Given the choice, would you become immortal?

Archeron

So, Santy Clause gives you the option of becoming immortal for Christmas this year, kind of like Dorian Gray, but without the scary painting and satanic involvement. Would you take him up on the offer? There are no super powers or vampirism or anything else involved, just good old fashioned immortality.

Even though I'd be intrigued to see what the next seven or eight hundred years holds, I think I would most likely decline. It would be too hard to see everybody you ever get to know grow old and die and to outlive your own great great grandchildren. Also, I imagine that after a few hundred years, life could get quite tiresome. Heck, you could even crave the sweet embrace of the grave at that point.

Would you like to live forever?

Nevyn

No.

toiletduck

No, I imagine I'd go insane.

Also check out a recent film called "The Man From Earth"

Sleepy

If there was an opt out clause, some kind of option for me to commit suicide at the point I was no longer interested in having immortality, certainly I'd take it.

humanji

As Queen said, "Who wants to live forever when love must die?"

Plus, life is boring enough. Having to do the same thing for all eternity would be horrible. It'd be like living in the The Bible, Creationism And Prophecy thread on the Christianity forum.

dr_manhattan

"Having to do the same thing for all eternity would be horrible."

Who said you have to do the same thing? I think a human concept of immortality is limited by our 75 year perspective. Personally, I'd jump at the chance - and btw, immortality with a suicide opt-out is not immortality. Immortality where some dodgy metal fan can cut your head off is not immortality (seeing as queen songs are being quoted).

With immortality would come freedom from food, water and other natural needs, presumably. While you may starve or go weak, death is not an issue so famine, fire, plague etc would not be an issue. Also, logically speaking diseases could not affect you because your body cells - if they were susceptible to disease and death - couldn't be immortal if they could be scarred, changed or harmed in any way... or at least not in the sense I understand the question about immortality.

Of course, cancer cells are in some ways "immortal" perhaps that's what was meant: in which case, no I would not like to be a tumour the size of clonmel ;-) - I choose to mean the "normal human being who cannot die"

So yeah, off I would go with infinite time to devote to the infinite problems and infinite diversity of the world. I would over time be blessed with a unique perspective and a capacity to manipulate history and society that would be unparalelled. While you might miss the individual companionship of fellow human beings, you would have the entire human race as a companion, and all it's ideosyncracies and variety, in all its shapes and sizes.

And when people like GW Bush came along I could kill them with a clear conscience, having seen what their ancestors had planned and done, and knowing that I spare the world untold bloodshed. Screw some nonviolent interventionist ideal: any imperialist who starts wars gets their head put on a spike LOL.

And if you wanted to make sure that the rash, limited perspective of one individual didn't completely fracture the order of the world, then you could eschew transport and walk from place to place to slow down your decisionmaking process.

So where do I sign up?

;-)

MagicMarker

Yes i would. Think of the amount of unprotected sex you could have with hot women!! Oh yeah!!!

Plus, i've always been curious of what the future holds, damn Star Trek influencing my fragile little mind. I couldn't see myself getting bored at all, i'd make the most of it.

Nerin

As Queen said, "Who wants to live forever when love must die?"

as queen also said "here we are,born to be kings,we're the princes of the universe"

yes,i would take it.
id like eternity to learn,i'd finally get a chance to do all that reading and travelling.
also you can take risks you normally wouldnt take without fear of death.

im all for it.
the friends and family dying would be bad, but,as with Maharet, keeping track of my family/friends bloodline would keep me sane.

yes yes,sign me up.

Bottle_of_Smoke

humanji wrote: »

Plus, life is boring enough. Having to do the same thing for all eternity would be horrible. It'd be like living in the The Bible, Creationism And Prophecy thread on the Christianity forum.

Ah, post of the year without a doubt!

Everyone seems to have taken a positive twist on immortality. What if it's like immortality in the green mile?

