If everyone had perfect, invulnerable health, what would life be like?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I welcome your views and opinions and feedback on my thought-experiment here.

Let's say every human being, without exception, from birth onwards, had absolute perfect physical health, and was physically invulnerable, and had perfect mental health. Every person would be born, and then would never get sick, never get physically-damaged, and once they reached, say 30 years old, stayed exactly like that. They never became tired or exhausted, no matter how much work or effort they expended; and they were invulnerable to physical damage, or had such a fast rate of self-repair and cellular regeneration, that even direct nuclear explosions and artillery strikes would do zero damage to the body. And the same goes for the mental health: No bipolar disorder, schizophrenic disorders, no post traumatic stress, nothing.

And add this: We still had our same basic nature, that did not change in this scenario. In other words, we still have the same moral and other issues to deal with, but, when it comes to physical and mental health, people would be invulnerable. And, to make it more interesting, say with that mental health, everyone had a high-rate of intelligence in the form where every one was as "smart" as an Einstein and everyone could do calculus in their head without missing a beat. That sort of thing. But, the basic nature of man stayed the same. What sort of world would this cause?

[The Mastiff]

There would quickly be more of us than cockroaches and war would be a constant, uninterrupted game that consumed and destroyed everything but us humans. Imagine how good we would get at warfare if everyone survived their mistakes and just got better. Someone would find a way to destroy or mutate or banish others with all that lifetimes of time to figure it out. Imagine wars that didn't end. You don't think everyone would climb above their natures just because of immortality do you?

Joe

[Reject]

I don’t think mother nature would like that.
She would most likely just move us down the food chain a few notches.

[JD Spydo]

Well in the past 3 years I've had two complete knee replacements and just recently I had a total, reverse shoulder replacement which is still plaguing me with the reality of pain and suffering. I simply just had "Too Much Fun" in my younger days :rolleyes:

Well I can tell you all this much>> I would have a lot more Spyders than what I currently have if I wasn't being bombarded with medical expenses in the past 4 to 5 years :rolleyes: But I'm very happy that the Good Lord is letting me live this long and hopefully the worst is over for the present time.

Let there be no misunderstanding>> Health is Wealth

[ThePeacent]

A social uprising would be immediate I imagine.
All the poor, hungry, ill, sick and unhealthy people would want to have and enjoy what the rich and healthy have had for centuries.

wars, destruction, and I imagine social problems would quickly arise. We couldn't kill each other, but we'd soon kill the earth, exhaust its resources and leave a wasteland behind us.

Maybe then all these "Einsteins" could work day and night, 24/365 without getting tired to find out a way to restore the Earth and biosphere, or even go elsewhere to build and find a new home for the growth of this new species of almost God-like creatures

[Evil D]

Realistically, death is the only reason this planet is still around. If humans figured out a way to even double their lifespan it would likely lead to global collapse.

[MichaelScott]

We wouldn’t have the same moral and ethical issues to deal with. We would essentially be soulless instances of of general artificial intelligence and would never need new Spydercos with better steel.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Wow thank you all for the very in-depth and sobering responses. Very great points. Mastiff, I agree with you, I do not think such immortality or super-durability would make people better people. Some people as has been said would continue to try to be helpful and kind and just live their lives but a lot of others would abuse it.

Some of the more optimistic techno-futurist types think this will make the human race into a race of thoughtful artists and scientists who want to improve life for one another and each other, and, expand out into space; the "Star Trek Vision".

[Evil D]

Wow thank you all for the very in-depth and sobering responses. Very great points. Mastiff, I agree with you, I do not think such immortality or super-durability would make people better people. Some people as has been said would continue to try to be helpful and kind and just live their lives but a lot of others would abuse it.

Some of the more optimistic techno-futurist types think this will make the human race into a race of thoughtful artists and scientists who want to improve life for one another and each other, and, expand out into space; the "Star Trek Vision".

