[cathrithbo]

I agree with your optimistic stance however everyone has at least a small amount of valuable knowledge. I trust we will extend the lives of all those wish to remain alive.

Since you're an optimist, you'll probably be one of them :-)

dasil003 doesn't say what the ethical question is, but I think he's got it the wrong way around with motivation. As Aubrey de Grey has argued, it is the fear of death, coupled with the pessimistic assumption of death's inevitability, which makes talk of life extension taboo in many circles.

('If you can't avoid something unpleasant then embrace it' is a viable psychological strategy.)

One ethical objection to not researching life extension is that huge amounts of healthcare budget go into extending the lives of frail, sick people in their final years. When we know how to keep people healthy indefinitely this problem will be solved, although pessimistic individuals will then have to take the responsibility of choosing when to die (if ever).