From: Alex Michael Bonnici (albonnici_at_vol.net.mt)
Date: Wed Aug 17 2005 - 21:11:51 UTC
Hello Once Again Gang,
In several Science Fiction novels that have
explored "The Immortality Option", the ones that come to mind include
"Against the Fall of Night" and "The City and the Stars" by Arthur C.
Clarke, and finally "The Giants Trilogy" by James P. Hogan, didn't
immortality lead to a stagnation in the societies (whether human or
alien) that chose it?
The stagnation as depicted in these novels was usually cultural,
scientific, and technological. From the stand point of evolution (both
biological and cultural) isn't death a good thing? It leaves the way
open for new experiments in humanity. Meaning new people replace the
old, thus bringing forth new thoughts, ideas, and concepts into the
world. Could we view death as an important factor in our continual
evolution as a species and a society? Could we view "The Immortality
Option" a form of "Temporal Imperialism" robbing future generations of
their place in the world?
In the novel "Tech-Heaven" Linda Nagata presents a future Earth where
nano technology and cryonics is perfected. These breakthroughs cause
huge sociological disruption. The future society depicted in the novel
comes up with an interesting solution, they decide that all cryonauts
who are revived and immortals should emigrate to space.
I only present these questions to open this topic for what may prove an
interesting discussion.
Alex
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