Hal Finney wrote:
>... Toys die, it seems, when they are
>discarded and no longer played with by their owners. Woody, the cowboy
>doll, is given a chance at immortality, to be exhibited in a museum and
>admired by children forever. But in the end he decides to go back to be
>with his owner, Andy, for the few brief years he has before Andy grows up.
I saw the movie Saturday, and it was good in being pretty funny, though rather weak on plot. I agree that this may not be a "fair" description of immortality, but I do think it is what most people have in mind when they reject it, and most people do seem to reject it. If you want to persuade them otherwise, your challenge is to come up with a story that is just as emotionally compelling, and yet has characters choosing immorality. I have unfortunately not yet seen such a story (even though I favor immortality).
Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323