(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

Currently I am reading Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Among other things, this book has me contemplating the ethics of longevity treatment. At this point, the prospect of a gene-based therapy to stave off the effects of aging appears to be more of a matter of when as opposed to if. The implications of this are far-ranging and deserve attention.

[Poll #254699]

Comments

[the_borderer]

The increase in population from people reproducing and not dying would be my major concern too, but I doubt that limiting such a treatment to a few people who are then sterilised would make a difference. Some people (doctors in this case) would do anything if you throw enough money at them, and with the extra time to pay off loans many less well off people may be able to cheat the system.

[alobar.livejournal.com]

I know. I kust threw out my silly comment to start conversation. I see no way for humanity to doule its lifespan without precipitating doom even faster than we are already generating it. Those who expend the most resources are likely to be the ones who can cheat any regulation system & their cheating is likely to have a much greater negative impact on resources than if dirt poor people involved in subsistance agriculture were to cheat the system.