The Four Genii of Immortality

I think it is worth re-posting a comment I submitted at Peter Singer's article on longevity, concerning 'Four Genii' or principles of immortality. The subject has also appeared in my articles on the subject at ezinearticles.com, but this is the freshest context, as it preceded the publication of those articles:

    In my conceptual studies of immortality, I think it is worth underscoring that there are multiple strategies to achieving longevity.

One is a path to wisdom, minimal fitness and no terrible mistakes, symbolized by age before youth, eliminated by some sort of chronic effort, producing a pragmatic remainder.

Another is sheer fitness, which has been more popular, but poses the problem of strain and rest, which can cause fatty accumulations, as has often been experienced by athletes. I think stress is under-represented amongst studies of athletes.

A third method is more similar to vampirism, and represents stimulating the body with drugs, or refurbishing the blood through artificial means. In the best cases it might involve genetic treatments.

A fourth method involves exceptional adaptation such as having an 'immortality threshold', that is, highly specific responses to environment gradually 'affect' immortality. This may be prone to sudden changes, eliminating it's long-term benefit, but may supplement other methods.

I suspect that if there are other primary methods than these (and 'drug' may fit under multiple of these categories ultimately) then it involves nobility or grace of some kind, perhaps resulting from specific lessons learned in older age.

Certainly an interesting subject. I hope that I've been helpful in clarifying genii (Four Genii !) related to immortality.


From Nathan Coppedge's comment at Peter Singer's article:
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-ethics-of-anti-aging-by-peter-singer#4wsmjBYySmyITLhv.99