Life Extension Values Clarification Survey

November/December 2006 Comments

Num Comments Date
1035 Q21 Modern medicine is still very much in its infancy- splashing about in the shallow end of molecular biology. How can we even be sure of what we are doing when freezing people? Q25 Is resurrection a re-incarnation? 2006-11-01 23:15:17
1042 What does cyronics have to do with the biological basis of aging? This seems like a bald-faced commercial rather than a survey. I object to the false pretense under which this survey was offered. 2006-11-02 22:21:16
1044 Excellent resource. I'd redesign the website. It presents so much information that it needs to be broken down into different pages. The use of graphics, and tables, videos, etc., would also help. But I loved reading what's on this site. Cryonics is not sufficiently developed to allow reanimation. I believe it may one day allow this. The problem of cellular damage is obviously the greatest challenge, but there's also the problem of bringing the brain, and nervous system back online. Most other organs which have already been transplanted have shown that they will probably could resume function after a successful cryonic suspension. Ultimately nanotechnology may present the greatest likelyhood of very long term life extension. nanobots within the brain might someday be able to record the neural matrix (or at least a portion), upload it to an AI device. That information might form the basis of a EGO transplant. As to whether biological creatures such as ourselves would desire being uploaded into an cybernetic organism is perhaps the question. The sense of smell, and taste, and emotions would present the greatest challenge - yet quantum computing may allow AI devices to experience these organic sensations. If humanity can manage not to destroy itself, and the Earth, we might just survive long enough to develop such technologies. We won't see this in the limited life spans we have now. However, I don't entire believe we are alone - and suspect that at least some of what we experience, and think, throughout our lifetime is being interfaced with at periodic times - snapshots so to speak. What exactly is done with that information I am not entirely certain, but I'm guessing it goes beyond "life review". This involves quantum technology, and tachyonics, and therefore would understandibly be beyond current human technology. I'm not suggesting "little green men", but something much more advanced - AI, and perhaps transdimensional interfacing - see quantum entanglement. Much of what we consider to be "ourself" is really common. We don't access our entire childhood simply by recalling that we did have a childhood. We recall specific memories, which we keep alive by rememorizing them. Every once in awhile we will recall a memory which we had not in many decades which suggest we have access to much greater information about our past experiences, yet we are who we are without constantly recalling such information. And so much of what we believe is unique about ourselves might be recorded in a rather small space, and integrated over general personality, and memory matrix. In other words a copy of who we believe we are might not be so difficult to integrate within an non-organic AI program. Perhaps Heaven is a matrix? And perhaps we organics are means of inorganics to interface within this physical world? So many possibilities. In the meantime we waste huge sums of money on warfare instead of addressing social issues, and developing medical technologies which would offer our generation an opportunity to live a quality life for a longer period. There's no doubt in my mind we are but short lived children - almost animal like, and close to edge of survival, and destruction. If we do make it past this time, future generations of very long lived peoples will look back in amazement that the species ever survived. Live long, and prosper. 2006-11-03 05:57:06
1045 Are you curious about our support (agree/disagree) of family member's cryonic preferences or how much money one would be willing to invest in such a venture? How about the state of one's "soul" while suspended? Interesting survey, can't wait to see the results. 2006-11-03 14:43:59
1046 This is a great survey. Do you get a lot of people to take it? I think it would be a good gauge for how well people catch on and accept this as the years march forth. 2006-11-03 15:37:17
1051 Yes, if, the Mind Transfer, HGP and Clonning, is a possibility thought today, how is incarnation or the GOD can be impossible? Probabally we have only a few missing links of the past, specially as explained in Ramayana and Mahabharata, otherwise everything seems to be well in its place a few thousand years ago. GOD = Generation Ordinance and Desruction, nothing but the capacity of a fully developed mind with no restriction or relevance of time factor. 2006-11-05 06:39:09