AngryHippie

Just imagine the pain though,
I'm not talkin about stubbed toe pain, If its publicly known that you are immortal, there is gonna be assholes checkin for the first few hundred years, in which time you will just be a freak show, then there is the other fact that you will have to live through war, genocide, famine, natural disasters, human tragedies, which you will be helpless to stop, and without the sweet mercy that being one of the victims would be (in the case of genocide for example, after having to watch your mortal family being murdered before your eyes).
To highlight my point, I would use the case of Romeo Dallaire, on of the twentiest centuries greatest men imo, But one who has been driven to the brink of madness and back, by exactly such a scenario, The genocide in Rwanda, which he was helpless to stop, but had to stand by trying to keep people alive while being ignored by the UN security council. The same thing has occured many many times in human history, and as the saying goes, what happens once, will probably never happen again, but what happens twice will surely happen a third time.

On the other hand, such immortality might unlock a deeper meaning to human existence and maybe even a cause for our existence or raison d'etre, thereby justifying all of human history, bloody as it may be.

Personally, I'd flip a coin

dr_manhattan

Nah, I wouldn't be powerless to stop anything: Mr. Dallaire is a case in point.

Imagine what he could have accomplished by walking through a barrage of gunfire, and burying a machete in some bastard ethnic cleanser's head, completely unphased by anything. Think about it: nobody could kill him. And it's very hard to restrain someone who cannot be killed.

If it's publicly known I'm immortal then ditto: anyone hassling me will be given a very short list of options.

And as for famine, plague, war and death sweeping the landscape and you being powerless to stop it?

1. This happens anyways, and is damn painful to watch.

2. Being immortal can only improve your chances of being able to do something about it.

3. Having lost many friends and family already, I don't think it can get much worse. Bring it on.

And as a final note: can you underline what the negative aspects of immortality are?

Archeron

dr_manhattan wrote: »

And as a final note: can you underline what the negative aspects of immortality are?

The stinging knowledge that no matter what happens, you will never have an escape from this plane of existance whether you like it or not.
The boredom that will inevitably follow when some chimp in power causes the world war that kills everybody but you.
The boredom that will follow when Mother nature finally gets royally annoyed and wipes us all out, except you. (i watch too many STORM SURGE type shows).
The fact that if anyone DID know of your immortality, that you'd be treated like a circus freak, and people would probably randomly stab you, "just to check like".
The fact that if everyone DIDNT know about your gift, the only way to allay suspicion would be to up sticks and move on from everything and everyone you know every few years when it becomes noticable that after 15 years working in the same place, you still look 21.
Watching your loved ones move into the next plane of existence (as mentioned).
Knowing that there'll be no heaven for you. Probably only applicable if you're religious or spiritual though.
Having to keep up with the latest trends in fashion. Its bad enough to look like you just stepped out of last decade, but if you look like something from the 1500's, people will think you're a freak.
Even though it would be fun to spread your seed, so to speak, there's always the worry that eventually you're gonna end up doing the dirty with one of your own great great great grandchildren. Imagine putting that family tree together.
Other than that, as you say, BRING IT ON!!

Oh, and PS. The fact that when the cockroches DO eventually take over the planet and become the No 1 species, you'll probably be captured and put into an impregnable glass container so they can study you. Eternity in a glass jar in the lab of a giant cockroach scientist overlord is no way to live. Remember, just because you're immortal doesnt mean you dont get tangled up in nets like everybody else!

dr_manhattan

Ach, these are just unlikely.

First off, you talk about boredom, and then you talk about how you'd have to change your identity every 15 years: how can they both be the case?

Second, as I've pointed out, you would not be powerless to stop anything: you would in fact have immense power to influence events.

After that, the scenarios you posit are all extremely entertaining and interesting: apart from seeing your family die which, as I already mentioned, can happen anyway.

No escape from this plane of existence? Who said there ever *was* escape?

Difficulty following fashion trends? They repeat every 30-50 years, you'd have the hippest wardrobe in the world, full of genuine vintage.

Boredom being the last person in existence? There's still be **** to do, you can become bored without immortality or any of the above happening. That's your problem.

