Type III Civilization?
Then I closed my eyes and slept.
Hey, i know this is going on 3 years ago, but i'm fascinated by the topic of technological development i.e. Kardashev scale. I'm interested to here your thoughts on the downsides of infinite life. as a global civilization would life become meaningless? if it's there forever, why cherish it now when you can do it in 300 years time when you're bored and looking for something to do?
ReplyDeleteAlso how about overpopulation? as a worldwide measure to stop death by crushing, surely reproduction would have to be stopped? that means nobody else could have the feeling which you had bringing your newborn back from the hospital. is this worth it?
In actual fact i'm playing devil's advocate with that last point i guess. my beliefs state that by the time we can affordably live forever, then there will a network of travel between planets we have conditioned for human life. and hell, seeing as we aren't even type 1 yet, maybe by the time we're type 3 we'll have enough knowledge to allow us to create our own mock planets with perfect conditions for human life. who knows?
If you ever check this, i'd like to here your thoughts.
Josh.