Happy Birthday

[kengr]

Woodrow Wilson Smith born, 1912-11-11

Comments

[stickmaker]

Grand-Uncle Woody! :-)

[kengr]

Way back when, when Orycon usually included Veterans Day and I could afford to splurge on that sort of silliness, I'd buy a "Happy Birthday Woodrow Wilson Smith" sheet cake and donate it to the Hospitality Suite. :-)

[siliconshaman]

Levity aside... given the way medicine is progressing, the first person to become immortal has probably already been born. (probably some billionaire will be first to try it out.)

We already have anti-agathic drugs in preliminary trials, although they're more aimed at reducing the harmful effects of aging, rather than making people live longer. But you know, if you're healthier in old age, you tend to live longer anyway.

Either way, yet another instance of sci-fi becoming science fact.

[kengr]

Try to find a copy of The First Immortal by James L. Halperin. It used to be available for free on his website.

Look for his "The Truth Machine" as well.

The Truth Machine is about the invention of a workable lie detector. That is, it can tell when you are conciously making a statement contrary to the truth *as you know it* and can also identify folks who are essentially pathological liars (ie it doesn't matter to them if a statement is false or true).

That covers the big problems with most SF lie detectors.

Alas, in spite of a number of us on rec.arts.sf.science trying to get it across to him while he was writing it, he didn't get that such a device would be *hugely* dangerous in practice.

He apparently believed in the "if you are honest, you have nothing to hide" bit.

In reality, such a device would be used against any group that disagreed with those in power. Or who were disapproved of. LGBT folks for example.

[stickmaker]

Yeah, at the very least it should require a court order or warrant, if the person declines.

Also, do you really want the people representing you before the US Congress or the UN to be completely honest? :-)

[kengr]

Also, do you really want the people representing you before the US Congress or the UN to be completely honest? :-)

Might still be better than the current situation.

And don't forget that the "other side" would be just as "honest".