The concept of aging may soon become a thing of the past, according to a prominent futurologist who believes that individuals born after 1970 could achieve eternal life.
He forecasts that by 2050, humans might overcome the limits of their physical bodies.
Through genetic engineering, it could be possible to extend the body's lifespan by slowing down or even reversing the aging process at the cellular level.
Progress in artificial intelligence might lead to the creation of android bodies that humans could inhabit once their natural biological forms cease to function.
Additionally, virtual reality environments could be developed where people can upload their consciousness after their bodies give out.
Aging could soon become a relic of the past, as stated by Dr. Ian Pearson, an engineer and inventor from Ipswich who speaks about the future of everyday life, as reported by The Sun.
He explains that the ultimate goal of genetic engineering—human immortality—has long captivated many.
'There are quite a lot of people interested in living forever,' Dr. Pearson told The Sun.
'There always has been, but the difference now is tech is improving so quickly, lots of people believe they can actually do it.'
Dr. Pearson asserts that anyone alive today who manages to survive until 2050 may never have to confront death.
He added: 'By 2050, it will only really be for the rich and famous.
'Most people on middle-class incomes and reasonable working-class incomes can probably afford this in the 2060s. So anyone 90 or under by 2060.
'If you were born sometime in 1970 onwards, that would make you 48 this year.
'So anybody under 50 has got a good chance of it, and anyone under 40 almost definitely will have access to this.'
Dr. Pearson points to several promising paths that could allow people to avoid death.
The claims were made by Dr. Ian Pearson (pictured), an engineer and inventor from Ipswich who lectures on the future of our daily lives – from work to leisure. He believes that in just over three decades humans will be able to survive forever
One approach involves using genetic engineering to regenerate or create new body parts.
Lab-grown tissues and organs are already being successfully cultivated for transplants, reducing the need for human donors and lowering the risk of organ rejection.
Cells naturally age and become less resilient, eventually failing, but some researchers believe that aging can be reversed with certain techniques.
Dr. Pearson says: 'No one wants to live forever at 95 years old, but if you could rejuvenate the body to 29 or 30, you might want to do that.'
Although improving the human body is a possibility, there are many complications associated with undoing ageing.
A more likely avenue is that we abandon our failing bodies as we age and move into an artificial shell.
'A long time before we get to fix our bodies and rejuvenate it every time we feel like, we'll be able to link our minds to the machine world so well, we'll effectively be living in the cloud,' Dr. Pearson said.
Last week, an exhibition at the World Government Summit in Dubai showcased HIBA (Hybrid Intelligence Biometric Avatar).
HIBA was the result of several studies and concluded that humans would be joined through a 'collective AI consciousness'.
This international network will allow us to ditch speech and communicate using nothing but thoughts by 2050.
The Netflix series Altered Carbon (pictured) explores similar idea, with people escaping death by storing their mind, consciousness and memories in a computer chip called a 'stack' implanted in their spinal column
Dr. Pearson took this idea one step further and claimed that we will not only be linked by a computer system in 2050, we will be living inside an android shell when we do.
Human consciousnesses will be uploaded to online servers, and we will able to use any android body to inhabit the real world.
One indicator of progress in this area is the current state of sex dolls, Dr. Pearson says, which are looking more human-like with each new generation
In another three decades, they could be extremely lifelike.
Dr. Pearson compares using such android bodies as homes for our consciousness to hiring a car.
Rather than travelling to Australia to visit the Sydney opera house, you could download your mind into an android body in the country.
The Netflix series Altered Carbon explores similar idea, with people escaping death by storing their mind, consciousness and memories in a computer chip called a 'stack' implanted in their spinal column.
This in-tact stack can be taken out of a dead person and implanted into a new body, known as a 'skin'.
A similar process would be involved with the robotic bodies he envisages.
The cost of this immortality in a machine will initially be very high, with only the rich being able to afford it in 2050.
Soon after, by 2060, it should be more attainable for middle and working-class individuals.
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HOW CAN HUMANS BECOME IMMORTAL?
Humans have long been fascinated by the idea of immortality and have been pursuing it for centuries.
Ancient Greek alchemists once tried to find a 'Philosopher's Stone' to obtain immortality, but were unsuccessful.
In recent decades, the average life expectancy in many countries has increased drastically and now most, healthy individuals in the UK can expect a life duration of about 80 years.
With the rapid development of technology and an increasing scientific understanding of the flaws of the human body, some people to believe that immortality is closer now than it has ever been before.
In the late 20th Century, an idea called cryonics was founded – the ability to bring someone back to life after death.
Now, futurologists think that humans will be able to live forever thanks to a combination of tech advances.
Genetic modification of a child is mandated by Goverment
There are now three schools of thought for how people will be able to endure permanently.
Option one: Body regeneration
Scientists have already managed to grow chemicals, tissues and organs in the lab and as technology advances in this field.
Combined with 3D printing and reversing the ageing of cells, our bodies may last longer than ever before.
Option two: Robotic body replacements
Robots are becoming better and more human-like all the time, and we may be able to upload a human consciousness into an android in the future.
Option three: A virtual world
Virtual reality and Augmented reality have started to blur the lines between the tangible and the artificial.
Human consciousness could potentially exist completely independently of a body in a computer simulation.
By 2070 people in poor countries on modest incomes will be able to afford it, he says, giving the chance of digital immortality.
It could even be provided on the NHS.
One final possibility is that consciousness could exist in a completely virtual world.
This would open up the possibility of exploring every conceivable fantasy, travelling anywhere in the world at any point in history.
He believes humans could also link their consciousness to that of others in a giant hive mind.
This could offer humans of the future unlimited intelligence and let them exist in multiple places at once.
Source www.dailymail.co.uk
