I asked a question once about how scientists could hope to create life in a laboratory, and received a bunch of answers saying not yet, but soon...
OK, this is more to the point on science.
How will science save you from death? Not temporarily, but save you from death, period?
2007-02-18 02:18:58 · 19 answers · asked by great gig in the sky 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Science has limits, God does not. Human understanding has limits, God does not. Scientists create nothing, they just rearrange stuff that was already hear.
2007-02-25 20:40:44 · answer #1 · answered by blogbaba 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think science becomes like God for atheists: a protector, a holder of knowledge, etc. I think science can save you temporarily, but not forever. Nothing can save you from your physical death: your cells can't reproduce forever, and you were meant to die so that in your old, less productive age, you'd take up less resources from your community and thus help it survive, from an evolutionary perspective. However, you can take comfort in knowing that physical death is simply a transformation of the body, which will perform some small part in shaping the world just as you have whilst you were living (perhaps one day the worms that ate you will die and become part of the soil which will feed new generations and fuel more philosophical theories). So you can't really die, "period". Once you realize that, you can live on forever.
2007-02-18 02:29:23 · answer #2 · answered by David D 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I've never met a fellow scientist whose research was devoted to eternal life. Scientists have, however, isolated fruit fly mutants (and mice?) that have greatly extended lifespans. The leading hypothesis at the moment is that aging is due to the shortening of telomeres after each cell division. If we could prevent this, perhaps our lifespans would be greatly increased.
Science has probably already increased your life span... there's a good chance that you would have died as a child if not for science. Praise be to rational thought!
2007-02-18 02:29:13 · answer #3 · answered by ivorytowerboy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not think it is possible. To live is to die. To love is to hate. Ying-Yang. Ironically, there was an episode of Stargate SG-1 in which a race had been perpetuating itself through cloning, since they ceased to be able to sexually reproduce. Their time was up and they found an original speciman from their species, that they hoped would prolong their existance, because they were going to die off.
Here's a 'funny' story about an athiest. My dad is a scientist and was a devout athiest (even subscribed to their magazine). His insurance adjuster thought he'd play a 'joke' (not even funny) on him and told him that he tested positive for HIV. My dad prayed and even though he never had HIV, he believed it was 'God'. So now he goes to church. But ya know what is really stupid, this man doesn't have a spiritual bone in his body. Although he is rich (very) he doesn't contribute any of his time, knowledge, or money onto his children. He has no heart. He has become the mass of the brainwashed who believe that just by going to church that makes him a good person. That is the only change in his life he has made.
2007-02-25 20:05:16 · answer #4 · answered by shell 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I do not support the cloning of people or animal based on ethics. I also do not think living forever is such a good idea. Science may find ways to extend lifespan dramatically and the reason to carry that out may arise. Scientists should really think about the consequences of applying certain technologies.
2007-02-26 02:05:06 · answer #5 · answered by ShanShui 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Theoretically it is possible. A gene was located that is responsible for switching of your cells so they stop regenerating hence old age and eventually death. If we mange to harness this do not know about eternity but extending my time here on earth by a few centuries that seems to be feasible. It's a start anyway.
I loved the one about god having created everything and then dismantled everything in gazillion little pieces for man to find and rearrange
2007-02-25 21:13:15 · answer #6 · answered by The Stainless Steel Rat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Science will improve the length and the quality of my life. Creating life in the laboratory is a curiosity, and is unlikely to have any applications. Science is not a God, any more than reason is a God, any more than a hammer is a God. They are all tools.
2007-02-18 02:33:28 · answer #7 · answered by novangelis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually it was theorized that if scientists could extend the telomeres of cells life could be prolonged. Every time you DNA reproduces little sectons at the end get chopped off. Telomeres are at the end of the DNA and they contain nonsense. Once you have run out of telomeres portions of your real DNA start getting chopped off and that leads to errors in replication and aging. If the telomeres were extended, life would be extended.
Does that make science my God?
Of course not.
2007-02-18 02:28:09 · answer #8 · answered by NONAME 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wishful Thinking.
2007-02-25 17:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It won't. The job of science is to reveal facts about the universe founded on valid evidence, nothing else.
2007-02-18 02:29:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