One day, death from aging will be as much of an anachronism as half of children dying before the age of five, as they did throughout human history until the 19th century, is today.
In almost any case where someone is dying, both them, and their loved ones, are devastated by the unfolding tragedy, and go to incredible lengths to prevent that outcome. There is nothing more human than to work to prevent death, and no outcome more inevitable, if the human race can survive long enough, than to provide people with biological immortality.
A 500 year old Musk or Bezos will be building out space colonies for us to live in and funding the development of ever more advanced and affordable spacecraft to help us get there. I also don't think biological immortality will lead to individuals remaining the wealthiest in the world for ever. In the rapidly evolving economy of the modern age, every generation will see new entrepreneurs disrupt the old guard and become the new top players. This has more to do with the advantage of having a fresh prespective, than aging making the previous generation feeble.
Pff, no thanks. 'Neverending story' is a concept for children, same as 'the song that never ends' and other cartoons of infinity. In reality I get as much enjoyment from finishing a book as starting it. I'm not rejecting the idea of technological progress, I'm rejecting the whole idea of wanting to live indefinitely. Shrinking from death misses the point of life.
There is nothing meaningful in death. It's a meaningless tragedy. If and when we can give humans the option of living forever, you're always free to not avail yourself of that option, if that is your preference.
Sure there is, the fact of its apparent permanence provides and ordering criteria for a value system. Are you saying that there's nothing - nothing at all - for which you'd be willing to sacrifice your life?
You can, and you'll also end up with a gerontocracy. I see you don't address the sacrifice question so I guess that means there isn't any such thing. Perhaps that will change in the future.
Issues like gerontocracy will be completely irrelevant when we're spanning the solar system, and especially when we're sending colony ships to star systems light years away.
The first smartphones, in 2007, cost $750 in inflation adjusted terms. Only 40 million people worlwide, almost exclusively living in the developed world, could afford one.
Today, smartphones are in the hands of over 3.8 billion people (approaching 50% of the human population) [1], with the most affordable today going for $50, and with far more capabilities than the 2007 iPhone.
In almost any case where someone is dying, both them, and their loved ones, are devastated by the unfolding tragedy, and go to incredible lengths to prevent that outcome. There is nothing more human than to work to prevent death, and no outcome more inevitable, if the human race can survive long enough, than to provide people with biological immortality.
A 500 year old Musk or Bezos will be building out space colonies for us to live in and funding the development of ever more advanced and affordable spacecraft to help us get there. I also don't think biological immortality will lead to individuals remaining the wealthiest in the world for ever. In the rapidly evolving economy of the modern age, every generation will see new entrepreneurs disrupt the old guard and become the new top players. This has more to do with the advantage of having a fresh prespective, than aging making the previous generation feeble.