joe curlee

I was raised in a Christian religion that believes in the concept of "everlasting life on Earth" and spent a good portion of my life preaching that God would bring this about. I left that religion long ago after coming to the conclusion that I was actually an atheist.

The interesting thing about the teachings of that religion is that they are rooted in man's most base instinct: survival. Men invent Gods in their image. Men wrote the bible, and men interpreted it. The psychological and physical drive to live is what guides our every action.

For some years I became convinced that there was no real purpose to life and that we must simply accept death for what it is with quiet dignity. However, I soon learned of Aubrey de Grey and life extension. Naturally this piqued my curiosity and I started reading about his research. I was surprised to learn that the core promise of my former religion may actually be realized through science.

Since then, science has rapidly progressed and now futurologists, transhumanists, and respected researchers from various scientific fields all echo the same sentiment: we are within 10 years of age reversal. We are within 10 years of having a cure for nearly all ailments. They say we'll achieve this through rapid advancements in AI backed research and discovery. Elon Musk recently stated at the World Economic Forum that age-reversal is within reach. It is no longer science fiction or confined to the beliefs of the spiritually inclined.

The bold claims we hear do run the risk of damaging future research if they do not come to fruition. However, with the Department of Defense (War) and the federal government going all-in on AI with The Genesis Mission, it is hard to imagine a future where AI progress halts.

The idea is alluring and I am mildly optimistic, albeit skeptical, that humans will achieve immortality in my lifetime.

• AI
• life extension
• technology
• science