h a l f b a k e r yNot so much a thought experiment as a single neuron misfire.
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Gravity sucks... ... or luminiferous aether pushes, either way you look at it, getting old is difficult while plastered to a planetary mass.
I propose a registered retirement savings plan which guarantees placement in a spinning orbital elderly home.
These massive cylindrical complexes have
a rate of rotation which equates to one earth gravity when standing inverted within its spinning outer hull.
Each level closer to the center would decrease centrifugal/fake-gravitational attraction by a factor determined by size of the cylinder and distance between levels.
I think this has the chance to greatly prolong human life while retaining much more of the quality of life enjoyed by a more youthful self.
You'd start our stay at one-G and work your way toward the ball-pit room at the center at your own pace and comfort level. Trips to the outer levels for exercise class would help maintain bone density and keep them bowels making regular bio-mass movements to fuel the thrusters.
Most retired people I've met say that they longed for retirement most of their working lives and then found themselves lost and suddenly not knowing what to do when they finally got there. This would let elderly folks of sound mind to continue to be productive even though they no longer need to earn a living.
Those people not of sound mind, well, they... we, could dance and play again.
And post retirement...
Ethermal_20Resting_20Place
[theircompetitor, Aug 07 2014]
STS-95
http://en.wikipedia...Glenn#Space_shuttle
You're never too old, apparently. [8th of 7, Aug 07 2014]
[link]
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Ok, I like the idea, the problem would be getting the pensioners up into orbit....but too much of the G forces with current technology... |
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//Those people not of sound mind, well, they... we, could dance and play again |
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"Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time and space amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin monotonous whine of accursed flutes". |
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So problems with the lighting, and media player stuck on Radio 3 at the Elder Gods orbital "DunSmighting"? |
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I am assuming that current youthful humans will opt to make orbital space a tourist destination before they are no longer able... and hope that I am still able by that time. |
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No, but if Sandra Bullock comes knocking don't open the airlock. Also a no throwing cigarette butts out of the window regulation might be handy. |
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// too much of the G forces with current technology... // |
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Not so. John Glenn travelled to orbit on the Shuttle at age 77 without
ill effcts. |
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One minor problem is that low-G environments are
fairly devastating on the human metabolism. Aside
from muscle wasting and loss of bone density, there
are a bunch of other adverse effects. Ageing
appears to be considerably accelerated in
microgravity. |
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... and thus the descendents inherit sooner ? There's no downside ! |
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So, heaven is beneath us? |
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// One minor problem is that low-G environments
are fairly devastating on the human metabolism // |
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True, but many people would happily do something
that is expected to decrease their life expectancy if
it greatly improves their quality of life. |
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You mean like getting divorced ? |
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So do you live longer in, er, macrogravity? |
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//Ageing appears to be considerably accelerated in microgravity.// |
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hm I did not know this. Now I can't help but wonder how well a baby critter, say a small bird, would adapt if born weightless and able to manipulate the trapped air to move around? Would their circulation/bones/life-span adapt to an environment none of its predecessors had experienced? |
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I don't think that the inhabitants would spend large amounts of time totally weightless, just at whatever weight best lets them get around under their own steam for as long as they can. |
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The areas closest to the center would be for recreation... and hospice; |
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A little rub-down on the Lido deck and maybe a lap or two of the 1/4-G bike track to warm up for your 10:45 game of 1/8-G racquetball with Frank, (that rat-bastard), leaves just enough time to get in a good Micro-G soak in the three-sixtygree floating spa-spheres before lunch... and then perhaps a bit of a cat-nap so as not to crap out on the Exo-walk to check out the Perseid showers this evening with Francine.
Life is good. |
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// So, heaven is beneath us? // |
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It surrounds us... ooh I got a shiver. |
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//True, but many people would happily do something that is expected to decrease their life expectancy if it greatly improves their quality of life.// |
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True that.
I just like the image of an arthritic 78 year old ballerina being able to dance again after she thought it had been taken away for ever. |
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If it accelerates the ageing process but you get to play until you can't... that wouldn't be so bad.
...and it might be a way to finance such an undertaking since most people will pay the minimum on the never-never plan meaning that the amount in interest would be phenomenal, that guaranteed income could be borrowed against on the world financial stage 'legitimately' and a large percentage of folks on the plan would not live long enough to get to space which would then act as a secondary life insurance policy to the family members who could either cash out or roll the plan over to another. |
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It's like win, win-win win. |
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