Reply To: Toshiba's "Micro Nuclear Reactor" – it's not fusion, but it's here now
The Focus Fusion Society › Forums › Focus Fusion Cafe › Immortality › Reply To: Toshiba's "Micro Nuclear Reactor" – it's not fusion, but it's here now
Back in the early to mid 20th century a hot topic of discussion was “How are we going to provide care and sustenance to the hundreds of thousands of polio victims from the current and anticipated epidemics?”.
A difficult or seemingly impossible task then, or now for that matter. But instead medical research developed a relatively inexpensive vaccine which completely changed the dynamic. It all but eradicated the disease saving untold billions of dollars and untold human suffering. I think the cost for each dose of vaccine was around 10 cents.
How are we going to provide care and sustenance to the growing population of aging people in this country?
Maybe by curing the disease?
As to my illustration of seeking medical attention for illnesses: It’s just an illustration. It illustrates the inarguable fact that those who are now living wish to continue to do so. At least for a while. I could just as easily have said “Do you eat?” or “Do you breathe?”. Do you take care not to walk out in front of speeding buses? You don’t have to do any of these things. We all make thousands of choices every day to continue our lives. At least a bit longer.
To make a conscious choice not to extend one’s life significantly is a freedom which everyone has. And I respect and defend that freedom to the utmost. But I don’t understand why anyone would maintain that they have the right to limit the right of anyone else to extend their life significantly if they so choose.
I’m all about improving lives. Making people well, or keeping them well. Maximizing people’s choices. Making people more prosperous. I am not so arrogant as to claim to have such a superior vision of the future that I should be able to foist my vision of the future on everyone else by limiting their choices.
After all, the future I envision may be all wrong. It may not turn out anything like I envision. And with some of my more pessimistic predictions I hope it doesn’t!
Oh well, I just had to vent. This post has been worth every penny you paid for it.