Live Forever or Go back in Time?

eric/ said:

I don't really understand why anybody would not want to live forever

What is there if not life?

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Most religions believe that there is life after death. You either believe in it or you don't.

63dot said:

That could be a great plot for a movie. Also what if Japan, Germany, and Italy won World War II? .....

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I remember reading a book - maybe called SS GB? - A long time ago. It was based on the premise that Germany had won WW II and had occupied the UK. It was basically a British Detective story, but with the overlay of Germans running the country. And basically - life in London went out pretty much as it always has. That's my vague memory of it, at least.

Squilly said:

Answer these two questions:
If you could live forever, would you? You would grow old but you wouldn't become brittle.
If you could go back in time to change your destiny and affecting everyone around you, would you?

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No. No.

snberk103 said:

I remember reading a book - maybe called SS GB? - A long time ago. It was based on the premise that Germany had won WW II and had occupied the UK. It was basically a British Detective story, but with the overlay of Germans running the country. And basically - life in London went out pretty much as it always has. That's my vague memory of it, at least.

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I don't think the Germans could change London when even the British couldn't. I loved living in London with all the good and bad. That city was such a big machine it just went on by itself regardless of what others thought. With so many people there sometimes it got annoying trying to simply get around. After the human race, cockroaches will be around, but after the cockroaches, Londoners will still be around pushing and shoving in the Underground.

Living forever is tempting but a visit to my local mall and turning on the evening news changed all that. Nooooooooooo.

As for going back in time, no also. I'd probably just make the same mistakes again, or make them worse.

Step 1. Go back in time.
Step 2. Buy Apple stock.

Marvin: [on the phone] Hey Rick, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Astley. Remember that mediocre, generic sound you were looking for? Well, listen to this!

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Plutonius said:

Most religions believe that there is life after death. You either believe in it or you don't.

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Usually the afterlife is assumed to be superior to this one--free of pain and suffering, etc. I could go for that.

An eternity in this world? No thanks.

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FlatlinerG said:

Step 1. Go back in time.
Step 2. Buy Apple stock.

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Ha. This.

mrkramer said:

I think it would depend a lot on if you were the only one living forever, or if everyone does. If you're the only one then you would have to watch everyone that you ever cared about die, which would be quite depressing so I can see why people wouldn't want to. If on the other hand everyone that you care about was also living forever then I think it would be pretty awesome.

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I don't like that argument. It implies you can't love or care again after somebody dies.

Squilly said:

You'll meet new people along the way, but losing loved ones along the way would still well... suck.

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You do that in life already

Squilly said:

I mean children and future generations.

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What if you don't have children?

Squilly said:

You'll meet new people along the way, but losing loved ones along the way would still well... suck.

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But to a much lesser degree than the joy of having them in your life in the first place. Therefore despite the suckiness of outliving the mortals, it'll still be great to be immortal.

Squilly said:

Then current and future close friends would die...

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That happens anyway

Live forever. I'd love to see all the advances humans make in the next thousand years and beyond.


Regarding time travel, I'd actually be more concerned with all the diseases that were prevelant before modern sanitation. It'd be worse than traveling to a third world country today, since there wouldn't be any bottled water.