Date: Saturday Feb 7th 2015
Participants:
Pakistan: Eshaal | USA: Rick China: Angie, Judie, Qiuqiu, Miranda, Shelia | Argentina: Johny
Finland: Anna | India: Sunita
Team A was for it and consisted of: Eshaal and Rick
Team B was against it and consisted of: Angie, Judie, Qiuqiu, Miranda and Shelia
Team C was "on the fence" and undecided, consisting of: Johny, Anna and Sunita.
Team A Key Points were: There is so much to discover, learn and experience in our world, that one lifetime is not enough to do so. Also, we would not have to live with the experience of losing our loved ones or people we cared about. Finally, all the things we learn in life (life experience and knowledge), many of those things are lost when we die, so if we want to contribute to society and the world, if we live forever, we can make the world a better place by applying that knowledge and experience
Team B Key Points were: The world would get too overcrowded, and there would be a big impact on the environment and use of natural resources. Also, a person's life time is often used as a "measuring stick" to motivate us in achieving things, knowing we have a limited time on this earth. We would have a stronger appreciation if we know our time is limited. Stress would also be a factor in living forever.
At the end of the debate, there was no clear winner, Team C was not persuaded to choose either side, because there were advantages and disadvantages for both sides. Johny brought up the point about looking at selective immortality, for those that would contribute to society as a whole.
Below is the link to listen to our chat
Should people live forever? - Voice chat Recording 1
Should people live forever? - Voice chat Recording 2
Should people live forever? - Voice chat Recording 3
For people who did not join the live discussion, feel free to contribute the ideas in comment blanks below.