# Is immortality possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791 "2000-10-29T04:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/21 "2000-10-30T00:50:56Z")
**bizerta** has got it right. Even if you could prolong your life for an indefinite period of time, the second law of thermodynamics is going to catch up with you, as it does for all things, sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![lovingthepain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@lovingthepain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovingthepain)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/22 "2000-10-30T02:55:35Z")
I agree Dr. Lao. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/23 "2000-10-30T04:13:01Z")
> [@](#): > > …even the earth and sky are doomed at some point. It may take 14 billion years, but nothing lasts forever. You folks have no imagination. OK, so the guy in the OP is almost certainly crackpot (with 99.999999% certainty). Duh. But, let’s consider the human body. There is a large, but finite amount of information associated with the biological operation of said body. If people survive long enough, I think that eventually we will be able to molecularly repair our bodies to the point that we will be able to live “forever” (YMMV) for all intents and purposes. Granted, if the universe collapses or the Sun novas, things would be pretty bleak. Then again, continuing to play the devil’s advocate for extreme optimists, at that point we might understand the nature of the universe so well that we’d be able to prevent these things from happening. In other words, Jean-Luc Picard saves the day again. The universe is safe once again for interstellar garbage barges. Yea. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/24 "2000-10-30T04:34:10Z")
Let me clarify that: A. I recognize that there would be some serious social repercussions with immorality being given to the general public. B. I don’t personally think the human race will survive long enough to reach that potential. C. I don’t think this thread was intended to be a Great Debate that the title would suggest, but, as a GQ, it should have said “Can this guy’s stuff make one immortal?” ---
**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/25 "2000-10-30T13:10:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lovingthepain \* > \*\*I was watching this television show and they interviewed a young man, who claimed he had invented a device for humans to live forever. I thought this was very interesting and wanted to know more, but the show’s objective was not to inform but to poke fun at the man, and sadly I don’t think he noticed. The man has created these objects that go around one’s fingers and toes, and he says it makes the wearer of his invention immortal. This seems far fetched, though the man does seem very bright and appears to know what he’s talking about, but the interview was short and not very informative, so I could be wrong. I’ve heard of a way to lengthen life, possibly sustain it forever, and I think some know how to do it, but it’s just that we don’t have the technology. I was hoping someone had seen this, read about this, or has somehow acquired some knowledge about this subject and could shine some light on it for me. Thank you. \*\* The great thing about selling immortality devices is that noone ever sues you if it doesn’t work… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/26 "2000-10-30T13:30:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bizerta \* > \*\*There was a song in the 70’s that had the line “Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky”. > \*\* “Dust in the Wind” recorded by Kansas. Later covered by Sarah Brightman, who also recorded a song called “Who Wants to Live Forever?” ---
**Author:** ![bryanmcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@bryanmcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmcc)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791/27 "2000-10-30T13:35:08Z")
immortality is certainly possible, as long as our definition of immortality is: life that does not end by ‘natural causes’. eventually a comet or a supernova or the end of the universe will wipe us out, but it is possible to arrange it so that humans never die of old age. think about it, do bacteria ever die of old age? no, all bacteria alive today are essentially 4 billion years old. there is nothing inherent in the process of cell division that requires the product to expire at some point. now invision an island populated by bunnies. if there is no limit on there age, this island will soon be vastly overpopulated with bunnies, and if the old ones are not dying to make room for the new ones, evolution flops. the whole point of evolution is that the old models make way for the new and improved ones. so aging is hard-wired deep into our genetic code, and it would take a large amount of genetic tampering to remove all of the aging protocols without damaging other functions. but it could be done, but not until our technology is much more advanced. the obvious shortcut around this situation is the fact that the human brain is nothing but a computer program, and could therefore be downloaded into a computer. of course, your body would still die, but your intellect/persona/whatever would be safe to frolic forever in virtual reality (heaven?). of course, this solution is also well in the future. but just so y’all know, i intend to live forever. and alex chiu’s magnets will have nothing to do with it. -b [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-immortality-possible/38791.md?page=1)