Philosophy: Immortality [!OT]

[Xellos]

Why would you lose your memories if your mind weren't degenerating? Isn't the only reason we forget things because our bodies are dying?

[mrwiseman]

Not only that, but the brain's memory is finite. Even if it used the most efficient means to store it, its memory is finite since it has finite matter. Sooner or later I'd run out of memory and start forgetting more and more stuff. We delete the less important bits automatically, but there will be a time everything I have is important and something needs to be deleted for the brain to operate correctly.

[blahguy729]

like learning how to make your own wine and forgetting how to drive [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[One Classy Bloke]

Do Psychology! Most theories claim that the LTM is infinite in capacity. However, memory loss occurs due to a degrading in links between the brain cells. I.E. "Use it or lose it."

[mrwiseman]

IRT OCB: Most theories claim that the LTM is infinite in capacity.

That may be so in practice and for our 80-100 year lives, but it's certainly finite. The reason is simple: we have a finite amount matter in our brains. No matter how efficiently you can store information, say 1 bit of information? per molecule (which is far from the case), it's still finite.

____
?: One "bit" of information is defined as the smallest, indivisible unit of information, having 2 states, and halving uncertainty.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ August 29, 2005 09:00 AM: Message edited by: -Wiseman- ]</font>

[Cataferal]

I like computer analogies when considering the human brain as well. It makes me wonder if it'll ever be possible to replace a brain, or increase its capacity at some stage in the future. Maybe we'll even be able to have two or more operating at once for optimal performance. Wirelessly, of course.

As freaky as this sounds, i think it can be possible if humans bridge the gap between biology and digital technology. If we could transfer our memories (like in FF:TSW) to a device, and have it in a readable or replicable format, i think we could achieve this easily enough.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ August 28, 2005 11:11 PM: Message edited by: Cataferal ]</font>

[justwildbeat]

Ummm I'd finally get a start on trying to lose some weight, because I'd finally have the time to do so XD hahahahha

[blahguy729]

it's an interesting idea but i think storing my memories anywhere is scary to me. that's why i hate when in class they say keep a record of things in your daily life, i can't stand it cuz i'm wierd and very select about who hears what about my life. lol, i'm gonna be a psycho hermit in the wilderness.

[melfice]

In that meaning, inmortality for me is a tremendous waste of time. Human being has evolved exactly because of mortality. A being which is inmortal among others who are not, is doomed to be solitaire.

Also, inmortality is the lack of need to evolve anymore, because there is nothing that can kill you (unless you're killed by another being) so, inmortality itself is one of the ends of evolution. a being which is inmortal, has no need to evolve, as it is the perfect suvivor, or perhaps, it must evolve to prevent itself to be killed.

but there are many other ways to kill a being wich is phisically inmortal. perhaps that could be a way to "keep living"

In that meaning, there is a creature which can be considered to be inmortal. DNA replication has been demonstrated to be "imperfect" (and subject to involuntary mutations) So, the DNA loses its properties just because of natural degradation.

It is also proved that there are creatures whose DNA is replicated perfectly, just because it is ring shaped (it is, is a closed dna chain) although it is still subject to involuntary mutations, these creatures are proved to be very "stable" genetically, and biologically speaking, so, their life span is very long. The needs of evolution weren't specially important for them, as they had a DNA structure which gave them a nice stability. Those creatures are the bacteries, in other words, the perfect inmortal creatures, uses to be bacteries, and the reason for it is that they don't have the psichological needs of a human, perhaps, their instincts are reduced to their survival, even bacteries are not considered full living creatures, so, an inmortal being could be not exactly a "living" being.

[mrwiseman]

Those are viruses; bacteries actively reproduce in some way or another and die.