This isn't necessarily false, when you imagine what the brightest minds in history could have accomplished with 500 years time to research, it's unimaginable the things they could have discovered. The problem comes in the form of over population. If nobody dies, and people are being born at the same rate they are now, how long could the planet sustain the increase and demand put on it? Maybe if Leonardo Da Vinci had been alive all this time he could have come up with a solution to get around that problem. Heck, it could potentially drive human development so much faster that deep space travel would be a more realistic option, so colonizing other planets/moons may even be possible.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

David that is a good point, definitely. Regardless of whether people agree with the present idea of overpopulation (I say this because I have read and had explained to me both sides of the issue; some have told me "Overpopulation is a myth because there are areas of the Earth where you can live without seeing another person for years, if ever. Look at all the wide-open unused territories and resources. Only cities are overpopulated." And the other side, who say the Earth is overpopulated and there are only so many material and energy resources as well as living space to go around.), it is true: IF this scenario were to happen, and new people kept being born, and nobody was dying to free up space for the new people, it would be inevitable: Ultimately there would be no breathing room on the Earth, and people would have to find ways to expand elsewhere. Good point.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I know of one man, at least, who studies computer science and nanotechnology, and he told me he is optimistic about this (since the issue of population and living space was mentioned), what do you think of it?: His idea is to cover the earth in large vertical "super high-rise buildings", where each one is its own mini city, complete with levels and decks for producing crops in enclosed greenhouses, recreation and lounge and exercise areas, personal homes for families and single people, energy generators, etc etc etc, and they can be connected to other such super vertical cities by enclosed high-speed rails.

A friend of mine disagrees with all that and is convinced that the ideal situation if people can have it, is a traditional house per family with a decent amount of backyard space for their private family activities like picnics and barbeques, and that large centralized urban cities have negative effects on human social-interactions and mental-states.

[bearfacedkiller]

All I know is that my intake of whiskey and cigars would be much higher. I would also sustain myself on ice cream and foods smothered in gravy.

[Evil D]

David that is a good point, definitely. Regardless of whether people agree with the present idea of overpopulation (I say this because I have read and had explained to me both sides of the issue; some have told me "Overpopulation is a myth because there are areas of the Earth where you can live without seeing another person for years, if ever. Look at all the wide-open unused territories and resources. Only cities are overpopulated." And the other side, who say the Earth is overpopulated and there are only so many material and energy resources as well as living space to go around.), it is true: IF this scenario were to happen, and new people kept being born, and nobody was dying to free up space for the new people, it would be inevitable: Ultimately there would be no breathing room on the Earth, and people would have to find ways to expand elsewhere. Good point.

Over population isn't just about the simple number of people there are, it's about providing for those people. If you go out to mid America in the planes there is room out there to build a couple hundred more "New Yorks" but then where would your farm land go? How do you feed all those people? What about electricity and running water? From a land size perspective, yeah we have room right here in America to double the entire population of the country and not be standing shoulder to shoulder, but there wouldn't be enough resources to feed and provide for all those people. That's all aside from the idea that more people means more pollution. Can you imagine what the air quality would be like if the entire continental land mass of America were covered with "New York"?

[The Mastiff]

I agree with you, I do not think such immortality or super-durability would make people better people. Some people as has been said would continue to try to be helpful and kind and just live their lives but a lot of others would abuse it.

We have all seen people who are good and will always be. Some who will always be bad. I know two brothers like that in fact. Both with the same upbringing, same loving family in suburbia. One special forces, good as can be. One a guy with half a life of prison for crimes he did commit. Two sides of a coin. Parents never did give up on him no matter how many times he broke their hearts.

I have known many who just want to be bad. Want to go to **** if there is one. We have tens of millions in this country who love the Clintons not in spite of their corruption and predatory behavior but because of it. That is their power base and no matter what scandal it doesn't matter and never will. Their only sin can be losing. :) That takes the shine off though.

If there ever is a point where everything is city then I will no longer love life I suspect. I hate cities. Don't get me wrong. I like my convenience but if I had to live in one high rise surrounded by more high rises breathing fumes and never see open country and forest I would be like a fish out of water. I hope I don't live that long.

Joe

[defenestrate]

We all know how this would turn out.