IMMORTALITY

USA Today recently ran this news article:

Pope: Don't pursue immortality medicine

VATICAN CITY March 10, 2008 (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI says an immortality pill might not be such a good thing.
During a homily in a church near St. Peter's Square on Sunday, the pontiff was reflecting on the goals of science and wondering whether a pill against death would be a good discovery.

In the view of the pope, the world would be full of old people and there would be no more space for the young. The 80-year-old pontiff says it's better not to hope for biological life that can be made to last forever.

I commented on the article:
One of the most important goals of the human race is the advancement of knowledge. A person accumulates a vast store of information over their lifetime and when they die, much of that information is lost. Not being able to communicate all you have learned in a lifetime is truly a great tragedy. If we can overcome death, then I beleive we can easily overcome any overcrowding problems we might face. One thing we might do is reduce the birthrate and another is to expand into outer space. Another thing we might do is to allow people to die when they want to.