Care To Live An Extra Hundred Years?

[Don Ashley]

Joseph,

Thank you for taking the time to think about breakthroughs in life 
extension.  We will probably be initiating essay contests to encourage 
positive solutions to the challenges of an extra 100+ years for the masses.

Contacting sponsors is one of the next steps.

Don
On Mon, 13 Feb 1995, Joseph J. Strout wrote:

> On Sun, 12 Feb 1995, Patrick O'Neil wrote:
> 
> > Conversely, I have considered the wideer ramifications of such 
> > manipulations and capabilities and have come to the conclusion that 
> > significant life extension in general would be disastrous.  The worl 
> > population is already booming and there is concern about the environment 
> > and available resources for the ever-growing minions.
> >	...
> > Unless there is another planet sitting around for us to expand onto, or 
> > unless everyone will accept strict population control methods, then it 
> > cannot work.  The problems are the same, to varying lessor extents if you 
> > are only considering minor life extensions.
> 
> I think your analysis is essentially correct.  Humanity's gestation is 
> nearly over; the difficulty is making sure that Mother Earth does not die 
> due to complications of childbirth.
> 
> The only long-term solution, of course, is to expand from Earth.  As you 
> pointed out, long lives would be benificial given ample room and 
> resources.  Fortunately, there are resources aplenty in our home solar 
> system.  The gas giants, especially, are rich in energy and raw 
> materials.  Of course, the original question was about life extension 
> through biological means, and it is doubtful that such methods will 
> enable people to live on other worlds except in enclosed structures, and 
> this will limit the rate of expansion.
> 
> Of course, it would take an extremely aggressive emmigration program to 
> counter the growth rate; births will have to be legally restricted, most 
> likely, as they are in China already.  The combination of emmigration and 
> birth restriction may succeed in saving Earth -- despite an extended 
> lifespan.
> 
> ,------------------------------------------------------------------.
> |    Joseph J. Strout		Department of Neuroscience, UCSD   |
> |    jstrout at ucsd.edu		http://sdcc3.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/    |
> `------------------------------------------------------------------'
> 
>