1061 I don't think cryogenics is advanced enough at this point to be successful. It may get there - but for now, I think much more research is required. 2006-11-07 15:40:58
1069 Do not feel I have sufficient knowledge about cryonics to offer intelligent opinions. 2006-11-09 11:42:32
1077 Very interesting survey, your site is an eyeopener. 2006-11-10 22:57:53
1080 Summary of attitude: Civizilation is on the verge of collapse, don't expect much in the way of medical or computer miracles to let you live forever. 2006-11-11 11:06:17
1082 I just "stumbled" onto this site and find it very interesting. I'm going to check out the survey results now. Thank you. 2006-11-11 20:17:58
1093 Purpose of life is "being", not for me to enjoy it, but I do. I believe in intelligent design by my God,but I don't understand it. I am part of the purpose for this slice of eternity. We have a finite lifespan that can be made longer, but it will continue to be finite because that is part of the design. I desire to live this existence as long as it lasts, but I look forward with zest to what my God will do with my spirit. The spirit, is the real person. I have felt that for as long as I can remember. 2006-11-14 06:03:46
1112 people lie on these things you know. 2006-11-22 22:51:37
1115 Life extension is good, and will gradually become more powerfull. Cryonics is impossible with todays technology. Even with an incredibly advanced technology in the future, they will not be able to revive the people frozen now. Though i can imagine people hang on to hope nonetheless. Similar to religion i suppose. Meh, whatever works for them. 2006-11-24 08:18:46
1119 I work with elderly people, 90+ years old, and if they are healthy and alert, they want MORE... THey are not "bored " 2006-11-24 23:03:56
1122 I believe life extension is possible and if not it never hurts to try. 2006-11-25 22:54:07
1125 Just like mathematics can develop indefinitely (without a sceduled need to ``clear'' old ideas), so, this suggests an analogy maybe life can extended too: there is no metaphysical limit. 2006-11-26 20:42:05
1129 Cessation of brain stem function is the mark of "clinical death". The idea that a person is dead if they transciently have "no heartbeat" is extremely dated. 2006-11-27 19:47:36
1131 cellular approaches are not the answer 2006-11-28 01:22:09
1137 Life is so full of possibilities and oportunities. 2006-11-28 22:42:00
1138 Dull survey. If there are surveys like this in the future, I really don't want to go through a cryonics procedure. Let me die in peace. And don't worry I WON'T take this survey again. Unless I get Alzheimer's. 2006-11-28 23:51:22
1149 gOD GIVES LIFE & TAKES IT AWAY 2006-11-30 11:45:36
1150 Why only speak of this tech. and no others? 2006-11-30 12:08:09
1154 1. You speak with concern for "economic growth"; must we engage in trying to always increase the GDP? Why can’t we see that this is an irrational and dangerous mode of thinking? 2. I think it is important to understand the causal relation between wealthy nations and poor ones which are predominantly increasing population. (Pogge has done some excellent research into this). Our lives are all connected. Western lifestyles (especially those depicted in media) and consumption habits create their conditions of poverty 3. What is progress of our species? Maybe “progress” is related to compassion. 4. Intrinsically satisfying “exploration of innermost beings” -at least for the majority- does not seem possible, under the unrestrained capitalist system, even if technology advances. 5. About the future...No one can predict the future, so making judgments "future visions" is ridiculuos and illogical. However, it is important to consider the direction in which we are headed as global peace initiatives are still not actively pursued to an adequate extent by “the world superpowers.” 6. Life-extension is an interesting subject, but it seems to implicitly reflect a wrongheaded notion of avoiding thoughts of death (and thus taking responsible for ones life). but if it would only be made possible for the wealthy, and if it means continuing to live consumptive lifestyles with false assumptions of unceasing "progress" then it is not for me. Even if there is now less pollution (as you report), we are not making the needed social, economic and environmental changes at at a sufficient rate. That does not mean that I enjoy my life, but that I am more concerned for the greater good. if you have any responses, please email me at: sahazra@gmail.com 2006-12-01 09:37:41
1166 Exploring CR, no interest in cryonics. 2006-12-05 12:33:13
