Jinto

I think signatures are disabled board-wide.

Jamie_L

I think the more immediate problem with immortality would be social and political stryfe.

Immortality, like any new technology, is likely to be expensive. Initially it will be the wealthy and powerful who have their lives extended. And with an extended life, you can gather and maintain more wealth and more power. Instead of family or corporate dynasties, an immortal can be a power-dynasty of one. Meanwhile, the mortal masses fall further and further behind the power curve. Worst case scenario - a critical mass of displeasure among the mortal masses and widespread civil unrest.

The extreme of this scenario may be an exaggeration, but I think the underlying issue will still be the first big hurdle to deal with once practical immortality (a stop to aging and cure for cancer being the big technical breakthroughs required) is achieved.

Jamie

Majestyk

You have that scenario playing now. And what generally happens is the wealth and power are exhausted on the effort to extend the life.

Practically speaking though, by the time any technology emerges that can realisticallly claim to halt the advance of decrpititude, collateral applications may already have made substatial changes to the social structure. It would be as predicting the socio-economic realities of today, based upon the realities of fuedal Europe before the invention of the plow.