[ExI] Can we become immortal?

[David Pizer]

Defense of
"Immortalism."
I *want* to live forever
using scientific methods if they become available.    There
are many others who now are willing to make that claim too.   
When we talk about
science reversing aging, and/or creating other possible ways to survive from
death, (cloning, Transhumanism, uploading, & others), we are sometimes
admonished by our fellow "Extreme Life" advocates not to use the
"I" word, (Immortality).   They say it will be impossible to become
immortal because they claim that even if science can create an un-aging body,
(or other suitable containers), for YOU and/or I to live in, (in the future),
it will still be impossible to be immortal (to live forever) for several
various reasons.   I will discuss their reasons
below and give my reasons why they may be wrong and it just MIGHT BE POSSIBLE
TO BECOME SCIENTIFICALLY IMMORTAL in the future.
1.  Some claim the universe will someday quit
expanding and gravity will begin to pull the universe back into a single point
where all matter and energy will be compressed into a space smaller than the
head of a pin,  (called The Big Crunch),
and that it will be impossible for anything to survive in that situation.
2.  Or, they claim the universe will keep
expanding, (due to dark energy?), pushing the planets and stars so far
apart  that the temperature drops to
close to the temperature of absolute zero, everything is turned into black
holes or tiny particles, and nothing can live in this situation called
"The Big Chill."
3.  But there is another possible fate for our
universe, called "The Goldilocks Universe."  In this more probable situation the expansion
rate of the universe gradually slows down to where expansion forces and gravity
offset each other just right, and our universe goes on forever.  
What a beautiful concept
- An Immortal Universe filled with  Immortal People.
Afterthought:  In my many years on this planet discussing
cryonics and other options for scientific immortality, I have found that many opponents
claim they know of reasons why cryonics or immortality, or very extreme life
extension, won't work.  But they really
have other reasons to make these negative claims where they either don't want Scientific
Immortality to work,  or they don't want
us to talk in public about these great advancements working while the extreme
life extension movement, (or Immortality movement), is so small compared to the
tradition religions with their exclusive, hopeful methods of immortality.   They (perhaps correctly – I don't know)
don't want scientific immortality prospects to accidentally appear to compete
with traditional religious philosophy for immortality while our movement is so
small and vulnerable.   
I say that this is a valid
concern because we have seen historically how brutal one traditional religious
group can treat different (usually smaller) religious groups when the more
powerful group feels the smaller group's existence is creating growing
competition for the minds of the masses.
I don't see why
Scientific Immortalists have to say that they think their options might lead to
scientific immortality, AND THEN ADD that they also think that people who hope
for traditional religious immortality are wrong or stupid.     
Personally, I hope both
groups are right.   Live and let live.
Freedom for everyone to
pursue their own paths as long as they don't harm others on their own personal venture.
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