Do you want to live forever? Have you wondered if science may one day enable you to live forever?

Well, first we must ask what is “life” anyway. Are bacteria “alive”? Bacteria, in many cases, do not die – they simply divide into two, and now we have two new bacteria. There are also creatures more complex than bacteria that have similar properties. Does it mean that they have eternal life?

Second, the universe itself is not eternal. Within a few billion years (at most) our Earth will be destroyed by the expanding Sun. In many trillions of years, the entire universe will “freeze” as far as we know. There can be no eternal life in a universe which itself is not eternal!

Therefore, if we try to rephrase the question in a more precise way, it is actually asking whether science (or nature) can give an intelligent and thinking creature – a very, very long life, during which its thinking will carry the same consciousness and self-awareness.

So, the answer is that science is indeed constantly extending the lifespan of the human species (and other animals as well), and apparently it is expected to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. We do not know to what extent this will succeed, and to what extent it can even be done, but the trend exists.

Two thoughts on this topic:

1. Futuristic thoughts discuss life extension not in a way of preserving the body itself, but in methods (which currently seem imaginary) to upload our thoughts and feelings onto a kind of future “computer”, in such a way that we will continue to live without a body.

2. Eternal life (or a very, very long life) is not necessarily a good thing! Think about the fact that a person loses his goals. There is no point in working for any goal since there will supposedly be enough time to deal with it later. Think about the fact that there are so many experiences that each one is worth less and less. Think about all the loved ones whom for some reason (accident, illness, …) you continue to lose throughout your life, etc.

So, who wants to live forever?