No.
Every day is important.
I would say at 100 years old serious people would begin to ask serious question about what the hell is going on. At that point I think it might be pretty evident that this person has stopped physically aging and doesn’t appear to be letting up. Now, whether the government would get involved at that point I don’t know. Maybe some secret squirrel stuff but I doubt they would want that going public.
Sorry for the double post here, did not see if before my previous post. Anyways, comparing a man who has the world record for number of 3-pointers to a man who does not age and has lived well beyond anyone else in the world is silly. I think people are a little more interested in the concept of immortality and aging than basketball prowess.
Also, flight is nothing special now because* everyone has access to it.* In fifty years this man would still be the only one to never age, and would continue to be surrounded by people who do age. He would still be amazing. A more appropriate analogy would be if the wright brothers were still around and were still the only ones who could successfully manufacture and pilot aircraft.
Yes, and barring some super-science gene magic that lets you completely re-write your adult genome to be like his, his mutation will never (in practical terms) be accessible or useful to the people currently alive.
If they discovered a person tomorrow who they could prove was hundreds of years old and did not look it, it would be neat to read about, but it would have no practical consequence for current humans. It may help people in the future if the immortal man or woman is able to pass on the mutation, but for the here and now it’s simply a curiosity.
hahahahaaha!
I really think you are being too sweeping in your statements. Gene therapy is cutting edge, but hardly “magic”. I am certain that exactly how this guy is immortal would be a continued focus of medical science even if it doesn’t make the papers every day.
Of course its hard to be immortal when people keep trying to cut your head off.
I guess we’re just going to have to disagree. I’m interested in who the tallest guy in the world is, but I’m not going to follow him around or give more than five minutes thought to how he got so tall.
I guess the question about whether such a person would be ‘permitted’ to live a normal life by the government is still out there. What are your thoughts on that? Would an immortal person be imprisoned for their immortality? Why? Would they be imprisoned for 50 years? 100? 1000?
You are free to get bored by an immortals existence, of course, but I think similes fail here. Someone who is immortal isn’t “like” a good basketball player, a tall guy or even a guy who miraculously doesn’t pay taxes. It’s a game changer in human existence.
Not unless that immortal genome mutation can be effectively expressed in the population and there are lot of practical question marks as to if or how that would ever happen, especially in population numbers that would be of real consequence.
If I am a parent do I really want an immortal child? If I am the government do I want immortal citizens? The notion that we’re all going to be chasing immortality is (IMO) a highly questionable proposition.
I think the "iceman’ mutation I linked to in my first post is just as fascinating as an immortality mutation and it’s not like women are rushing to make babies with this guy because of his superpower.
Well, I find it baffling that you would find resistance to cold just as interesting as immortality, but OK. But there is a key difference. Namely, his ability came from studying and practicing ancient techniques which don’t really require his tissue samples to replicate.
And whether the immortals genetic anomaly could be effectively expressed in the general population is precisely why they would want to study him.
Just to throw it out there, knowing it’s not that simple: The intent of most gene therapy is focused on fixing a gene so that the body can produce some chemical it’s defective genes do not. Much of the recent talk in anti aging is the body’s (lack of) production of telomerase as we get older.
You know how the vast majority of humanity avoids dying from cold? They wear warm clothes.
If you can find me some clothes that will make me live a long damn time I would appreciate that.
Honestly there are not enough :rolleyes: IMO for some of the folks in this thread.
Well, let me ask what YOU would do with this person. Would you imprison them? Would you give them a reason to fear for their safety and/or freedom?
Thats not my point. My point is thinking an apparent near immortal is like a good basketball player or some such is silly.
And for that matter, IMO the gubment is gonna have to get involved because even if the legal system says “too bad, so sad, you can’t stick him in a lab or whatever” the rest of the planet that wants to kidnap him, try to kill him, worship him, or get his autograph is going to be so bad they will have to do something with him for his own sake (like ship him to Eureka I guess).
And my opinion is that thinking that one freak of nature will change the world, is completely over the top. You are completely overestimating the impact of gradual realizations. Maybe you dislike my comparisons, but that doesn’t make them invalid. People won’t know this person is a near immortal for decades and once that realization occurs, people will be used to it. I’m not saying he won’t be a curiosity or that he won’t attract ‘fans’, but I do dispute that this would change the world and that governments and ‘evil’ people will be clamouring for him.
And, just to be clear, you don’t think that the government will have nefarious plans for such a person. At least you can be reasonable on that account.
No one said one freak would change the world, but if his freakiness could be replicated it sure would. Which is why rich powerful people would want to find out if they can. Pretty simple. Your comparisons and astro’s iceman are laughable because no one would really care even if we could easily replicate them. Though the NBA would probably have to push out the three-point line, I guess.
I was admittedly being too precious with the iceman example, but again, think of the practicalities assuming we are talking about an near immortal discovered today. Say he or she is 300 years old and looks 30ish. Projected lifespan is around 800 - 1000 years or so.
So you have a long lived mutant in a first world democratic society. Their body does not degrade as quickly as ours do. The reason for this are entirely genetic. On a practical basis their long life span cannot help anyone alive today live longer, the technology just isn’t there today to re-write someone’s genome. Let’s say they are willing to sell a blood or tissue samples for a few million a pop to drug companies and anyone willing to pony up in order to enjoy a nice lifestyle. No need to kidnap them, just pay them.
Explain how this would “change everything” for someone living today? Be detailed.
Because I reject your declaration that it would be impossible to use on already-born people. Firstly, we haven’t established why he is so long lived. So, he would be the subject of intense study until we did (the actual point of the OP). Secondly, there may be a fair bit of work to do but gene therapy is quite specifically intended to “rewrite genomes”. In clinical trials, hey have reversed sickle cell anemia in mice by rewriting genes to make cells produce gamma-globulin. As I noted above, aging science is focused on a specific enzyme, used to correct dna replication mistakes, that is not produced as much as we age.
Why should he be detailed? Why don’t you be detailed why it would not?
Because it wouldn’t doesn’t cut it BTW.