6 replies to this topic

[Marios Kyriazis]

The ELPIs Foundation for Indefinite Lifespans (www.elpisfil.org) has launched a new political awareness campaign. See: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Attempt-to-Abolish-Aging-G3A/111737825654402

The statement is:

The Global Attempt to Abolish Ageing (G3A) is an initiative by several organisations aiming to stimulate a world-wide political response.

We believe that ageing is a cruel and unnecessary process leading to preventable deaths and unacceptable human suffering. With advancements of technology it may be possible to devise suitable approaches that can lead to the eradication of human ageing. This will have a positive impact not only on individual humans but also upon society as a whole.

We therefore request that, governments and global political organisations consider the creation of a universal hub that will:

1. Act as a central nucleus for enhanced international co-operation in respect of researchers, resources, information and theories.

2. Solicit and acquire substantial funding that can be distributed to suitable research organisations which have aims in this respect.

3. Actively promote and encourage original and other research, and de-fragmentise existing research.

4. Provide advocacy and information to the public, particularly in respect to immediate practical applications of the current research.

This Statement of Intent will be distributed through all available channels with the aim to solicit political action by current and future governments. We will first approach the European Union and United States of America, and subsequently the United Nations, where we will campaign for the formation of a dedicated committee, the UN Committee for the G3A.

[Droplet]

Come on people, spread the word and let's get behind this initiative! It is global so it can unite all of us who are in favour of the abolition of aging from all four corners of the world.

[Turnbuckle]

And once aging is abolished, we will need a global initiative to abolish overpopulation.

[Marios Kyriazis]

This is one of the greatest fallacies ever. It is something that people fail to realise. As the impact of aging decreases, so does procreation. There will not be an overpopulation problem if people live longer. The length of life is proportional to the rate of procreation. Just check the falling birth rates in any Western country. Also consider the increase of homosexuality rates. This increase is not a social phenomenon, it is a biological one.

[Turnbuckle]

This is one of the greatest fallacies ever. It is something that people fail to realise. As the impact of aging decreases, so does procreation. There will not be an overpopulation problem if people live longer. The length of life is proportional to the rate of procreation. Just check the falling birth rates in any Western country. Also consider the increase of homosexuality rates. This increase is not a social phenomenon, it is a biological one.

And yet as the average lifespan has increased the population has exploded. The birth rates are falling in some countries, that is true, but we're already on the cusp of disaster. If we were to double lifespans now, that would redouble the expected population growth over what is already expected.

[Lister]

This reminds me of that episode of Curiosity "Can you live forever?" Adam Savage is contacted by a government funded organization that's developing treatments for aging.

Just a thought:

Currently our population is a wedge; we have too many old people. Even if we can only extend their healthy lives we may be able to elevate some of the economic stress of having so many dependents. I know of many older people who wish they were fit enough, fast enough, and sharp enough to get back to work.

While we may face extreme over population on the long run it’s a lot easier to get something approved focusing on possible short term results. Makes sense to me that bringing skills, wisdom, and knowledge accumulated over a career back into the work place via sharp youthful bright people may help us tackle our current and long term over population issues (among many other issues).

Edited by Lister, 06 November 2012 - 12:21 AM.

[Marios Kyriazis]

The question of overpopulation has been discussed by many, and complex arguments pro and against have been made. For me, the issue is simple:

Biologically, we need to have children in order to ensure the survival of our species. If our species survives because the individual members life longer, then there will be no evolutionary need to have children.