195 Essays on Infinite Lifespans   Mike Treder It is even conceivable that in the future we will be able to simulate the personalities of people from the past – whether celebrities, historical figures, or loved ones – and relate directly with them. It is also possible that you might (with their per- mission, of course) choose to integrate one or more of these identities into your own. You may also someday accept the invitation to become part of a meta-being by subsuming your identity (or maybe a copy of your identity) into theirs. Some have speculated that the long-term evolution of posthumans must follow this pathway into integrated immortal super-beings. [9] Whatever happens, it is clear that the future will be much stranger  –  and  far  more  wonderful  –  than  we  have  ever imagined. References 1) United Nations Demographic Yearbook, 2000 // http:// www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/001023hungerreport/ 2) http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Immortality 3) McKibben, Bill; Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age (2003); Times Books ; // Kass, Leon; Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness (2003); Regan Books 4) Bova, Ben; Immortality: How Science Is Extending Your Life Span and Changing the World (1998); William Morrow & Company; pg.183 5) Meltzer; Milton; Slavery: A World History (1993); Da Capo Press