Choose the course for the next human advancement?

[Doctor Amadeus]

If you could choose the next human advancement, which of the following would you pick?


1. Faster than light travel which essentially means a new limitless form of energy.

2. Human immortality, meaning the end of death or aging as we know it.

3. Contact with an intelligent Extraterrestrial alien species.

4. Develop Telepathy allowing humans to communicate and share their thoughts with one another either in Sync or at will.


Yeah, I am pick Immortality, because given enough time I believe it would allow humanity to develop all the rest if we are ever meant to.


FTL travel I wouldn't pick because it would simply get us in a lot more trouble than we are already in in terms of conflict.

I wouldn't pick Contact with E.T's for the same reason.

Telepathy would be my second pick.

[Mittens]

Human immortality obviously.

[Jonnusthegreat]

FTL is the clear choice here.

[Deleted]

If you could choose the next human advancement, which of the following would you pick?

What does the Human Development Index map from Wikipedia have to do with the question in the OP?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rtiles.svg.png

Am I the only one getting some really huge racist undertones from all this?

[pateuvasiliu]

Immortality because I am terrified of death/oblivion.

[schwarzkopf]

The following options would spell the end of the species in one way or another:
* Human immortality, meaning the end of death or aging as we know it.
* Develop Human Telepathy.

The following is also likely to be non productive (because it will be long distance slow communications):
* Contact with an intelligent Extraterrestrial alien species.

So I'm going for the possible part of option 1:
a new limitless form of energy.

- - - Updated - - -

Immortality because I am terrified of death/oblivion.

Always find that odd - there is nothing to fear from death or oblivion - we've all had 13billion+ years of practice at it.

Immortality is terrifying to anyone that has actually thought of the consequences

[pateuvasiliu]

The following options would spell the end of the species in one way or another:
* Human immortality, meaning the end of death or aging as we know it.
* Develop Human Telepathy.

The following is also likely to be non productive (because it will be long distance slow communications):
* Contact with an intelligent Extraterrestrial alien species.

So I'm going for the possible part of option 1:
a new limitless form of energy.

- - - Updated - - -



Always find that odd - there is nothing to fear from death or oblivion - we've all had 13billion+ years of practice at it.

Immortality is terrifying to anyone that has actually thought of the consequences

Sure there is. Death is the worst thing that can happen to you.

we've all had 13billion+ years of practice at it.

You've also had 13 billion years of not having a limb but I bet you're pretty uneasy at the thought of putting your fingers in a buzz saw.

[yetgdhfgh]

Bionics will replace most of our bodies leaving just a brain, nervous system and a endlessly repairable robotic body meaning we could live indefinitely.

[Thoughtcrime]

Of those options, biological immortality is probably the most realistically attainable and beneficial in the near term. They all have the potential to be catastrophic though.

Given my own choice, I'd take a fully developed (safe) general intelligence over any of them. Since if they're possible that would unlock all of them anyway.

Am I the only one getting some really huge racist undertones from all this?

Yes.

[Deleted]

Always find that odd - there is nothing to fear from death or oblivion - we've all had 13billion+ years of practice at it.

First of all, nobody has had any kind of practice at not existing. A person can't not exist. This also means nobody can ever be dead, other than in the sense that their body was dead but they got resuscitated.

Secondly, obviously we can be afraid, and abhor the eventuality of when we no longer exist. Existence is all we have. Sure, you won't be bothered by it once you do actually stop existing, because you won't be, period, but you can absolutely feel the horror of not existing right now, while you still do exist. Well, some of us can, anyway.

[Aitch]

What does the Human Development Index map from Wikipedia have to do with the question in the OP?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rtiles.svg.png

Am I the only one getting some really huge racist undertones from all this?

No you’re right, he’s clearly an Argentinian supremacist.

[Independent voter]

I would like to meet some cool aliens.

[pateuvasiliu]

Of those options, biological immortality is probably the most realistically attainable and beneficial in the near term

Immortality would result in a world war for sure. Those that ''invent'' it will sell it for insane prices and the poor, fearing death, will revolt against the rich.

[schwarzkopf]

Sure there is. Death is the worst thing that can happen to you.

Not by a long shot .... anyone who thinks it is suffers a lack of imagination.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I think of the 4 my pick would mean having to delay the possibility of seeing one of my favorite films as a kid come to life. I am sure it's not likely to ever happen, but it would still be pretty kick ass.

[Theodarzna]

FTL travel.

Same, interstellar travel is probably more critical. We could maybe make up for the damage we've caused on Earth by at least spreading our biosphere around.

[schwarzkopf]

First of all, nobody has had any kind of practice at not existing..

Correction - EVERYONE has had 14 billion years or so practice at it ... EVERYONE.

Secondly, obviously we can be afraid, and abhor the eventuality of when we no longer exist.

You can be afraid of flying, spiders and water too - doesn't make them rational fears

There are FAR FAR FAR worse things that can happen to you than dying.

[Deleted]

Human immortality obviously.

that would lead to a massive population growth reducing living space. wouldn't be long until we were all in slums and bleed the earth of all its resources. FLT all the way

[Deleted]

Same, interstellar travel is probably more critical. We could maybe make up for the damage we've caused on Earth by at least spreading our biosphere around.

Assuming we don't find a planet that actually happens to be livable and doesn't kill us, we'd have to terraform it at least very slightly, by which point we might as well terraform Earth instead.

[EliWallach]

Immortality doesn't mean we won't kill ourselves off. FTL travel gives us a chance to GTFO.