1168 I would only want to live a 1,000 years if I could remain young and active. Being able to abuse my body with out fear of consequence would be a huge plus, other wise it might get a little boring. I would not care about friends and family dying. If you could live a 1000 years, you would make many friends. One friend would be gone in the blink of an eye to your personal sense of time. It would be terrible if everyone lived 1000 years. The world would be over populated and diseased (Look up information on land capacity). Or if we were only able to procreate 1-3 times in 1000 years. 2006-12-05 14:29:52
1173 Selling cryonics are you? 2006-12-06 15:29:57
1176 Cryonics seems creepy to me. I hope for the human race to have very long lives in the future and believe that will cause great wisdom and knowledge to develop. But cryonics seems selfish and elitist. And creepy. And desperate. 2006-12-08 00:33:07
1181 Cyronics does not 'extend' life, it just breaks it up into episodes. The essential question of theology is not whether there is a god, but whether that god cares about humans. While there is much ontological evidence to support the concept of an 'Ultimate Cause,' there is extensive evidence that that deity does not love humans: malaria, earthquakes, birth defects, drought, slipped discs, etc. etc. Anyone can add to the list. You assume that belief in god implies belief in life-after-death. While for most people this is probably true, a question that separated those ideas might yeild interesting data. 2006-12-08 15:53:38
1182 many of these questions do not specify but rather seem to imply various possible assumptions about the general tendencies of 'SCIENCE' that could greatly effect the outcome of my answers. First question for instance, will SCIENCE be able to cut rate of aging? It seems to me a technique or drug is much more likely to be developed, than the general administration or availability of that technique or drug. So does the question ask about reducing general aging among a population, or just the potential of a certain privelaged few (first world, wealthy, educated)? While greatly concerned about my own health and longevity and happiness i also see how it is intrinsically linked with, societies and the environments. Living to be 1000 years old for example will become a moot aspiration if for example global warming, or a nuclear holocaust destroys that capability for a massive swath of world population. Furthermore, while i do believe in scientific potential... its momentum and structure in our advanced capitalist system is much more interested in the health of the stockmarket than the population. The solopsistic individualism that fuels much of the enthusiasm for unfettered modern science... seems to blind us of to many of the techno-capitalistic poisons. Whats it matter that we can live for a thousand years.. if all around us is sewn war and poverty? whats it matter if there is no world left to live on? 2006-12-09 08:33:46
1186 Its stupid, I think 2006-12-10 22:00:11
1194 Life extension is all well and good but if people can’t think properly during your extended life because of an unnatural diet and lifestyle then there will be no use extending life if your are cognitively impaired. I have website dedicated to this, www.schizodiet.com and how food and life style which differs from a natural rhythms and foods has a negative impact on mental health, and how to change you diet and lifestyle to become better cognitively. Basically if you want to live longer by caloric restriction you will have to replicate animal experiments. Lab animals are guided by light and season. They are also feed laboratory chow, which no human food can replicate, so it is essential you take multivitamins, minerals and keep your diet as stable as possible, with little variation from stable foods like, organic wholegrain cereals, with specific quantities and types of all organic fruit, veg, meat and dairy. 2006-12-12 02:41:23
1216 nothing has chaNAGeD we are still surfs and told wHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT. 2006-12-17 18:02:59
1217 nothing has chaNAGeD we are still surfs and told wHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT. 2006-12-17 18:02:59
1223 MY BELIEF IN GOD IS SUCH THAT IT OBVIATES RELIGION WHICH I REGARD AS A PRIMITIVE EXAMPLE OF THE HERD INSTINCT THAT NOW HAS SOCIOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL VALUE ONLY. RELIGION PREVENTS TRUE BELIEF IN GOD BY FEIGNING KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE). THE ONLY PRINCIPLE OF LIFE IS MAXIMIZING HUMAN LIFESPAN AND, THEREFORE, THE ACUMULATION OF KNOWLEDGE. PLEASE ADD THE CHOICE "NO RELIGION" TO (26). IGNORANCE AND DEATH ARE BEING OVERCOME BY KNOWLEDGE. THIS IS A SUPER SURVEY. 2006-12-19 09:02:50