Bumping uglies with your descendants? As long as they're hot, who cares? Again, if that's an issue for you, then keep track of your offspring and avoid it. After all, we're all genetically related anyways to a greater or lesser degree.

Being a celebrity immortal is again, your problem. I doubt it would be an issue given the resources you could command.

As for the cockroaches? Well if that happens then it happens... it certainly wouldn't be boring. But I find the idea of insects developing scientific curiousity a tad unlikely: if they had it, you could communicate with them. If they didn't, then it's just an "omega man" scenario, where you fight them away from your fortified lair.

Either way, I'm still up for it ;-)

Rev Hellfire

Ohh yes I'd take ! Dear Santa I've been a reasonably good boy this year or at least have thought about been good which is nearly as good since its the thought that counts.

I'm assuming I have a get out of immortality pill and get to pick a point at which I stop ageing (no point been 400 years old if you look it).

dr_manhattan

"I'm assuming I have a get out of immortality pill"

I dunno, is that really immortality?

Bit of a purist, me ;-) - the question I'd ask is, what happens when the universe returns to a state that's absolutely unable to support life? Do I get to still be conscious as a ball of compressed gas or a cluster of subatomic particles? Do I get to witness the collapse of everything into a singularity or am I a part of that singularity?

LOL, always an open subject for speculation.

Rev Hellfire

dr_manhattan wrote: »

I dunno, is that really immortality?

I believe it is, immortality can be simply not dying naturally, but it does not mean you can not be killed.

AngryHippie

yeah, immortal, alive until the end of time, which would be until the end of gravity, which would mean until the end of all matter. That could take a while, if "they" stop trying to measure dark matter, apparently, "they" reckon measuring some of the more quantum concepts of the universe is accelerating its demise, or maybe even knocking it out of it equilibrium. But that is an argument for a whole different day. So yeah, until its all dark and there is nothing left I suppose, floating in a cold dark nothingness would occupy most of your time by then, like some sort of villain from superman ? doesn't sound like so much fun now does it. Probably even less fun than the stabbers tryin to test your immortality

dr_manhattan

"So yeah, until its all dark and there is nothing left I suppose, floating in a cold dark nothingness would occupy most of your time by then, like some sort of villain from superman ?"

As I say, bring it on.

Just like I have my memories from my teens and twenties to entertain me now, I'd have a whole shedload of entertaining thought to get through then.

And floating in a formless void? Meh, I'd manage. Superman villains seem to, and they're complete losers...

"I believe it is, immortality can be simply not dying naturally, but it does not mean you can not be killed."

Hm, okay: but that - IMHO - is the mortal's edition of immortality. I'd prefer the whole hog. I've often wanted to end my life in times of acute depression, yet I am happy to be alive now: therefore I'd see a possible opt-out as a possible problem.

And like I say, I'm a purist that way ;-)

nacho libre

death gives life meaning.

the idea of an eternal life is truly more terrifying to me than dying.
you would eventually feel like the lighthouse keeper at the end of the world


An isle, a bright shining isle
stands forever, alone in the sea
Of rock and of sand and grass
and shale, the isle bereft of trees.

- Small. A speck in the wide blue
sea. 'Tis the last of all the land.
A dweller upon our lonesome
isle, the last, lonely man? -

By the Gods he is there to
never leave, to remain all his
life. His punishment for
evermore, to attend the
eternal light.

The lighthouse, tall and brilliant
white, which stands at the end
of the world. Protecting ships
and sailors too, from rock they
could be hurled

Yet nothing comes and nothing
goes 'sept the bright blue sea.
Which stretches near and far
away, 't is all our man can see.

Though, one day, up high on
rock, a bird did perch and cry.
An albatross, he shot a glance,
and wondered deeply, why?

Could it be a watcher sent?
A curse sent from the Gods,
who sits and cries and stares at him,
the life that they have robbed.

