Re : Polemics for longevity

From: Joao Pedro de Magalhaes (joao.magalhaes@fundp.ac.be)
Date: Tue Jan 18 2000 - 07:49:31 MST


Hi!

>The first objection that people raise when contemplating living
>indefinately is the overpopulation problem. I have to tell them, that
>I’ve traveled by ground across the United States and parts of Canada on
>many occasions. I’ve also flown over large portions of Europe, Russia
>and the Pacific Ocean. I’ve got news for them -- the world is empty,
>completely and desolately empty. While we may have problems in selected
>cities or suburbs where population densities are high, the world as a
>whole has many centuries to go before it reaches this stage. By then,
>most people will probably prefer to live in space anyway if only because
>“land” is cheaper and there is much more power available. We can look
>forward to an era when individuals residing on planets would be
>considered to be living in the slums.

Do you think an end of aging tomorrow would be good for the human species as
a whole? I know extropians don't have any ecological concerns but I thought
you were different. Do you really think space is the only boundary to
population increase?

Goodbye.

---
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
  
The University of Namur (FUNDP)
Unit of Cellular Biochemistry & Biology
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
B-5000 Namur BELGIUM

Fax: + 32 81 724135
Phone: + 32 81 724133
Reason's Triumph: http://users.compaqnet.be/jpnitya/



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