Scenario: You are 60. A new genetic method is fine-tuned

[valis]

that allows people to age much more slowly, so people would live to be 1000, as if they were 60. But the method only works in people under 40. Beyond 40, too much damage has already been done by aging for this method to work.

Describe your feelings if this scenario were true.

[chicagojoe]

1. A day late , and a dollar short. Story of much of my life.

[Droopy]

2. Fuck it! Who wants to live forever!

[amazona]

3. kevin? is that you?

Seriously my friend harps on this scenario all the time. I'm over it. I was going to die when I was born, I was always going to die, I'm over it. Me dying ain't the fault of the young kids under 40. If I secretly thought someone could probably be helped if they were just a twinge over 40, I'd help him fake his ID and get the medicine. Otherwise I'd go on my way, be an interesting antique interviewed by the permanent youth, and I'd deal. I can't describe "our" feelings. I can only describe "my" feelings. Be a high-functioning autistic freak or travel someplace where you are always out of step with social convention...and you know what you will find out? You will still want to live as long as you can live and you will have a heart for those who "could have" been you.

And you will be glad they didn't have to live through what you lived through. Seriously. We've done that. Why should they? Everything we've worked for, everything we've dreamed, has been the society where robots do all the work and no one ever has to die.

Some generation will get it. And the generation before that won't get it.

Would we rather have humanity be a slave to work and death forever?

Don't think so...!

[murielm99]

4. Have you ever read Welcome, Chaos, by Kate Wilhelm?

Immortality is a sexually transmitted disease.

[Salviati]

5. I'd be glad to be kicking the bucket soon...

because something like that would screw with society like nobody's buisness. I'd be glad to be getting off the ride before things get too messed up.

[Spinzonner]

6. So I'm going to miss global warming

Lucky me.

Bye, all you long-lived suckers.

[enigmatic]

7. Oh well...

And go on w/ my life...

[valis]

8. I'd feel pretty bad about it.

[amazona]

10. why? people live this every day

Everybody who is diagnosed with a disease and finds out they're going to die in their 40s or 50s instead of their 80s or 90s lives through this. It's just the roll of the dice, not worth getting upset over. We all die too young.

[RevCheesehead]

9. Isn't this the plot for "Miri" on Star Trek?

Tried that, screwed up big-time. 300-year old kids, no adults.

"Tell 'em, Jim! Tell 'em, Jim!" :)

[valis]

11. I don't watch Star Trek...

[AndyTiedye]

12. I'm Workin On the Theory That The Time One Spends Dancing...

...makes the clock run backwards.

[qnr]

13. Does it come with population control? Either way, it would be kind of

messed up until we started getting off the planet. Popluation and other social controls or starvation due to depleted resources. I'd be glad to be gone.

[LeftyMom]

14. I'd be relieved.

I get bored all the time now, and I'm not even middle aged. I'd be so fucking jaded if I were to live such a long life.