What if we evolved into.....

[mith]

What if we evolved the ability to change our genetic code on demand? Would evolution be necessary and would death cease have any practical purpose?

[biostudent84]

In answer to the second part of your question...death is a natural process. It is not that death is practical purpose...it is that life has one. In insects, organisms only need reproduce...then they are free to die. In humans, however, we live much longer than necessary to reproduce. Why? It costs energy...uses natural resources...so why do we live longer?

The answer is simple...we raise our young...and even our young's young. Few of us live to see our great-grandchildren because of this. It is in our genes to die between the ages of 60 and 80. It saves natural resources, energy...

Living is a practcal purpose. Death is a natural one.

[Maxwell]

Death should not be so easily dismissed as natural. Just because it has happened for as long as life has existed doesn't mean that we should acknowledge death as good or acceptable.

I intend to die as late as possible, thank you very much.

[mith]

No, I'm not really talking about death, I'm saying if we evolved the ability to change DNA on the fly like Larmack theorized i.e. if we tried to breath underwater then we grow gills. Then evolution takes place while we are alive, then does death become necessary to advance evolution, and if it doesn't, would death cease to occur?

[thank.darwin]

Why would things cease to die - things would still get old

[mith]

I think ageing is due to cumilative mutations in the DNA and also to shortening telemeres(Fodder DNA). If we can manipulate DNA consciously that might not happen....unless ageing is not due to DNA.

[keldo]

Do you realize what you are asking. I could could change my genetic material to where I acted and looked different. I could change my athletic ability. Am I right.

[biostudent84]

Death should not be so easily dismissed as natural. Just because it has happened for as long as life has existed doesn't mean that we should acknowledge death as good or acceptable.

I intend to die as late as possible, thank you very much.

You're missing the point, Max. While you are alive, resources (energy, nutrients, and chemicals) are locked into your body. You NEED a reason to live. Biologically, the only reason we have to live is to propogate our genes...after our children and their children are grown, we have no biological reason to live...thus we die.

This is not me speaking...this is a central dogma of the entire field of biology.