We may not need to wait for the singularity, and submit to the hive mind, to achieve immortality.
Scientists in England have managed to grow a bodily organ from scratch. Of course, it was in a mouse, but that’s a minor detail. If they can do it in a mouse, they can do it in a pig, a chimp, a human.
Also, it was something called the Thymus, which is an organ I’ve never even heard of so, even though it may have a very important function, is not exactly the same as growing a heart, or a liver, or a brain. Except it probably is. I mean, the technology is probably not much different.
The brain will probably be a lot harder. That involves a lot of complex functions that we don’t fully comprehend yet and, as a thinking machine, it is the sum total of a lifetime of programming. I guess that’s mind, rather than brain, but then we’re into a philosophical discussion.
As amazing as they are (and they are, working in some cases up to a century non-stop without a breakdown), the heart is basically a pump, and the lungs are basically an air filter.
It will not be long until you can check into the hospital at age whatever, when you have your first heart attack, and get a replacement heart – and, while you’re in, they can go ahead and give you new lungs, a new kidney, a new liver, the works. You’ll walk out of there like a 20 year old.
Of course, it probably won’t be covered by public health insurance, anywhere, right off the bat, being a new thing, and so only rich people will be able to get it, which is horribly unfair.
I have a suggestion, though. If you want to buy yourself a whole, younger body so you can live forever, it should cost you every penny you have. If a guy with 20 billion dollars wants a brand new start, it should cost him 20 billion dollars.
People would pay, because life is life, and it would become affordable for all, because if all you have is what’s left from your most recent social security check, then that’s what it should cost, too.
www.gurukalehuru.com 