Each year it comes to watch
over him, the creature from above.
Not a curse but a reminder of
the woman that he loved.

- Oh weary night, under stars,
he'd lay and gaze.
Up towards the moon and stars.
The suns dying haze.

Time and again, Orion's light
filled our man with joy.
Within the belt, he'd see his love,
remembering her voice -

The twinkle from the stars above
bled peace into his heart
As long as she looks down on him
he knows they'll never part

One day good, one day bad
The madness, the heat, the sun,
Out to sea, he spies upon land.
His beloved Albion.

Cliffs of white and trees of green
Children run and play,
'My home land' he cries and weeps,
why so far away?

Eyes sore and red. Filled with tears,
he runs towards the sea.
To risk his life, a worthy cause,
for home he would be.

Into the sea, deep and blue,
the waters wash him clean.
Awake. He screams. Cold with sweat.
And Albion a dream.

- Such is life upon the isle,
of torment and woe.
One day good. One day bad.
And some days, even hope.

The light at the end of the world
burns bright for mile and mile
Yet tends the man, its golden glow,
in misery all the while?

For fifty years he stands and waits,
atop the light, alone.
Looking down upon his isle
the Gods have made his home -

The watcher at the end of the world
through misery does defile.
Remembers back to that single night
and allows a tiny smile.

(His sacrifice was not so great,
he insists upon the world.
Again he would crime,
Again he would pay,
for one moment with the girl)

Her hair, long and black it shone,
The dark, beauty of her eyes,
Olive skin and warm embrace,
her memory never dies.

'Twas years ago, he
remembers clear
the life they once did live.
Endless love and lust for life,
they promised each would give.

Alas, such love and laughter too,
was short as panting breath
For one dark night, her soul
was kissed
by the shade of death.

(Agony, like none before,
was suffered by our man.)
who tends the light now
burning bright
on the very last of land.

(Anger raged and misery too
like nothing ever before.)
He cursed the Gods and man
and life,
and at his heart he tore.

- A deity felt sympathy
and threw our man a light
'Your woman you may see again,
for a single night. -

But think hard and well young man,
there is a price to pay:
to tend the light at the end of
the world
is where you must stay.

Away from man and life and love.
Alone you will be.
On a tiny isle. A bright shining isle
in the middle of the sea.'

- 'I'll tend the light, for one more night
with the woman whom I love',
screamed the man, with tearful eyes,
to the deity above.

And so it was that very night
his lover did return.
To his arms and to their bed,
together they did turn.

In deepest love and lust and passion
entwined they did fall.
Lost within each other's arms
they danced (in lover's ball). -

- Long was the night filled with love.
For them the world was done.
Awoke he did to brightest light,
his woman and life had gone.

To his feet he leapt. To the sea he looked.
To the lighthouse on the stone.
The price is paid and from now on
he lives forever alone.

Fifty years have passed since then
and not a soul has he seen.
but his woman lives with him still
in every single dream.

'Tis sad to hear how young love has died
to know that, alone, someone has cried.
but memories are ours to keep.
To live them again, in our sleep.-

Creature

I'd like to be able to live for a few hundred years to amass all the knowledge possible and to see how humanity progresses but I'd need the escape clause. There are certain scenarios that wouldn't suit me such as being the last person on Earth or being trapped/locked up for eternity.


Also what happens if you get decapitated? You're still alive but you can't do anything as you've no head. That would suck

dr_manhattan

"Also what happens if you get decapitated?"

Immortality = invulnerability.

If we break one law of thermodynamics, may as well break 'em all ;-)

Archeron

Creature wrote: »

There are certain scenarios that wouldn't suit me such as being the last person on Earth or being trapped/locked up for eternity.


Also what happens if you get decapitated? You're still alive but you can't do anything as you've no head. That would suck

Indeed, having no head would indeed suck.

When you think about it, existing for all eternity, its probably only a matter of time before you get stuck in SOMETHING

Creature

dr_manhattan wrote: »

"Also what happens if you get decapitated?"

