BogoGog24
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Post by BogoGog24 on Nov 12, 2018 22:33:58 GMT
Going back a bit regarding immortality because I was asked my thoughts on it:
Well, my religious beliefs really have nothing to do with what I think about immortality. However, this was a huge theme of the Harry Potter books/movies. If you have read or seen them, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Basically in the books, J.K. Rowling writes extensively on the topic of death and immortality. If you're unfamiliar with the basic plot, the main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, is afraid of death and wants to be the most powerful wizard of all time. His goal is to make himself immortal, which he goes about in a few different ways. The main way, though, is he makes what are called Horcruxes, which are objects that store part of a person's soul. In order to make a horcrux, you have to commit the most heinous act against another human being, to literally be able to tear your soul apart, which is, of course, murder. So Voldemort murders several people and makes 7 horcruxes. If he is killed, part of his soul will always live on because of the horcruxes, unless the horcruxes themselves are destroyed (which they are eventually).
Now, sorry if these are spoilers, but assuming most people here are familiar with the story, I'll go on to say that in the 7th book, Harry either passes out or dies, it's not really clear, and he either goes to heaven or his subconscious (again, it's not clear) and meets Professor Dumbledore. In the corner is a baby crying and Harry tries to help, but Dumbledore says it can't be helped. This is meant to show what Voldemort's future will be like because he has never learned to love anyone and he is completely and totally pure evil that has committed the worst acts against other humans. After he dies, he is doomed to a permanent existence of pain and no one can help him.
So going back to the immortality thing, I think J.K. Rowling writes an excellent metaphor on the topic and basically shows that, even if it were possible, it is not human. It does not necessarily mean happiness. It could drive some people to do horrible things. I don't believe that we'll ever become scientifically advanced enough to become immortal. I believe that medicine will keep making advances as it has for many years and that people will be able to live longer, but not forever. It's just impossible. And to be honest, I am not sure why anyone would really want to live forever anyway. Imagine that you still get old and weak and sick, but just never die. What kind of existence would that be? That's sort of what happened to Voldemort - he lived merely as a shell of his former self.
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slapstick
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Post by slapstick on Nov 12, 2018 23:15:41 GMT
Going back a bit regarding immortality because I was asked my thoughts on it: Well, my religious beliefs really have nothing to do with what I think about immortality. However, this was a huge theme of the Harry Potter books/movies. If you have read or seen them, you'll know what I'm talking about. Basically in the books, J.K. Rowling writes extensively on the topic of death and immortality. If you're unfamiliar with the basic plot, the main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, is afraid of death and wants to be the most powerful wizard of all time. His goal is to make himself immortal, which he goes about in a few different ways. The main way, though, is he makes what are called Horcruxes, which are objects that store part of a person's soul. In order to make a horcrux, you have to commit the most heinous act against another human being, to literally be able to tear your soul apart, which is, of course, murder. So Voldemort murders several people and makes 7 horcruxes. If he is killed, part of his soul will always live on because of the horcruxes, unless the horcruxes themselves are destroyed (which they are eventually). Now, sorry if these are spoilers, but assuming most people here are familiar with the story, I'll go on to say that in the 7th book, Harry either passes out or dies, it's not really clear, and he either goes to heaven or his subconscious (again, it's not clear) and meets Professor Dumbledore. In the corner is a baby crying and Harry tries to help, but Dumbledore says it can't be helped. This is meant to show what Voldemort's future will be like because he has never learned to love anyone and he is completely and totally pure evil that has committed the worst acts against other humans. After he dies, he is doomed to a permanent existence of pain and no one can help him. So going back to the immortality thing, I think J.K. Rowling writes an excellent metaphor on the topic and basically shows that, even if it were possible, it is not human. It does not necessarily mean happiness. It could drive some people to do horrible things. I don't believe that we'll ever become scientifically advanced enough to become immortal. I believe that medicine will keep making advances as it has for many years and that people will be able to live longer, but not forever. It's just impossible. And to be honest, I am not sure why anyone would really want to live forever anyway. Imagine that you still get old and weak and sick, but just never die. What kind of existence would that be? That's sort of what happened to Voldemort - he lived merely as a shell of his former self. I appreciate the write-up, but I will try to hold you on this topic a bit longer - If artificial organs are on the horizon, and if reasons for aging are becoming much clearer, why wouldn't the human kind be able to find a way to live "forever" - or atleast until a heat death of the universe or something as cataclysmic? Illnesses were some weird magic shit to people just a couple hundred years ago, and now we know much much much more about them than anybody could imagine just 100 years ago. Furthermore, my vision of living "forever" presumes that you wont live all those years as a boney living corpse, but somewhat young. I think that if people were naturally dying of old age at year 30, people would be saying "I can't imagine what you'd do if you'd live to 90", because the normal would be different. If we'd die at 200, people would probably be saying "I can't imagine what it would be to be living 400 years", and so on. I also do not see the connection between wanting not to die and evil, as is implied in Harry Potter books (never read them myself, nor seen them movies, I admit).
