The idea of immortality has long been a staple in the realm of fantasy, but with scientific advances forcing us into the next stage of our evolution, it may not be long before the dream of an indefinite lifespan becomes reality.

One of the most beautiful things about life is that our moments are fleeting; but technology has allowed us to capture and leave behind more evidence of our existence than ever before – perhaps even the good sense to know when to stop playing God and enjoy what we have in the present.

Many futurists, like Google Director of Engineering Ray Kurzwell, see the limits of our biological aging as small obstacles to be overcome as we move toward greater technological singularity, or the emergence of super intelligence through technology.

In the future of singularity, our life spans will be longer, and technology will become embedded into us to help overcome our biological weaknesses — otherwise known as the blunders that make us most human.

Google has been spearheading this progress by introducing projects like Google Glass, the wearable computing device that augments your reality as you view it, and Google Now, an application that predicts your needs before you’ve even searched for it.

Soon, even the process of taking out your smartphone to take a picture or type in a search box will be too slow for the next generation of consumers for whom singularity seems inevitable.

These tech giants are not only looking to build long-lasting devices, but also long-lasting users. Last week, Al Jazeera reported that Google founder Sergey Brin and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg have joined Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner in backing research prizes to extend human life.

The innovators and their spouses awarded 11 scientists $3 million each to launch the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, a nonprofit that seeks to reward scientists for medical innovations.

According to federal statistics, we’ve gained 30 more years to our collective lifespans during the past century. The average U.S. citizen can now live to be 78.

That number could potentially increase as biotechnology advances. Although no single “longevity gene” has been found, medical technology has helped increase our chances of survival, along with better nutrition and higher education.

But even if we are eventually able to avoid death from natural causes, our societal infrastructures would not be able to function on this new timeline.

Japan is suffering from its own citizens’ good health, living to an average of 82. Twenty-three percent of the country’s population is older than 65, and by 2050, that number will increase to 40 percent.

Japan’s Finance Minister, Taro Aso, attracted criticism for publicly encouraging elderly citizens to “hurry up and die,” as the state budget has been strained by the medical care required for the world’s oldest citizens.

We would see similar issues in the United States if everyone were able to add 15 years to their lifespan. The retirement age would have to be pushed up, social security would either have to drastically change or disappear, and people would likely pursue at least two different careers in order to support themselves for longer.

We are quickly elevating ourselves to demigod status through the aid of technology and scientific advances that push us beyond the limits of what we thought humanly possible.

But if our resources, societal structures and tiny human brains can’t keep up with these monumental shifts in our digital landscape, we may ultimately find that for a few to defy death, the majority will suffer.

Kat Smith is a senior creative advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] or by telepathy, if possible. 

Published on February 28, 2013 at 1:15 am