The Immortals

The Immortals

2018, Health  -   15 Comments
6.70
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Ratings: 6.70/10 from 23 users.

If aging and mortality can be looked upon as illnesses, might there be hope that they can be cured? An industry of age extending pioneers is betting on it, and many wealthy consumers have volunteered their cells, DNA or severed heads for the cause. "The Immortals" examines the business of eternal life, and the moral and ethical implications of this controversial quest.

Within the sultry, arid landscapes of Arizona, a select group of willing guinea pigs lie in a perpetual frozen state. At the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, the clientele buys into the theory that science will one day uncover the cure for all mortal ills, and have the capacity to revive the dead into a brave new world. Company co-founder Linda Chamberlain offers a tour of the facilities, which concludes in a showroom of cryogenic tanks. Her own husband and parents-in-law are housed among the rows of icy cylindrical graves.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, entrepreneurs are taking the notion of anti-aging up a notch. Not content to utilize temporary facial fillers and rejuvenation creams, they're employing tools that vary from experimental drugs and vitamins to extremely risky biological manipulations.

Liz Parrish, the co-founder of BioViva, was her own first client. She underwent a procedure that extended the tips of her chromosomes. These caps are crucial in the cell replications that keep us youthful and vital. Parrish's goals are not merely aesthetic. By mounting an aggressive defense against the biological process of aging, she hopes to one day extend life spans by hundreds or thousands of years.

In her view, if the medical and scientific communities have coalesced in their efforts to cure cancer and other chronic diseases, then why should they waver on the subject of mortality? After all, aging is the number one cause of death. The film addresses this and other debates that incite resistance to the eternal life movement, including issues related to overpopulation, climate change, and our planet's dwindling resources.

Some may look upon these efforts as ridiculous, outlandish or downright immoral. "The Immortals" seems to recognize the aspects of this story that play like science fiction, while acknowledging that one day they could become our reality.

Directed by: Tomas Kaan

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derek norbury
derek norbury
5 years ago

I think a small proportion of increasing life span will be in a water supplement!

Daniel
Daniel
5 years ago

You can have Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. The Bible is quite clear on this.

DGG
DGG
5 years ago

A lot of angry people commenting here, and I'm really sorry their current lives are not happy enough to want more of the same. I have a wonderful life and would love it if I could live forever, or better yet, have some do-overs to correct some bad decisions early on.

Devil Travels
Devil Travels
5 years ago

Technology tends to advance far faster than human psychology.
We humans tend to be abusive to each other and our selves. We inflict all number of psychological damage through the years. This fact is unlikely to change any time soon, even if life extension becomes possible.
Having 80 years worth of emotional baggage is bad enough, but collecting 800 years of emotional baggage...I suspect the human psyche can not evolve fast enough to handle such a thing.
A long life may not be all sunshine and roses as the people in this documentary paint it out to be.
So, not only will these experimenters have to try to fix the body, they will have to fix the mind at the same time. And that is far more complicated of a task.

Last Viewer
Last Viewer
5 years ago

Human beings always created his, their tools based on what mother nature teach them.
Because in the end, he or they have to live in this present material world he, they love so much!
So? Why wouldn't we look at other animals who are eternal?
:=> Does anyone know any eternal animal?
It appear that it's difficult to understand this notion.

In addition, we know that even if one clone an individual before its, his death; the problem of transferring its or his mind to the new clone is nothing less than a chimere.
I'm in pure science and studied during at least 10 years after high school 25 years ago.
I love hearing 'bout new techno but sometimes, I'm fed-up.
If I'd live another second life, I need a new bigger brain.
There was no GC, mass spectra, no NMR when I begun...
And looking at my brain at its present size, it looks good because it has a standard size.

Ludicrous documentary but useful to assess the reality of mother nature.

