LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO LIVE FOREVER (A BOOK REVIEW)
I love Ray Kurzweil ever since his wonderful tome, "The Age of Spiritual Machines." He is among an elite group which constitutes my favorite edition of philosopher/scientist, the "Futurist." I love to imagine what life will be like in the far future, but also am filled with curiosity as to what will happen in the near future. In this, his latest book, Kurzweil states that we are embarking upon a new revolution in medical science. His book is quite exhaustive and does a good job of distilling much of the latest research into three basic pillars or "bridges" as he calls them.
1. We are now in the process of understanding what supplements are necessary for life extention and what we must eat (how we must eat) in order to live longer.
This is where we are now and I'll not bore you with these particulars.
2. We are about to cross a bridge of wildly new Bio-technology. This will meld genetics with medicine. For decades Doctors understood that certain medicines worked better on some and less well on others. They are now beginning to understand that minor variations in body chemistry (which is largely dictated by our genes) is to blame for this phenomena. Kurzweil states that within 10-15 years, you will have your personal genome sequenced. This will be fed into a computer. When a diagnosis is made, a tailor-made medicine for that particular ailment will be manufactured on-sight (or at your local pharmacy). This will allow for more efficient medicines. Secondly, because of the advances in gene-sequencing, the first truly broad spectrum anti-viral medication will be developed. He states that it took us over 12 years to sequence the genome of the HIV virus, while it took only 30 days to sequence SARS virus (which is why he claims it was contained and a vaccine developed so quickly). Additionally, stem cells will be tailored to your own bodily ailments. For example, say you have a heart condition, you'll take several stem cell injections designed to turn into heart cells over a years time. Over that time, the stem cells will replace your damaged heart cells. Soon, your heart will be that of a 20 year old, even if you have a 80 year old body.
3. The last bridge he talks about is Nano-technology, which is every sci-fi fans dream. He states that nano-tech will arrive fully within 20-30 years. Imagine microscopic machines able to rebuild your cells from the inside out or detect cancer before it can spread. Nano-tech will enable you body to regenerate constantly, daily. It will enable you to regenerate severed limbs within minutes after an accident. What if your brain is damaged? Since you will "upload" your memory patterns into a computer daily for safe keeping, the nano-tech can access the back-up of your memories and download them into your newly repaired brain. Very wild.
My one question is of a psychological nature. If we live forever, will it inhibit growth in ourselves or others? I can see a profound change in my Father (for the better) since his dad died in '99. My Father has grown up, taken on responsibility, increased his self-worth, and seemed to find new meaning in his life. When his Dad was there holding the reigns (and purse strings) he had no reason to move out of a delayed adolescence he had been trapped in for decades. If we live forever, will we just be caught in the same complexes and same emotional triangles forever? Of will an entire new age of psychological/emotional complexity be born?
4 comments:
I think you raise some good questions. While most of us fear death is some way, living forever might also be a Midas like curse.
In many ways our lives are structured like a screenplay in three acts. We begin in childhood progress into adulthood and regress into old age.
I think knowing that death is around the corner is something that makes the struggle of life a little tougher and therefore a little sweeter. We better celebrate the little victories and appreciate our family and friends much more. We probably even take more chances because life is so short, why not? Without a finite conclusion, our lives might more easily fall into disarray.
But if everyone else is going to live forever, I'd love you to bore me with the proper diet details. I haven't eaten breakfast yet this morning and would love to make today the first day of my everlasting.
There's no way people will literally live forever. Even now, if we were all immortal, we'd all still succumb to cancer at some point. If we cure cancer then some other microbe will rise to the challenge. We will never live forever physically, but it will be interesting to see if technology gets us to the point where we can upload our personalities into immortalesque hardware. Someday STEVE 3000 will dispense advice to the downtrodden.
Need I point out that there is already a cure for mortality called faith in Christ? "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'" (Romans 10:9-13) My point being that the quest to extend earthly life misses the endgame entirely. Nothing we can do will affect the 100% human mortality rate, as Dude points out. I'm not sure which is worse, dying at 76 to heart disease or living to 106 on kale, esp. when you throw in eternity in glory.
Amen Brother! But like my old preacher used to say, "Most of us want to go to heaven, just not today..."
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