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BogoGog24
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Post by BogoGog24 on Nov 12, 2018 23:25:35 GMT
Well, if you need artificial organs to live, that brings me back to what I said before - what kind of existence is that? As I said, it is impossible to live "forever." Even plants that live for hundreds of years die eventually. Everything dies eventually.
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slapstick
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Post by slapstick on Nov 13, 2018 10:14:46 GMT
Well, if you need artificial organs to live, that brings me back to what I said before - what kind of existence is that? As I said, it is impossible to live "forever." Even plants that live for hundreds of years die eventually. Everything dies eventually. Well, they are only technically artificial, or at least the concepts are. The plan is to eventually create full replacement organs out of stem cells, which have the ability to transform into any cell variation possible. They've already figured out how to create mini heart muscles, but they have a poor beat, and don't have the proper structure. Technically, some animals do live forever, although they are generally pretty primitive forms - mostly variants of jellyfish. There are also lobsters, which are presumed to be dying solely because of their shells becoming too tough to break out of (apart from other causes like predators, etc.). It is presumed that mortality exists solely for the benefit of evolution - so that "old" editions of each species dies out, and only the newer variants remain - if it weren't so, evolutionary changes would come at a much much much slower rate. Besides, I personally have no interest in "following the nature's path", as some may say. We've determined that illnesses are bad and must be wiped out, we've determined that we will overcome life's hardships through the (increasing) use of technology, and so forth. And to be clear, I am not proposing some machinist dystopia, where the environment is reduced to a wasteland, but that we eliminate as much negative aspects of our living as possible, and a healthy environment is a positive aspect, which should be preserved as much as it is possible. With that said, I am also somewhat opposed to environmental 'purists' - those who think that (for example) preserving African Wildlife is more important than well-being of local human inhabitants - if some village in Zimbabwe starves if they don't sell rhino horns, then they should initially be helped by getting an alternative income, and then 'we' go around preventing rhino hunting. Ok, I rambled away from the main point, but I hope I was clear enough
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katy
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Post by katy on Nov 13, 2018 12:34:11 GMT
Count me out of immortality. Imagine the overpopulation.
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ben545
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Post by ben545 on Nov 13, 2018 13:58:59 GMT
I'm feeling pretty terrible. Hungover and stoned. Keep having heart murmurs that are really scary.
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slapstick
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Post by slapstick on Nov 13, 2018 16:05:25 GMT
Count me out of immortality. Imagine the overpopulation. Well, I imagine getting on the "immortality wagon" would probably come with some restrictions, which I imagine could involve procreation, at least until extra-terrestrial living spaces become a reality
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ben545
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Post by ben545 on Nov 15, 2018 20:25:31 GMT
Well, I'm feeling pretty good I suppose. Good day at work today. Just made a nice meal, back to normality. No more late nights of sybarite hell raising or long days of debauchery for me...back to work.
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ben545
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Post by ben545 on Nov 26, 2018 18:33:27 GMT
Drunk/stoned.
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UnderAlexSkin
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Post by UnderAlexSkin on Nov 26, 2018 18:38:00 GMT
Drunk/stoned. Call Me When You Are Sober
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ben545
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Post by ben545 on Nov 27, 2018 18:36:38 GMT
Drunk/stoned.
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UnderAlexSkin
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Post by UnderAlexSkin on Nov 27, 2018 20:50:07 GMT
Drunk/stoned. Highway To Hell?
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ben545
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Post by ben545 on Nov 28, 2018 18:38:48 GMT
I'm sober again!! Just had to get that out of my system. Needed to go food shopping today and I didn't like the weather so I didn't bother. Washed clothes for work tomorrow. Feeling pretty good.
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UnderAlexSkin
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Post by UnderAlexSkin on Nov 28, 2018 21:15:12 GMT
I'm sober again!! Just had to get that out of my system. Needed to go food shopping today and I didn't like the weather so I didn't bother. Washed clothes for work tomorrow. Feeling pretty good. YAAAAS! Finally!! Nice!!! So call me if you are sober
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ShiningStar_x
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Post by ShiningStar_x on Nov 29, 2018 4:45:03 GMT
I feel like the happiest person in the world right now I can tell you why in a months time but holy freak I absolutely love my mother SO much.
Also the fact that every browser I go to is Black. This website, Google, Facebook, CNN, every website is black and I have no idea how that happened but it's pretty awesome.
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