1227 Question 24 - I think there is a creative principle, for which the term god comes nowhere near being adequate. God seems to be a small tribal thing, a local phenomenon; all tribal gods are considered to be major creators by their believers. I am as much a part of "god" as any statue or concept or molecule or electromagnetic phenomenon. These questions reflect a strong judeo-christian bias, by the way. 2006-12-20 19:19:54
1228 Tuck Everlasting is a good book. Not necessarily consistent with my beliefs, but a very good book. Also, if I were you, I'd revise the potentially off-putting "Elsewhere" categories (#29) and change "Non-Catholic Christian" (#26) to Protestant. Sorry for being nitpicky. 2006-12-20 21:52:59
1229 I perceive "cryonics" as a scientific illusion (science fiction); this offers false hope to those who can afford this fantasy of "suspended life." My belief is that western societies are able to move & sell anything & everything based on economic affordability. My opinion of the "science" itself, is that it is nothing more than "voodoo science" without any credibility. 2006-12-21 04:30:00
1233 It's coming much faster than anyone thinks. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised in the next year or two. 2006-12-21 19:56:15
1239 - 2006-12-22 20:16:06
1240 i believe people are already being frozen if not to harvest tissue dna or organ retival in the future but to also find cures for diseases we havent really had the knowledge or funding to properly study yet medical advancements can be made and also to sudy in the future as we do the frozen cavemen of the past 2006-12-22 22:52:55
1246 Its hard to predict the concequence of imortality on society. I feel it will be a good one. 2006-12-25 18:05:59
1250 Westernized people are incredibly destructive. Extending their lifespans would hasten demise of the planet. See: Hall, C.A.S., R. Gil Pontius, Jr., Lisa Coleman and Jae-Young Ko. 1995. The environmental consequences of having a baby in the United States. Population and Environment, Vol. 15, No. 6, p. 505-523. If any significant life extension is possible, it should be restricted to the worthy: the nulliiparous nondriving nonmaterialistic lifelong or very long-term vegans. 2006-12-27 05:46:40
1254 Do you really think people will bother reviving you in the future if you're in cryonic arrangement? What will they gain from reviving you in the first place? 2006-12-27 23:47:45
1256 cryonics is wrong. Live now not later. 2006-12-29 11:24:26
1258 thanks 2006-12-30 13:17:00
1260 I am uhnsure about cryogenics as I have not read about it. I belive in full ressurection in this body- but healed and made good. The bible says we live to 70 or 80 and we do. God willing I will unless Messiah comes in which case I have a chance at living forever. In any case I baleive i will live again if i die. I owuld not get excited about living in this current dispensation being old or sick. I belive that God sustains my life every second, when he takes away my spirit it is gone. May his will be done. Enjoyed your survey. 2006-12-30 22:32:03
1261 This survey, while extremely interesting, has some strange questions that are not objective which makes answers very difficult. For one, the idea of a "religion" allowing a maximum lifespan that would not be "sinful" doesn't make sense. By adding questions that include "religious affliation" you are already assuming that those of a certain religious category will answer a certain way. For a true survey to be take on this subject, elimination of religious affiliation would be the only way of truly collecting unbiased data on this matter. These questions already assume that someone who believes in God either does not understand the "power" of science, or is doubtful of its promise through research. While I am unsure about the possibility of cryonics, I am aware of sucessful suspended animation projects at Fred Hutchinson in Seatte conducted by the Mark Roth group. 2006-12-31 12:26:56
1262 I am a physician, long-time practitioner of physiological-orthomolecular medicine: health restoration and health extension is realistic at present. Yes, the great obstacle to cryonics is (aparently) the infliction of damage on cellular organelles due to change in state of water to ice. Perhaps treatment with a non-expandable blood substitute and later recovery by means of replacement of blood and oxygenation could work--but the replacement of blood is a long way from solved...Could be done someday but evolution has not yet found the way after eons of time and the odds are that human intelligence won't solve the problem anytime soon. But the search is definitely worth pursuing. 2006-12-31 23:27:02