Re: Wall Observer BTC/USD - Bitcoin price movement tracking & discussion
Natural evolution does not "want" eternal organisms, not even eternal species; it "wants" life to constantly evolve.
Death is a feature, not a bug. It evolved in the last billion years together with sex and reproduction, as a way to clear up space for new individuals.
Death is a feature, not a bug. It evolved in the last billion years together with sex and reproduction, as a way to clear up space for new individuals.
You provide no arguments that eternal youthfulness is not feasible, you only state that it is indesirable for a species.
I would not say "undesirable". I put "want" in quotes because species and natural evolution have no desires (thanks Lamb for seeing that
) It is just that being mortal is part of being what we are. Yes, and 'being unable to fly' is part of what we are, ... until it isn't. You seem very keen on keeping things like they are, even if they are undesirable.
Quote
Personally, I think it is very desirable for an individual, and probably for society as well.
It may be hard to believe, but, after a certain point in life, that desire usually goes away.
But yes, we generally hate succumbing to old age and death, just like we hate getting sick and weak. That wish must be a naturally evolved trait too, like "you must leave soon, but, as long as you are here, you must try to be as useful as you can" --- and that includes remaining as fit and healthy as you can.
It is not different from how companies treat their older employees. Indeed, retirement is the corporate version of natural death. It was invented not for the good of the individual, but for the good of the company: a barely delicate way to remove the old guys whom no one dares to fire, and open space for new blood.
There is that " Everything is as it should be" thinking again. Like we are now evolved into a perfect end state, I don't buy it.It is not different from how companies treat their older employees. Indeed, retirement is the corporate version of natural death. It was invented not for the good of the individual, but for the good of the company: a barely delicate way to remove the old guys whom no one dares to fire, and open space for new blood.
If people didn't get old, they would be able to keep functioning in their company, and there would be no need to fire them.
A finite lifetime is nature's solution to make space for new individuals. Aging is a consequence of that.
I think you have things backwards. There is no planned design to remove old individuals.Quote
Your reasonings sound like rationalisations to calm the mind to me ("I shouldn't worry, everything is as it should be, everything has a reason")
Not at all. I am as unhappy at getting old as anyone else. I am just pointing out that eternal youth (which implies eternal life) is a rather complicated concept, perhaps a meaningless one.Does it make sense to wish for a car that will last forever?
Does it make sense to wish for your dear Volkswagen Beetle to last forever?
You also seem to be under the impression that biological change is no longer possible if we would acquire eternal youth. I would say that current and future biotech advances will allow us to adapt much more quickly to our environment than was previously possible (although it might be harder to adapt an existing organism than to engineer a new one from scratch).
I can only repeat that you don't give any arguments that eternal youth is infeasible, you just argue that it is better for the species if individuals die off.
I would argue that people make decisions as individuals, so your musings are irrelevant.