Immortality = invulnerability.

Ah well if we're talking about your á la carte version of immortality then yeah sure I'll take it :P. Though can we throw in some superhuman strength and speed too cos that'd be handy.

dr_manhattan

"When you think about it, existing for all eternity, its probably only a matter of time before you get stuck in SOMETHING"

Actually read a greta piece about longevity and chance recently: you're right. Being immortal we'd probably become afraid to cross the road.

"a la carte version of immortality"

Nah, it's not a la carte: think about it.

Either it makes no biological sense (severed or removed organs, or turned into mincemeat or soup and you're still conscious) or else it makes no physical sense (organs grow back, body somehow reforms, or something of that kind)

Immortality without invulnerability raises questions of whether cutting you in half makes two of you, no?

Karl Hungus

Archeron wrote: »

It would be too hard to see everybody you ever get to know grow old and die and to outlive your own great great grandchildren. Also, I imagine that after a few hundred years, life could get quite tiresome. Heck, you could even crave the sweet embrace of the grave at that point.

I think people ask such rhetorical questions, and give the above answer just to make themselves more comfortable with our fleeting existance. Kinda fooling yourself into being happy. It's cute.

Archeron

dr_manhattan wrote: »

raises questions of whether cutting you in half makes two of you, no?

Perhaps, like earthworms, cutting an immortal in two will cause two full ones to grow back.
As you say, if we're bending the rules..:)

Archeron

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I think people ask such rhetorical questions, and give the above answer just to make themselves more comfortable with our fleeting existance. Kinda fooling yourself into being happy. It's cute.

I'm gonna live forever.
Kind of like the kids from fame, (but not as disastrously eighties looking).

Creature

dr_manhattan wrote: »

"When you think about it, existing for all eternity, its probably only a matter of time before you get stuck in SOMETHING"

Actually read a greta piece about longevity and chance recently: you're right. Being immortal we'd probably become afraid to cross the road.

"a la carte version of immortality"

Nah, it's not a la carte: think about it.

Either it makes no biological sense (severed or removed organs, or turned into mincemeat or soup and you're still conscious) or else it makes no physical sense (organs grow back, body somehow reforms, or something of that kind)

Immortality without invulnerability raises questions of whether cutting you in half makes two of you, no?

No. You just wont be able to use your legs since they're severed from your spinal cord. You don't die, doesn't mean the things that would usually kill you can't happen.
And I think you'll find that immortality in general makes no physical or biological sense

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I think people ask such rhetorical questions, and give the above answer just to make themselves more comfortable with our fleeting existance. Kinda fooling yourself into being happy. It's cute.

We could learn a lot from you mighty Hungus.

dr_manhattan

"And I think you'll find that immortality in general makes no physical or biological sense"

Er... that was my point, no?

"You just wont be able to use your legs since they're severed from your spinal cord."

I don't think you're thinking this through: where does your consciousness reside? Not in the brain: and if it did, then you could cut someone off at the jawline and they'd still be "alive". Hell, could you pair away most of the brain?

What's the primary unit of the body? Are we down to a brain cell?

Immortality where you can be pickled as a single organ is nothing like immortality to me. Immortality with the potential to be crippled is just completely stupid - it's like introducing gritty realism into a sitcom.

Nah, I'll take my version thanks. Your version is lame ;-)

AngryHippie

What happens if your mickey falls off?

dr_manhattan

It joins a political party, usually. Stay on topic.

;-)

Archeron

Immortality where you can be pickled as a single organ is nothing like immortality to me.

Interesting point. What would happen in that case when the universe DOES collapse on itself and all existence is compressed down into a singularity? What would exist of you then? Would it be just a consciousness, or would you still physically exist in some sort of unfathomably intensely small way? Would this mean that a physical presence isnt actually required to be immortal?
And if you did still phsically exist, when the universe began to expand once more, could you actually become a consious thinking galaxy seeing as the tiny amount of matter than you've become will expand into the new universe?


it's like introducing gritty realism into a sitcom.

