[polybius]

> believe in life extension and immortality

What does this "believe" mean, though? That one trusts that these advances will happen? Think they should happen? Wish fervently that they would happen? All of the above?

I do not think people would say they "believe in personal hovercrafts", just that they would like personal hovercrafts to exist, or expect they will (or won't) someday exist, or think they ought to already exist, etc.

Diction choices such as the "believe" above are why transhumanism has always struck me as quasi-religious (specifically millenarian) in character.

But then again, maybe when you're talking about (potentially indefinite) life extension, there's no way to avoid the millenarian flavor. Literal immortality! Not in some heavenly sphere, but here in our own galaxy! How could you not get all millenarian about such a heady thing?

[Immortalin]

To clarify, I meant people who willing to pursue and embrace immortality (e.g. investing in nanotechnological research, regenerative medecine) and would not simply reject the idea as a pie-in-the-sky theory or argue that we should not be playing god. I am just interested to know how many people on HN would support life extension etc. and would be willing to consider it if it were to happen in this century. ;)