Those sound alot like hippies to me! O_o

Silver_Back

corpore-metal

I think you have several unexamined assumptions.

First, you think the government will allow all these rejuvenated elders to sit around on the public dole? That's not how our government or our medical industry works these days. The moment they think you're healthy enough they do everything they can to save costs and kick you out of the system.

The moment they discover a means to rejuvenate seniors, there'll be loud calls in Congress to get these "rejuvies" back into the work force and paying taxes.

Don't think that's likely? Why do you think companies and governments keep raising the mandatory retirement age and the age at which old age stipends and retirement plans are paid out? To avoid paying out.

Second, almost by definition rejuvenation means to remove or reduce the frailties of old age. This means less hearing aids, less dentures, less physical therapy, less adult diapers, not more. The treatments might be initially very expensive and have debilitating effects of their own but, almost by definition, they will be significantly less expensive than the frailty of aging itself.

Third, in almost every post-industrial country with urbanized, well-educated, long lived and healthy citizens the population growth rate plummets. The reasons for this are very complicated but they can be inaccurately summarized: Why knock out a bunch of kids--kids are a drag when you'd rather have more fun being a kid for a long period of your life?

corpore-metal

I think you have some unexamined assumptions here.

First you assume that as the elderly rejuvenate they'll be allowed to stay on social security. That's not how our government or our medical industry works these days. Here's what I think is much more likely. If they discover some means to rejuvenate the elderly, there'll be loud calls in Congress to get these rejuvies back into the work force if only to pay taxes and get them off the dole. You don't think that's likely?

Why do you think they keep raising the mandatory retirement age? To keep from paying out on social security benefits.

Secondly, the story talks about rejuvenation treatments. Rejuvenation, almost by definition, means a reduction in the frailty of aging. That means less pacemakers, less hearing aids, less dentures, less adult diapers and so on, not more.

Thirdly, in heavily urbanized, post-industrial countries with healthy, well-educated, long-lived citizens the population growth rate almost always plummets.

Why this is extremely complicated but to inaccurately sum up, why knock out a bunch of kids when you can have more fun being a kid yourself for a much longer period?

corpore-metal

If it were as simple as that, then I suppose we would have something to worry about.

But the world doesn't end that easily. Grim Meathook prophets leave out a lot which should be considered.

Aside from the obvious fact that only the wealthy will be able to afford the technology initially, and the somewhat less likely chance of widespread extraterrestrial colonization, there is one matter which will prevent this particular doomsday theory.

Procreation will come to a halt.

If you've just been given your own personal reboot, are you going to waste that on another litter?

The real problem we will face will be extinction. Human beings will go on, but humanity will end. Evolution will slow to a crawl.

Or I could be wrong.

thecurse

why is hairy cell leukemia in quotes in the post? it's a real disease.

regis

What I'm getting at is: Once people stop dying of everything short of being murdered, how do we cope with the population? The people will have to go somewhere, right?

Dunny0, ELE Hopeful

Mister Adequate

JosephFinn

Priam

-Kle.

Klebert L. Hall

Atomische

darundal

Smeagol92055