Patrick wrote (among many and many other things):
<<<<<<<<<
...I would just as soon engineer a virus strain that is aerosol
transmissible, perhaps a hemmorhagic flu, in order to correct the
population bomb downward towards the 2 to 3 billion mark than live in
utter muck with trillions...
>>>>>>>>>>
I think that discussion, beside beeing quite silly, is out of
any realistic (I don't dare saying scientific) borders.
First get life exstension and reduce the ageing illnesses; just
for this goal we will need many decades yet. then get a REAL
life exstension (and get the technology on how to do it); maybe
all of us will be already died by that time. Then start THINKING
about immortality and the subsequential problems (but actually
overpopulation is not a problem strictly related with mortality
- mathematical relation - but with births -geometrical relation-,
I am surprised by Pat weakness of thought on this point!).
By the time we will have really gotten immortality, or a congrous
extension of life, many centuries will have passed, maybe fertility
of human race will have dramatically decreased, birth control
will be spread everywhere...etc..etc... Anyhow it will be a problem
to be challenged then.
So Patrick, don't worry, you will be able during your span of life
to leave in perfect isolation, even in some desert, and your
off-springs (If you will be able to come across a woman in such
isolation ;-) ) will still be able not to leave in a crowded place
as New-York, not to engineer any 'virus strain that is aerosol
transmissible, perhaps a hemmorhagic flu ' (BTW is accepted to
write such things on a scientific network?) to reduce population.
Ageing research, at this time, is focused to reasonably extend the
average human life span, and, mostly, to relief the deseases that
occur when people become old, in order to allow elderly people
to have a more enjoyble and fruitfull late part of the life.
Bye]
Vinz
