Immortality?
 

So, I've been doing some research* and apparently, life expectancy has been increasing by an average of 7 hours per day since 1840.

In theory, if this were to continue and/or accelerate, we may potentially be capable of living indefinitely.

People always die of something. It is also plausible to suggest that we will have a limit on life span, that at some stage we will eventually just fall over dead. Essentially dying of being dead.

People say that you can die of old age, but it's not really the case though, is it? Accumulation of various illnesses, injuries and bits of you not working anymore due to things like poor diet, smoking, drinking and other lifestyle choices.



What I wanted to ask was, do you think it's possible for us to live indefinitely? If so, would you really want to?
















*Was mentioned on Brian Cox's podcast so I read a Wikipedia thing.

Re: Immortality?
 

I heard that mammals have a set number of heart beats to last their lifetime and it's the same number (to within a few thousand or something) across the whole spectrum of mammals so in theory we can live considerably longer if we use fewer heartbeats

Immortality?
 

That strikes me as probably not true. The heart is a muscle and generally, the more you use your muscles, the stronger they get.

Re: Immortality?
 

Therefore more blood per beat so the slower the beat and the longer you live, assuming a "set" number of beats.

Re: Immortality?
 

Re: Immortality?
 

There was some discussion on the radio a few weeks back and a very reputable academic pointed out that the statistics used for some of this have been misleading in that the infant deaths have been included. Particularly before the 20th century, many infants died before the age of 2. If you add up all the people born and add up all the ages when they die, divide one by the other you get an average life span. However if you discount the infant deaths, the average age at death increases substantially.
Having said that, yes we are generally living longer, we're not dying of some of the things we did die of until quite recently. I'm sure cancer rates will increase, we'll all tend to live long enough to develop it.
It's also worth remembering that all the elderly folk who are living to 85-90 now were born and grew up in the 1920-30s. Folk born recently will have a much better chance of living until they die of old age rather than of something else, but that doesn't necessarily increase the practical lifespan of a human being, just that more people get closer to that age so the average lifespan increases statistically.
I dare say the practical lifespan of a human will probably gradually rise, but I'm sure we'll see the increase in life expectancy will begin to level off around 100-105 unless some genetic engineering comes up with a way to reduce the deterioration in cell reproduction as you age.

Immortality?
 

I'd like to die before my health is seriously depleted. But not too far before. If I've got to 85, I've spent some time with my grandkids, and had 20 years of comfortable retirement I'll be happy. If I get to 90 and I'm still fit and enjoying life then that's a bonus.

If I have to live with constant pain, or my son is having to wipe my **** and feed me, then I'll be getting a flight to Switzerland for a bye bye injection.

If I get to that age, and I wake one morning and my wife has gone, I'll be going to the kitchen for a big bottle of parcetamol, and getting back into bed beside her for a last cuddle.

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Re: Immortality?
 

Forward, if we all start saving a little each we could get you to Switzerland in the next couple of years. How's that for a deal??? As I'm doing you a favour can you write me in your will for a Tiger?

Re: Immortality?
 

He could ride there and we'll ship his bike back?

Re: Immortality?
 

Bugger off both of you.

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