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

[Locrian]

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes! Age? Hmmm… 28-30.

Reason: I’d be younger! What else? I was thinner, more sexually active. I’d be keeping all the knowledge I have, building my resume as right now, but would look good enough for quicker promotions.

[Locrian]

@xtisme

I’m actually quite surprised by the answers here (I think you all just take a perverse sense of pleasure in seeing me wrong :p). On the show I’d say that over 50% of those asked turned it down…the last woman actually seemed kind of offended by the question and went into some detail as to why that was. I thought it would be an interesting question to ask 'dopers…and for my own part, as the OP, I’m extremely happy with the responses thus far. It’s making me completely reshape my initial premise on something I’m currently writing.

-XT

So far, it looks like 98% Yes on this board.

So, now that you made me feel younger, whatcha writing about? Me at 30?
(Kidding…)

[XT]

@Bryan Ekers

I don’t get why everyone assumes they’d have to watch loved ones get old and die. The OP asks: “If there were an elixir available…” It could be “available” at every corner drugstore.

It makes the responses more interesting. If the elixir was available to everyone…well, that would be a different question and would (perhaps) change the responses.

In addition it’s the format that the question was asked on the Time episode I referred to in the OP…and I figured I’d stick to that format. The reality is that, IF they ever develop such a thing (and personally I think they will…there is a LOT of effort going into this and several promising leads), then it will probably be widely available, at least (initially) in the more affluent countries. And this will open a whole new can of worms that would probably be another interesting debate.

@Carmady

Serious answer: The most important factor here is what you are not telling us. The possible drawback of the elixir is the way you will be treated by the aging.

I left all of that up in the air…as I left the questions about loved one’s aging and dying off. I tend to try and do very open OP’s to see what, if anything, develops. I generally ask questions on this board in a very circumspect way in order to develop my own thoughts on a subject, as well as to test my own ideas or theories. In this case my theory was that, as counter intuitive as it may seem, a large percentage of people may be opposed to such an elixir, especially if it was offered as a one off. Obviously my original (internal) premise was incorrect, so now I’m rethinking the ramifications of that.

For full disclosure I’m writing a story involving several of the elements here (as well as those on the Time episode I mentioned). The subject has always fascinated me, and 'dopers thoughts are always interesting…even when they perversely run contrary to my own expectations of how they will jump on any given subject.

Are you going to be held as a test subject in a lab for the next 1000 years?

You tell me. You can use that as an assumption to base your own answer on…or not. Personally I’d say that, given a thousand years to work with, I could most likely figure out a way to get out eventually. The test subject aspect wasn’t and isn’t an assertion I am making in the OP, so you are free to make any assumptions you like on that score.

Is the rest of the world going to view you with jealousy and anger?

I suppose that would depend on your own actions after taking the elixir. Again, you are free to make any assumptions on this score you like and base your answer on those assumptions.

Or is the elixir common enough not to elicit such responses?

In the original OP my assumption is that the elixir is a one off…i.e. it’s unique, a one time deal. If we assume the elixir is common enough that the general population has access to it then that brings up a bunch of debate points I didn’t want to get into in this particular thread.

-XT

[Gozu]

Someone with a large beard is working on such an elixir. [url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3329065877451441972]Documentary about it here. [url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3329065877451441972]

I’d take it if other people are given the same choice. I don’t want to survive my (potential) children.

[ivan_astikov]

For someone with a body dysmorphic syndrome, living for a 1,000 years wouldn’t be much fun. I can’t imagine many paraplegics wanting to take it, no matter how upbeat they may seem on the outside. The young wouldn’t be interested in it , because they think they are invincible anyway, unless they’ve learned the hard way through the loss of a family member, or loved one at an early age.

[Retief]

Personally, Yes in a nanosecond,
but there is a rub. Mrs Retief and I are both 68 and in good health.
however she is one of those who would refuse the elixer.

On the other hand I would not want to regress to a young age and leave her as
as a senior.

If there were 2 doses available, I would put it in her coffee! but unlike
most here I would not go back to 25. I think a very healthy 50 is a much
better age to be. If you take care of yourself, have good genes and are lucky
you will find yourself at 50 as I did without wrinkles, a full head of hair with no grey.

There is no doubt that things have gone downhill since then, so yes I would like to
reset the clock a bit. And yes I would like to see how things turn out with Duck Dodgers
in the 23&1/2 century.

If there was only one dose, I would accept it but hold off on drinking it until death
was staring me in the face.

Retief

[panache45]

I cannot think of one single reason not to take it. I am 63, and have several health problems, none of which I had at 25. It’s true that youth is wasted on the young, and this would be a perfect antidote to that.

[Grumman]

@ivan_astikov

The young wouldn’t be interested in it , because they think they are invincible anyway, unless they’ve learned the hard way through the loss of a family member, or loved one at an early age.

I beg to differ.