Older and Wiser

I like to think that as I get older my accumulation of knowledge allows me to make better decisions. So, what if I could live longer, like 200 or 500 years? What kinds of decisions could I or others make if humans could live that long? Would we be wise enough to end war and hunger? Last night I watched a show on the Documentary Channel about life extension that made me think more about this subject. It seemed like it was part of a series called Explorations. The most promising method for stopping the aging process was a procedure where bacteria is injected into the body that stops cells from aging so rapidly. So far it has worked on flies, worms, and mice. The researcher said that when things work on all three of those species it is a strong indicator that it will work in humans too. The procedure typically expanded life expectancy six-fold. I think living longer would be a good thing for humanity. But, I think living forever would be bad. There are some, like the Transhumanists, who welcome the notion and think that it is possible. Just think, there would never be any rest, just an eternal rat race. I look forward to resting someday a long time from now. But I hope that after I have lived a long life that I can look back on my accomplishments with pleasure and be remembered fondly by those who loved me and respected by those who knew of me.