Like "Bachelors Walk"? Yeah, you're right, who needs that.

kaimera

Is this the 2007 christmas craze?

Forget the Wii, buy immortality now at a low low price of €39.98 at Tesco.

I'd take it without a second thought tbqh.

dr_manhattan

"What would happen in that case when the universe DOES collapse on itself and all existence is compressed down into a singularity? What would exist of you then?"

Er... some kind of an immortal higgs field?

;-)

"Would it be just a consciousness, or would you still physically exist in some sort of unfathomably intensely small way? Would this mean that a physical presence isnt actually required to be immortal?"

Call me a complete geek but I find this idea interesting too.

Trauma studies, for example, indicate that cosnciousness is very much NOT limited to the brain, that our brains' relationship to the body is not a server / client setup, so to speak.

We can lose limbs and survive, certainly: but from what I've read there's a certain loss of life expectancy and general systemic damage, no?

That's why I treat immortality as indestructability: cos if you can lose one part of yourself, then where are the bits you cannot lose?

And if we're talking about being whittled down to a brain or portion thereof, that's not immortality, except in the sense of your 'soul' being an immortal leftover: your brain is not "you", your entire body is "you".

As regards something physical surviving the collapse of the universe - well of course that's impossible... but so is immortality...

Perhaps the most sensible form of immortality would be subject to the universe itself - as in, "you live as long as the physical, spatial and temporal conditions which allow you to exist are current: when they go, you go"

Damn I must be bored...

aidan24326

Archeron wrote: »

So, Santy Clause gives you the option of becoming immortal for Christmas this year, kind of like Dorian Gray, but without the scary painting and satanic involvement. Would you take him up on the offer? There are no super powers or vampirism or anything else involved, just good old fashioned immortality.

I'd only go for immortality if it came with some sort of superpower, if I could be like that Q guy from Star Trek.

Can't imagine living this life for all eternity, it would get very boring.

dr_manhattan

"Can't imagine living this life for all eternity, it would get very boring."

This is the attitude I find most bizarre - I just don't find life boring. For that matter, I don't think I ever would. Books alone are written faster than you can name them, and new things happen every day. I love history and the idea of being in it... well it's just ridiculously attractive as a proposition.

It's a simple deal: you live through history, and your rapport with mortals always keeps everything fresh and new for you, no?

And anyways, the idea of being immortal is ridiculous: but once you *are* immortal, that means it's entirely possible at least one other person is, right? In fact, it's pretty unlikely that the universe would have a single, unique entity no?

And to plums the depths of geekery: Q was more than just an immortal with a superpower. He was a multidimensional being that existed outside of time, if I'm not mistaken.

Different creature altogether.

Now that I think about it, who would win in a scrap LOL? Whatever "outside of time" means, presumably immortality has no relevance there? Can you die outside of time? Are there pubs? Is there a last orders?

Aw, someone I know will read this post and I'll get beaten up and have my lunch money taken offa me. Geektastic.

aidan24326

dr_manhattan wrote: »

This is the attitude I find most bizarre - I just don't find life boring. For that matter, I don't think I ever would.

I don't necessarily find life boring either. But eternity is a bloody long time! Endless trillions of years. Imagine existing for ever and ever with no end at all? It's not entirely appealing when you actually think about it.

Nerin

"Can't imagine living this life for all eternity, it would get very boring."

ive an answer for this,and the super powers questions.
you dont need super powers.:)
go study with monks,learn techniques few people know,you've got eternity, you could be the ultimate jack of all trades.
learn many martial arts, learn herbalism, learn forms of meditation, survival skills, building, art, anything!
you've all the time in the world!

dr_manhattan

"It's not entirely appealing when you actually think about it."

I guess that's just your regular difference of opinion at the end of the day.

