is aging genetically controlled.

We still don't know all the details of why our genetic material
begins to degrade after a certain amount of time, but it makes sense
from an evolutionary standpoint. In order for a species to remain
successful, it must be able to adapt to a changing environment. The
only way for a non-technological species to do that is to have its
older members die out and be constantly replaced by a slightly
different mix of genes. If older members remain with youthful
fitness, the younger (less wise) ones would not be able to compete
for food, mates, shelter, etc. The gene pool would stagnate, and
environmental change could wipe the species out. Having a gene pool
that slowly drifts one way or the other as the environment changes
helps a gene line survive. Note that it doesn't guarantee the
survival of a specific species, because that species will eventually
evolve into one or more different species, but that line will survive.

Of course, we are a technological species. That makes us unique on
Earth because we are able to adapt to brand new situations almost
instantly. We no longer require generations of death and struggle to
find a new gene pool that can adapt to new problems. That makes death
less useful to us. In fact, in a way, some people may feel that
immortality may have an advantage. (get ready for the
controversy....) Medical science allows people to live now that would
have quickly died just decades ago. Genetic diseases and deformities
that would have proved an evolutionary dead end in the past, are now
"no big deal." People who are too weak and unintelligent to survive
in the wild, can easily thrive in a modern society and pass their
genes on. In fact, as long as the state is paying their hospital
bills, genetically weak people can produce many offspring and
eventually come to dominate the gene pool. Some people may decide
that it would be preferable to end reproduction and use immortality
to ensure that the gene pool stays stronger. It could be that some
space settlements will try this, thinking that the Earth is bound to
be overrun by fast breeding "imbeciles."

Anytime you start talking about eugenics, peoples' hair starts to
stand up on the back of their necks, and for good reason. Yet it is
inescapable that modern technology takes away much of the necessity
for a high-quality gene pool. Our technology will be able to
compensate for our shortcomings as we get weaker, but it will be
perilous to become dependent on our technology, which we will
inevitably do. We become more vulnerable to disaster should our
technology ever let us down, or should our energy supply run out, or
should some war or political upheaval sufficiently disrupt our society.

Of course, there are those who believe that we are already immortal,
and to them, this thread is probably kind of silly.

doug

On Aug 11, 2006, at 12:09 PM, Brad Walsh wrote: