So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died . . . So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died . . . So all the days of Methusaleh were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died (Genesis 5:5,8,27).
If it happened before, why can’t it happen again? I will not attempt to proselytize with Old Testament biblical accounts of longevity of life. I also will not renounce the dynastic view of ancient ages, which in context represent tribal units. Therefore, we may have an example of this in Genesis where the names represent dynasties rather than individuals. I will tell you that many modern biblical scholars take the ages of early man as literal.
Let us segue from antiquity to the present and future. As mentioned, history according to the Bible states man lived to be almost 1,000 years of age. Modern man is deemed to have lived a long life by hitting the century mark. Death is a part of life. Or is it? If you ask the futurist of today, he will tell you that man again will live to be 1,000, or perhaps even attain immortality. Perhaps a stretch, but action is underway. This has been debated in philosophical circles since Plato, through Nietzsche and Kierkegaard to the modern day Silicon Valley billionaires. Entrepreneurs such as Brin, Ellison and Musk have been trying for years to reconfigure death against its given as an immutable truth.
The dichotomy between the biblical ancients and modern day immortals is the deity. Yahweh and faith in God, versus reason and faith in man. This modern club of immortality is set on stretching the limits of the human lifespan, from about 120 to 1,000 (or more). To them, admitting that they’ll die is parallel to accepting defeat. One comes into the world with nothing, and leaves the world with nothing. That’s a hard notion to get your head around if you have every imaginable want at your fingertips.
So how do the Dorian Grays of our time plan on living forever? Well, they probably don’t, but will perform priceless endeavors to attempt it anyway. Calico, a Google company, has researchers mired in what longevity scientists have been doing for decades, testing certain types of molecules on non-human species to see if they extend the organisms’ lives. Others are working on chronic diseases like cancer, heart conditions, et al. Noble deeds indeed, as these would help the ills of modern man. But this is not the desire of the bourgeois. While helping the proletariat is undeniably empathetic, it is they themselves who should only benefit from such hope. I thought only the likes of rock stars like Keith Richards were into blood transfusions to cleanse the body of God knows what. Enter Peter Thiel, who reportedly is receiving injections of blood drawn from healthy young people, a technique that hasn’t been shown to work in humans and is based on some very sketchy studies in mice. Worst case scenario, if he does become some mutant rodent, there will always be work for him in the Magic Kingdom.
What an arrogant prick former Facebook President Sean Parker must be. I’ve never met the guy, but I feel safe with the assumption. With statements like, “Because I’m a billionaire, I’m going to have access to better healthcare so… I’m going to be, like, 160 and I’m going to be part of this class of immortal overlords,” you can see why. Don’t even get me started on income inequality and Silicon Valley’s new two-class world view.
