New Study: Only 33% Would Opt For Immortality

Captain Kirk once said 'The trouble with immortality is it's boring.' But how many people agree with him?

Long-time Slashdot reader tinkers shares one answer. University of Texas scientists surveyed more than 900 adults living in the U.S. — and discovered that only 33% of them would be willing to take an immortality pill if one existed.

But then they broke down the results into different age groups. From The Independent:

One group was younger people, between the ages of 18 and 29, another group of senior citizens whose average age was 72, and a third group made up of individuals whose average age was 88. Each of the groups reached a majority consensus that they would not want to live forever. However, among the youngest group and oldest group there were differences in what age they would prefer to be 'frozen' at by a theoretical immortality pill.

The younger group chose the age of 23, while the oldest group picked 42... The youngest group had the largest number of individuals saying they would want to live forever, with 34% saying they would take an immortality pill. Another 40% said they would not take one, and 26% said they were unsure.

The middle group saw slightly fewer people willing to live forever, with 32% saying they would take the pill, and 43% saying they would not. A quarter of the the respondents said they were unsure. The oldest group saw the fewest number of those interested in eternal life, with only 24% saying they would agree to take the pill. More than half — 59% — said they would not take it, with only 17% saying they were unsure....

Differences in responses emerged along gender lines as well, with more men saying they would take the pill than women.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.