Elixir of life...could you, would you?

Great Debates
1

I was watching an episode of Time on the Science Channel this evening and at the end of show they took a random poll. I figured I’d ask here and see what 'dopers would do (and the check myself to see if my guess as to what the predominant answer would be).

The question is this: If there were an elixir available that would allow you to reverse your aging to any age you desired and then you would never age again (you would still be mortal of course, just un-aging), would you take it?

A couple of things here. First off…I’m not interested in whether or not you think this elixir would be good for society. Here is the bottle…would YOU take it? Secondly I’m aware that there have been previous threads on similar subjects…in fact, I have started a few myself in the past. I’m not interested in those previous responses…I’m asking the question now and am only interested in the responses to this thread. Third, keep in mind that this elixir wouldn’t make you immortal…only prevent you from further aging. You could always kill yourself or be killed in the same ways (besides direct age related) ways as today. Lastly for anyone interested in furthering the discussion, could you give your reasons for your decision for or against. I’m really interested in peoples thoughts on this

Now…hopefully this spoiler thingy will work. Going to give my own response and my guess as to the possible majority of answers:

[spoiler]Myself, I’d take the elixir. No question. I truly enjoy life and am facinated about what the future has in store for us. I really would love to see how the events of our time shape the future. Besides…I’m dying to see what computer games will be out 50 or 100 years from now, what great novels will be written (and I need to live that long to see some of the series I like finished), what new gadgets and gizmos are invented…and if man every DOES get back to the moon or to Mars and whether there is life on Europa.

As for the majority answer, my guess is…most 'dopers would turn it down. On the show it seemed to me that the majority of people actually turned it down, especially the young. I think this will hold true for 'dopers as well…which, if I’m correct, says interesting things if they ever DO manage to create such an elixir.[/spoiler]

-XT

2

Of course, no question. I’d revert to 25 and then stay there.

Under the conditions you describe, I find it hard to fathom why one wouldn’t take the elixir, unless they had some whacko religious objection.

3

The majority of the folks who responded during the show seemed to think that life would get dull or become pointless, not worth living. I admit…I don’t get it either.

-XT

4

Don’t Bogart the bottle. I’ll drink up.

I get the body I had at 23, with the things I know/own now, and I can still get off the merry go round any time I choose. No brainer.

5

I’d certainly take it. I find no virtue or benefit in aging. As for death, I see no virtue or benefit in an involuntary death either. Aging, as far as I’m concerned is just a defect in the human design, not some sort of sacred or valuable thing that should be preserved.

The result of years and years of propaganda, I think. How often in fiction or legend does immortality or the quest for it turn out well ?

6

I wouldn’t take it. Putting aside the fact that I’d eventually see everyone I love and care about grow old and die, and putting aside the fact that I’d have to field awkward questions (“Hey, aren’t you 70? How come you look like you’re in your 30s?” “So, I’m looking over your resume…happy 2130, btw…let’s hope it’s better than 2129, wait, you say here you graduated from college in 1997?”)

Anyway, putting aside all that, I think it would get tedious. I don’t particularly like my life, and one of the things that keeps me going is the knowledge that eventually it’ll end. If I had to live forever, having to work and find a way to support myself for eternity, well, that’s pretty much hell right there.

7

Damn skippy I would take the elixir. So what if I’d get bored? It beats the alternative.

8

If you get bored you can just eat a bullet, since there’s no screwy “you’ll eventually be a guy floating alone in the universe after the Big Crunch” catch.

Hell, yes.

-Joe

9

Life already is dull and pointless. However, my curiosity to witness the future would overcome my boredom. For me, going through life is like watching a soap opera. I don’t keep watching because it’s good, I keep watching because I want to know what comes next. So yes, I would take the elixir.

10

I’d take it without hesitation. I don’t see a single real downside. You have to watch those you love die and yes, that would be awful. But they would die at the same time anyway and with this you know you can be there for them in their last moments. I know it would be hard, but at least this way you can help them instead of worrying about them being alone because you’ve already passed on.

Beyond that, who doesn’t want to see how the world works 100, 200, 1000 years from now? Something like this would be an amazing opportunity and I’d jump at it. The negatives are there and I’m certain you’d live with a lot of loss and longing for the past but curiosity would carry me for a very, very long time.

11

This seems to conflate the issue of reverting one’s physical condition with the issue of extending one’s life. You take care to note that the elixir doesn’t make one immortal, but you nonetheless do invoke living longer into the future as the entirety of your reason for taking the elixir. Why not just separate the questions? A) Ponder a hypothetical elixir which will make you live 200, 300 years, if not for eternity. B) Ponder an elixir which will not extend your lifespan one iota, but which will permanently return you to the physical condition of whatever age you desire.

As for why the young tend to turn down the elixir as formulated in the OP… well, it’s not nearly so good to them, is it?

12

Definitely. Without invulnerability I really see no downside. I get a long life and avoid the weaknesses of old age, what’s not to like?

13

I’m getting old, my eyes are failing, my teeth hurt, my knees are giving out… pass the bottle and one of those beer-battered deep-fried cheddar-wurst on a stick!