Andre Alexander
Andre Alexander
5 years ago

The old materialism with its view that nothing exists but matter is no longer tenable even for secular science. Thoughts and intelligence are demonstrably not physical. The body has only been the means whereby the thinking, nonmaterial person living within has been able to function in the physical universe. When the body dies there is no reason either in logic, science or the Bible to suggest that the soul and spirit cease to exist. The fact that, as a thinking and experiencing being composed of soul and spirit, man is nonmaterial requires an eternal destiny from which there is no escape.

That we are eternally accountable to the God who created us and as sinners are separated from God in His perfect holiness is rational, biblical and clear to every person's conscience. Separation from the only source of life brings both physical and spiritual death. Man's only hope is God's love and grace; there is nothing he could himself do to heal this breach between himself and his Creator.

Roger Andout
Roger Andout
5 years ago

For the people who have $16m to invest. Mere plebs such as I will die in due course along, with my friends. Live for 2 or 3 life-times. I'll pass - not that I have any alternative. Honestly, humans are now a plague on the planet. de Gray suffers from group think. We are reproducing exponentially and not dying fast enough, and then add in preventive medicine - for those who can afford it - and the natural balance of things is out of kilter. Sure, I'm all for curing cancers, etc - but eternal life. I wonder how's that working for God/Allah/ who ever.

Paul Modde
Paul Modde
5 years ago

This is based on the hypothesis that death is final. Personally I do not buy into that theory we have been programmed to believe since birth. Why? Because my hypothesis is that we are not physical beings trying to live or have a spiritual experience, but spiritual (pure consciousness) beings presently living a physical experience. And when we leave this physical world we transcend into another level of existence. I do not have the means to prove my hypothesis but neither do the makers of this documentary. They hope believe and have faith as do I. Time will tell which of us is correct or some aspect thereof. To express this from another perspective I was inspired to write the following as I watched sun rise over the worlds biggest volcano Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii back in 1970. Up through the clear white mist, Which surpasses the mountain tops, Into the infinite color of blue, Hypnotic and true, We surpass the minds, of shadowed mortal reality, Into Immortal Reality, INFINITY!

DEE Gordon
DEE Gordon
5 years ago

They lost me at "Jesus".

DEE Gordon
DEE Gordon
5 years ago

Really--I'll take my chances that I will come back as a butterfly or a horse.

Mary-Ann Carleton
Mary-Ann Carleton
5 years ago

Life is death, death is life and everything in between.

thomas
thomas
5 years ago

Well I can only say I do understand peoples fear of death. But scince I had already passed from this life twice before and came back I do not fear death any longer. In fact I welcome it.
Please don't get me wrong I don't have a desire to die again that is my body and life hear is over, Not being able to see family and friends until they also cross over to the other side.
Yes there is anouther side of this life and its full of love. I think its very sad people freeze there body in hopes of living again. Maybe Trans humanism appeals to people who reject Jesus Christ and his promise of eternal life. Maybe being people of scince destroys there ability to see life from another perspective. I try to think how they may feel and what they see about life and find that there vision in life as a whole lacks the scientific conclusion that in life everything is perfect and in order, In Nature, The universe, and as far as the natural eye can see its all in order. Evan death is apart of that order. But thats what I see and most likely its because I had already died and have seen the other side of hear, This life. No longer do I fear the out come of my life. I will have a very big smile on my face when that time comes again. Its so Beautiful and wonderful to know that on the other side of hear there is Heaven.
And Jesus Christ wants to welcome you there. Death has no sting for those who put there faith in Gods Son Jesus Christ.

Munawar Memon
Munawar Memon
5 years ago

Those who are looking for extension of their life might as well first find out how long are they are going to live? The best tool developed by humans to determine life span is " Astrology " let us find out how long anybody is going to live ? Let us take " Astrology " side by side with " Biology " ? It would be fair to know by any means of calculations " When is anybody going to die and fall sick "

Deborah Hebblethwaite
Deborah Hebblethwaite
5 years ago

Interesting documentary. It certainly makes me happy that death when it comes is my rebirth of what i truly am