ElizabethArias

4thHour
ShouldScientistsPursuethePossibilityofHumanImmortality?

Immortalityhasbeenseenthroughoutthecourseofhistory,orsincethebeginningof
time.Therearemythologicalstoriesandnewgenerationmoviesofpeoplewholiveforever,
whethertheyaregreatgodsandgoddessesorsuperheroes.Yet,theideaofhumanbeings
actuallybeingbeableextendthelongevityoftheirlivesisnowpossible.Thefoundingofthis
immortaljellyfish,or
Turritopsisdohrnii,hasgivenscientistsawaytoelongatehumanlife.
Thoughthisisahugeadvancementinthescienceindustry,pursuinghumanimmortality
wouldnotbebeneficial.
Firstofall,itisnotpractical,inaphysicalsense.Doctorsandscientistssaytheyhave
linkedawaytousetheTurritopsisdohrniitoexpandtheaveragehumanlifespan.But,
considerhowcomplexourbodiesarecomparedtoajellyfish.Unliketheseacreatures,we
havebrains,andbones,alsomanydifferentmusclesandtendons.Thehumanbodyismade
ofbillionsofcellsandorgans,thatmakeusabletothinkandwalkandtalk.Scientistshave
alsodiscoveredthatthisimmortaljellyfish,doesnttechnicallyliveforever.Itgoesthrougha
cellularrejuvenationprocess,orwhereitscellsbecomeyoungeruntilthepointofalmost
death,beforeallowingtheorganismtogrowtofullformagain.Forscientists,tobeableto
regenerateourbodies,asthejellyfishdo,wouldnearlyimpossible.
Secondofall,thetollthatimmortalitywouldhaveontheentiretyofthepopulation,is
huge.OurEarthisalreadyisalreadyoverpopulated.Withtheamountofbabieswereborn
eachday,makeupforthelivesthatarelife.Itkeepsasimplebalance.Ifnoonedies,and
therateofreproductionstaysthesameorevenincreases,whatdoesthatmeanforour

planet?Nottomention,theeffectonourspiritualtraditionswillbeimmense,andtherewillno
doubtbequitealargebacklashfrommanyreligiousmovementsthatwillseeanylongterm
extensionofthehumanlifespanasunnaturalandoffensive.Thechancetobecapableto
extendlifeisnotworththeserisks.
Lastly,allofthesocialimplicationsthatcomewithimmortality,outweighthebenefits.It
wouldhaveanimpactonaspectsofrelationships,justice,andtheworkindustry.Theaverage
humanlifeexpectancyis71years,orabout68.5formalesand73.5forfemales.Say
scientistsmakeitpossibleforsomeonetolivetobe500yearsold.Duringthistime,they
couldbemarriedanumberoftimes,whichresultsinthelossofrespectanduncommonness
ofmarriage.Considerthedrasticchangesthatwouldhappentoourprisonandlegalsystems.
Apersonmightalsocommitseveralcrimes,andasentenceof3or4yearswouldntbea
punishmentiftheycanlivemuchlonger.Ifimmortalityweretobecomepossibleforhumans,
thentheaspectoftimewouldbeforgotten.Also,theworkindustrywouldbegreatlyaffected.
Jobemployers,incurrenttime,usuallyhiremoreexperiencedemployeestoworkfortheir
companies.Theywantpeoplewhohavefreshknowledgeandanunderstandingofthe
industry,whocanbenefittheirbusiness.Howdoyoucompeteatajobinterviewwith
somebodywhohas150yearsmoreexperiencethanyou?Withimmortality,noonewouldbe
abletoreplacethejobsofothers.Itwouldbedifficultformen,women,andteenstobeableto
supporttheirfamilieswithnoincome.Alltheseproblemswouldarisewiththerealityof
immortality.
Ontheotherhand,itiscleartoseewhytheextensionofhumanlifeisagoodidea.It
isahugeadvancementinscienceandcancompletelychangethewayoflife.Since,
immortalityisadramaticevolution,itcanopenupnewpossibilitiesinexploringnewfieldsof
science.Itcanexpandourknowledgeandadvanceusevenfurtherintothefuture.Also,itcan

relievemanypeoplewhoarescaredtodie.Thereisonlyacertainamountoftimewehumans
gettoexperience,andwedontalwayshaveenoughtimetolearnnewlanguagesortravel.If
humanlifecanbeextended,itwillbeeasierforpeopletocopewiththeirfearsanditwould
pavetheroadfornewscientificimprovementsanddiscoveries.
Inconclusion,thereshouldbenodebateonwhetherscientistsshouldpursue
immortality,itisunethical.Itwouldbephysicallyimpossibletoreplicatethesameprocessthat
the
Turritopsisdohrniiundergo,becausethehumanbodyistoocomplex.Overpopulationand
thenegativeimpactthatitwouldhaveonourspiritualtraditions,istoomuchofariskfor
scientiststoexplore.Also,allthesocialimplicationsitwouldcauseincrime,marriage,the
workindustry,etcetera,wouldcreateanunequalbalanceinoursociety.Forscientiststonot
haveproofthatthiswillwork,andyetstilltrytomakeimmortalityareality,isanunwiseand
selfishdecision.

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What'sWrongwithImmortality?CultureSocialSciencesSkepticNorth.(2010,March1).
RetrievedApril2,2015,from
http://www.skepticnorth.com/2010/03/whatswrongwithimmortality/