Give me a trillion years, I'll see what I can do. If things get boring, I'll sleep for a few hundred years. My underground lair filled with breeding pairs of extinct species would keep me company ;-)

And please, none of that highlander stuff. If some heavy metal chap turned up trying to decapitate me it'd just be embarassing. For that matter, being christopher lambert would be pretty embarassing.

dr_manhattan

"you've all the time in the world!"

Na. I've read 'world war Z'. It's all coming to an end soon ;-)

Archeron

dr_manhattan wrote: »

My underground lair filled with breeding pairs of extinct species would keep me company ;-)

So thats what happened to the unicorns.

Wacker

Archeron wrote: »

crave the sweet embrace of the grave at that point.

That's a Peter-Puppy quote from Earthworm Jim, isn't it? I bet you never thought anyone would recognize it!

Immortality would be for me at all. Even if you had eternal youth and vigour guaranteed. I'd not want to be arround when Earth is reduced to cinders!

Wacker

dr_manhattan wrote: »

Q was more than just an immortal with a superpower. He was a multidimensional being that existed outside of time, if I'm not mistaken.

Different creature altogether.

Now that I think about it, who would win in a scrap LOL?

Who would win in a fight, Q or who? I missed something. Here's one for you: Who'd win - Q or your namesake Dr. Manhattan?

AngryHippie

still wondering what immortality really means.....

CathyMoran

I would be happy to be imortal as long as the people that I love were cured of their illnesses and were imortal too, I would also want to be cured of my illnesses. A long life without my husband would not be a life. That is why I like the idea of heaven.

Hivemind187

I have to say, if there were an opt out clause I would certainly go for it.

Even if there were no opt out clause and I would be around to do the metaphorical equivalent of putting the chairs on the tables and switching oout the lights of the universe I'd still find it very difficult to say no.

dr_manhattan

"I'd not want to be arround when Earth is reduced to cinders!"

heh, for 50p i'd be the one reducing. boring planet.

Q - unfortunately - would kick my ass in a fight, as he's native to many dimensions and i'm still learning about the 26 i know of... but q is vain, so that's a weakness...

I look better in the nip though ;-)

Cathymoran, that's some backstage rider: would you like m&ms with all the green ones taken out, too?

I still say immortality has to just mean immunity to time and death. And i really like the idea of switching lights and stacking chairs at the end of the universe, nice thought. I wonder if you'd have to do the till, or if there'd be someone on the next morning to do that...

dr_manhattan

oh and by the way:

why is a robot indestructible, but a person immortal?

robots have feelings too.

Archeron

dr_manhattan wrote: »

I still say immortality has to just mean immunity to time and death. And i really like the idea of switching lights and stacking chairs at the end of the universe, nice thought. I wonder if you'd have to do the till, or if there'd be someone on the next morning to do that...

Why though? Time and death are not really inextricably linked. Time will continue for long after life has left the universe, so I would feel that immortality as we can understand it is immunity only to death.
Obviously, its only ramblings to say that, but I believe that life is a concept that we can envisage, and therefore imagine ourselves existing beyond. I dont think that we have the same grasp of time to be able to contemplate what it would be like to live outside its realm, and I would think that the concept of life without father time ticking away would probably be too much to comprehend, driving me to madness. I dont want to spend my immortality, time based or history based, wearing a straight jacket.

So while I can picture living for the next three hundred million years, its just when I get into the billions of trillions that I begin to have problems.

Archeron

And would you really like the idea of stacking all those chairs? Imagine how many there would be.
Soooooo maaaannnnyyyyy chaaaaiirrrrssssss.

dr_manhattan

"Soooooo maaaannnnyyyyy chaaaaiirrrrssssss."

Sooooo muuuucchhh tiiiiime....

;-)

I just reckon that your mind would have a lot of time to adjust to the amount of time it has to contemplate. After all, most of what a human considers his 'surroundings' are very temporary. While we get a bit perturbed when big things change like a street or a town, an immortal would be m ore focused on events on a more geological timescale.

Sort of an " i remember when this was all (localised) fields (of superheated gas) " LOL

**** it, it wouldn't drive me any crazier than people...