- TED Book Chat
- New York, NY
- United States
This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
Discussing "The Science of Radical Life Extension" with TED Books author David Ewing Duncan
Continuing with our series of TED Book Chats.... How long do you want to live, and why?
For the next two weeks, we'll be discussing David Ewing Duncan's new eBook, "When I'm 164", on the science of radical life extension. Duncan surveys the increasingly legitimate science — from genetics and regeneration to machine solutions — and considers the pluses and minuses of living to age 164, or beyond. We'll look at everything from the impact of extended life on cities, services, and the cost of living as well as what happens to love, curiosity, and general health.
The book is available for Kindle, Nook, and iOS devices (which have a great new custom TED Books app):
Kindle copy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XB16ME/
iOS app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ted-books/id511071050?mt=8
The New York Times also published an excerpt this week, you can read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/sunday-review/how-long-do-you-want-to-live.html
Finally, author David Ewing Duncan will be joining us for a live Q&A at 4pm EDT on September 11th!
Looking forward to our discussion!
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Sean Conner
For me, I'd like to have several phases to my life extension. First I'd like to try living in my organic form for another 50 to 60 years - perhaps with increased faculties, or small augmentations. There is a lot of experiences that the current normal life span has that I think I'd really like to experience. Such as having and raising children.
Then I'd like the opportunity to transfer my consciousness to a machine, perhaps with a mechanical extension that allows me to venture into parts of the planet and solar system that are impractical and too dangerous for organic forms to go.
This is getting away from the original question, but after that - maybe a 1,000 years of exploring these axises of experience - I'd like to opportunity to experience time differently, on the scale of 10s, or 100s of thousands of years.
Then... I don't know what. I find it difficult to fathom what type of thoughts and desires one might have at that point, after experiencing so many things. It may be the case that the infinite complexity of the universe is enough to explore until the universe ends, or it may be the case that there is not infinite complexity and I've explored and experienced everything and there is nothing more to do, and thus end the journey there? Who can say.
Fascinating question!
David Duncan 20+