229
Essays on Infinite Lifespans
Shannon Vyff
gions. What other people believe, their histories and how
their cultures (and even our own) are affected today by their
religions. In class they also learn about community service,
about self-esteem and how caring committed people have
affected change. I see my children struggling to balance
their emerging ideals with what is ‘cool’ as seen in our popu-
lar media culture versus what their own hearts tell them. It
can be overwhelming for anyone young or old to hear of all
the wrongs to be righted. To my children I like to mention
that if the Earth’s 4.5 billion year history were represented as
24 hours, the 2000 years of written history would be a mere
second or two, and in that brief time we humans have been on
an increased path of happiness and wisdom.
In all these wonderful, almost daily, deep, philosophical dis-
cussions I get into with various people and my own children
about the nature of this universe, I mainly try to instill hope.
I think the ripples I create might spread. It’s not just about
proselytizing (although I’d love all to join the immortalist
cause). It is about the little sound bites I give people (like
the eye-opening things you will no doubt read in this book)
such as neural chip implants for rats, photographic memory
for fruit flies, and cat brains that have been frozen and then
brought back to normal looking electrical activity – things we
have actually been able to do. I like to think these sound bites
will come out elsewhere in other people’s conversations, and
they may be inspired to learn more. In this process of becom-
ing more curious and aware, they internalize how they can
affect change.
When younger people today (and older people who have
already accumulated more wealth and power) think about
such things as being aware of how research money is spent
and their own taxpayer money is used, they can vote in to
office the people who will spend it most effectively for them.
I am thankful that the Immortality Institute has been created