More seriously, I would love to be able to replace all the bits that are broken, worn out or no longer used much :frowning:

As for living for ever (or for a couple of centuries or whatever)… I’d do it if I could be sure of making a living while I did so. I guess I am old and boring, but just living a long time could be quite tiresome. I suppose it makes a difference if a lot of people or only a few got a crack at the elixir. If a lot of people, then I’d take a swig without a lot of worry. If it was just me (well OK, me and Angelina Jolie) then I might make sure I was both able to look after myself and would not be treated as a freak. I don’t want to live a long time being tested by the government scientists to find out why I was living a long time.

14

It’s just that if you say the elixir grants you immortality but not eternal youth, you run the risk of being subject to the fate of the unfortunate Tithonus of Greek myth: You live forever but slowly become more and more frail in body and mind, until finally you shrivel up into a helpless (but still living!) little dried up stick thing. The sort of Twilight Zone twist I think the OP was trying to stay away from.

As for the objection “But you’d outlive everyone you love!”–well, that can happen anyway. You’ll surely outlive at least some of them no matter what. The temptation to share the elixir with at least somebody would be great. Children would be a problem–No parent wants to have to bury any of their own children, let alone all of their children, and their grand-children, and their great-grandchildren… But if you share the secret with the family, then it will likely eventually become impossible to keep the secret, and a society in which everyone is immortal (or at least very long-lived) is a whole different ball game. It would probably be better if you can manage to avoid ever wanting to have children.

In our modern record-keeping, identity-checking society, there would be a lot of purely practical problems with the concept. OK, so you work hard until you’re 70 (you could wear make-up and hair coloring to artificially age yourself, combined with remarks about “good genes” to explain your still basically youthful appearance), and are very frugal, saving and investing as much of your income as you can manage. (Your self-denying frugality is only delaying gratification for what should be multiple lifetimes of leisure.) Being able to amass enough of a fortune to live off the interest and investment income thereof would help escape the scrutiny of co-workers and employers (“Old Bob sure is spry for someone his age–just how old is he, anyway?” “Seems like he’s worked here forever.” “Yeah, he was here when I started.” “Heh–Let’s check with payroll.” “Great Galaxies! He’s been with the company since 2009! That’s impossible!”) (Periodically changing jobs wouldn’t help much, as Captain Amazing notes, what with the resume problem.) So, you’d likely need to become independently wealthy, with enough money to indefinitely weather inflation and periodic economic crises. Perhaps you could learn to be enough of a novelist (a reclusive one, natch) to support yourself; periodically, you’d have one nom de plume die off, but have another one well-established enough to shift over to as your new primary identity.

Still, nothing you could do would easily escape the scrutiny of the tax authorities. You’d probably have to learn how to forge really good false identities, lest you wind up in some Secret Government Lab being poked and prodded to find out how you’ve lived to be 250 years old, or dogged by mobs of people demanding to know your secret and/or decrying you as an unnatural God- or Nature-defying monster. That means you’re basically living multiple lives as a fugitive.

Those don’t apply if immortality (or at least really long lifespans) is at least reasonably common–but, if the elixir is thus spread throughout society, it will change the world in all sorts of ways, probably in ways we can’t even predict.

All that said, I’d probably still take it. If any of the above problems become unbearable or insuperable, you can always change your mind and opt out; whereas, if you die of old age, well–too late now…

15

I’d drink it in a minute. I think that the interesting question isn’t really my physical age, but my emotional age. 19 to 25 years old. I looked great and I was in good health, but I lacked the confidence and acceptance of mortality that I have in my mid-40s. I suspect that a lot of this is hormonal. I suppose that I’d settle to stay at my current age, despite my declining health and really shitty middle aged eyesight rather than risk being the insecure and hyper.

16

As long as I would retain all my memories of my life to date, I’d take it, sure. I’d revert to myself around 21-22 - before I started smoking, was mountain-climber fit.

I’m not scared about being secretive about things or anything. I’d just come out about it all upfront-like when I hit 120 or so. TV interviews and the like, go on the Oprah-equivalent shows. Sign some book/movie deals and invest the proceeds. I mean, once you’ve come out like that, the government isn’t going to be able to lock you away willy-nilly. And you can afford to keep hoi-polloi at arm’s reach.

It’d suck to lose my wife and children eventually, but it is possible to love again. Hell, at 21, I can remember loving 3, 4 times a night :). And that’s the real reason to revert.

17

I’d take it. The usual trick in literature with this is to emigrate then return as your son. No more than 15-20 years in one place.

18

Oh yes, I’d take it. But only if you could keep it a secret, so every conversation wouldn’t be about how old you were. Commonplace longevity or no, that would get to be an old conversation to have after awhile, I am sure (pun not intended.)

edit: And think about it, you might make it long enough that you could put your brain in a more durable body, say a robot! Not truly immortal, but it can take more than you can now? I want that.

19

I also would take it without hesitation. I am curious about the future of technology, politics and culture and would love to survive to the 22nd century and beyond.

20

I can’t see any downside to this, given the fact that you’re not sentencing yourself to immortality. Of course I’d take it. Is there any conceivable reason why one wouldn’t, unless tired of life? Believe me, the drawbacks of being old far outweigh any advantages.