h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Okay, given the choice, would you go for it? It's free, no strings attached, no souls sold, you get the chance to live forever without doubt. The alternative is to leave it 'in the hands of god' and go 'when your number's up'.

What happens if I subsequently get completely dismembered/atomised? What if my brain is sliced into two? Do I magically re-form into my previous shape, or do I live some sort of distributed existence? Do different parts of me lead separate lives?

Will I still age, and do I have to work for a living?

Nah - it would get mighty boring after the universe had turned itself into an even spread of random residual energy.

The extinction of all humans might also be a bit stressful for me - in fact seeing my kids get old and dying before me would be a bit of a blow to the system.

So it's definitely a no then.

Let's say you stay the same age. You keep the same body. If that's destroyed then you get a clone body. (Don't worry about the bad science!)

I'd go for it!

I've often mused about this idea that some time in the future, a person might be able to back-up his consciousness, memories and all neural activity from his brain into a machine, and then download his existence into another physical medium as required or when the fancy took him. If he contracted a brain disorder or a major physical injury, he might be able to set a restore point before the disorder took effect... It's really not that bizarre if you consider brain activity to be a natural physical mechanism.

In that way, conceiveably you could live for a serious amount of time, albeit not in the same body.

Yep, a brain black box. I know a few people including myself have considered that idea. Although if multiple copies were created it could get complicated.

In the book "The Light of Other Days," Arthur C Clarke postulates the ability to open up minute wormholes in space and time and being able to upload information from any point in history. He goes on to imagine a future in which peoples' minds from the beginning of human history are captured as data funneling though these wormholes and downloaded directly into the 'quantum foam' allowing the entirety of the human race to survive in perpetuity.

So, maybe you just have to wait your turn to live forever anyhow.

I'd take it, although I think it'd be a bit of a race against time to achieve some form of Godhood before the heat death of the universe, assuming that was still on the cards after a millenium or two.

I'd definitely go for it as long as there was an opt-out method. I've already got enough projects underway to keep me busy for about a century or so, would take a really long time before I got bored. It would be interesting to see if I'd be able to adapt comfortably to social changes, though. Even now I'm noticing that I'm a bit crotchety and set in my ways.

Hey! Didn't you see the problems in the last DW episode? How could you? allowances fora non-UK-centric member of h2g2....

Meet up with ex.... Sarah Jane Smith. (aka Elizabeth Sladden) and K-9 creating problems with Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)

It was resolved by Elizabeth Sladden but explained why you can't live forever,

So no thanks, and you can keep the fish (if you have any left!!!)

'Forever' is a very long time...

However

There are those who believe in, and apparently are working towards, greatly extended/enhanced human lifespan, among other things:

http://extropy.com/

In the unlikely event our "glorious" leaders suddenly become enlightened, so we don't obliterate ourselves and the planet; and if certain technologies are developed, perhaps greatly extended individual lifespans would become possible, and meaningful -- travel to the stars etc..

In which case ---

Beam me up, Scotty!

I don't know about living forever, but the nine lives of a cat might be nice.

--I'm trying to get the ball rolling with regards to Douglas Adams .../dna/h2g2/brunel/U42 personal space not being so focal on his death. His work in life should be celebrated and revealed when a new researcher finds DNA! I need assistance.
(it has been almost 5 years in a week)


neongreen

I want to live forever. I want to learn how to fly, high!

Nope, not an option I'd like to take thanks. Like Woodpigeon said; the idea of outliving my children is something I'd never like to experience.

Re: Arthur C Clarke's Light From Other Days: What a scary book. Well worth the read for anyone that hasn't yet.

Me please, I've got a really bad memory anyway, which would help, but hang on, I really wouldn't want to outlive my own children, .......so it's a thumbs down for eternity then.

I feel I've lived two lifetimes already so no thanks.Having lived through 5 decades I would like I don't have to live through 5 more.

sorry came out wrong. having lived through 5 decades I would like not to have to live through 5 more. I don't want to be really old and tohave seen it all before and have no surprises left in life.

I think the world is a surprising enough place that it would take me at least a million years to see it all, and by then new lifeforms would have evolved for me to marvel at.

Yep I'd go for it... All the more time to be propping up the bar and heck each day would be like starting again