Publisher's Synopsis
Man's futile, sometimes pathetic, attempts at tricking death are as old as anything. Some will claim that this is the reason man invented Gods - the idea that everything would be transient, fleeting, and constantly deteriorating seems to have been too unbearable. And so today, like in the past but with better resources, some people commit their efforts not to the betterment of our species' lifespan, but to doing away with lifespans altogether.
This book tells the fascinating story of the reach for immortality through the ages, from tribal elixirs to Panacea, and from present-day cryonics to science fiction virtual immortality. Guy Weress, with impressive clarity and a wealth of both historical knowledge and contemporary research, sheds light on:
Immortality cults
The famous story of Henrietta Lacks and her undying genes
The philosophical questions surrounding death
Divine and mythical immortality
Present-day immortality and transhumanism gurus like Aubrey deGrey and Ray Kurzweil
How much does immortality cost?
The social downsides of immortality
Silicon Valley and virtual immortality
From an evolutionary perspective, immortality is a non-issue: having children solves it; from a philosophical perspective, many argue that biological infinity would strip life off its meaning. And from a sustainability perspective, immortality, at least for large numbers of people, is simply impractical. And yet, it's precisely going against perceived wisdoms and what appears to be insurmountable that has spurred human innovation and advancement. This book is a brilliant look at every question, and answer, surrounding this age-old obsession.
