Depending on the mood you find someone in, you'll either hear them say that they don't want to be around in 80 years because the world is on the fast track to nuclear destruction, or you'll hear them say that they'd love to be here in 80 years because they'll finally be debt free and can afford to travel the world.
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| Ah, the first signs of winter. [Source: US Department of Energy] |
I wish I could live forever.
There are many things happening that are bound to be awesome. Human expansion into space, increasing potential to understand many things we don't understand (otherwise known as knowledge), and they're even printing human body parts using printers like the one sitting on your desk.
Basically, living forever is becoming a possibility.
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| Way ahead of you. [Source: Cifonauta] |
Sure, as technology advances so does weaponry. And then those weapons makers will have more reason to obliterate the hell out of earth. Since the world's climate is already changing, what's the problem with a few extra degrees?
It'll be okay, though, because most of humanity will have ventured off into the regions of space, anyway.
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| There will also be a few additions to Google Maps. [Sources: Earth, Moon - Shane Remer, Google Maps, Google Space Image - Shane Remer] |
The more we travel into space and the more of it we can hopefully inhabit, hopefully the more peace treaties it brings. After all, no country owns any claims to the moon, just like no country owns any rights to Antarctica.
Everything about the nearly inhabitable (Antarctica), and the inhabitable (the Moon) has been set aside for science. That is until Antarctica melts and its hypothetically, economically beneficial resources are exposed.
Exploration proves useful and there's just something human about the need to explore. Whether it's other territories, the ocean, space, or a another person's body, people innately desire to learn, to understand, to go further.
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| And some spend thousands of dollars traveling abroad to find themselves. [Credit: Moyan Brenn] |
Living forever would fix this problem. Everything could be accomplished.
The only problem is that living forever could lower the meaning of life. Some fear that increased lifespans would be to life what October 29, 1929 was to the economy.
Ignoring questions of sustainability given the increased population of the human race if life expectancy grew, what reasons would people have for accomplishing things if we had forever to finish them?
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| Yeah, I'll get to those next century. [Credit: Lex] |
I'm of the belief that humanity has developed goals around its lifespan. Thousands of years ago, if you died at 40, congratulations. You got a stone tablet article the same way people turning 100 do today.
Sure, society had its differences. The definitions and reasons for marriage were different, but people often married young because they needed extra hands. Agricultural life has that effect.
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| "Okay, everyone, spread out and choose someone to marry." [Credit: woodleywonderworks] |
As modern medicine has pushed forward and people can expect 70-80 good years, objectives such as getting married, having kids, and midlife crises occur later in life.
In other words, people dedicate more time to what they want and not so much to ensuring sure they wake up the next day.
Imagine if we lived 20 or 30 extra years, or even if we could expect to live forever, save for car accidents and lightning bolts. What would life be like?
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| As long as we both shall live? Thanks a lot, science! [Credit: Heather Williams] |
Sure, maybe living forever isn't for everyone, but imagine seeing your great, great, great grandchildren? Imagine seeing Halley's Comet - twice, or even three times.
Knowing that our descendents might live a long time should make 70 years feel like an honor. It's this knowledge of our brevity that allows us to feel insignificant, and this insignificance is sometimes what inspires us to do great things.
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| Or waste three hours of our lives watching just one more video. |
Perhaps giving us more time in life would allow us to see just how insignificant we really are as we watch the great inventions of our childhood reduced to antiquities and museum shelves.
Not that I want people to feel depressed.
But it's depressing knowing there are some awesome things happening in the realm of science that will forever change how we experience the world, or other worlds, or other living forms.
But, that depression sometimes leads the desire to better ourselves.
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| Pictured here: A Cold War era victory. [Source: NASA] |
Whatever happens, I just want to be around because there's something inspiring about experiencing space flights around the moon or even into space, or alien life (no matter how small), or even seeing the U.S. national debt reach $1 quadrillion - which, of course, leads to the U.S. clearing all debts and auctioning our cities.
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| The ones we can, at least. [Credit: Race Bannon] |
Basically, I'm just jealous in the same way that Aristotle and Newton would be if alive today. (And I'd want to be friends with them on Facebook because, well, why not?)
The future is disappointing to me only because I don't want the only thing I have to offer it be my past.
Yet, it's all I can give. Maybe I should be enlightened just knowing that something I did could make someone think, "Not bad. I want to do that, but better."
Given that thought, maybe our drive in life shouldn't be to be remembered, but to be a part of the reason why others are.
Until they're forgotten, too.
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By the way, if you don't already know this guy - Neil deGrasse Tyson - you should.
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