Benjamin Franklin’s Thoughts On Science, Technology, and Indefinite Life Extension

“I always rejoice to hear of your being still employed in experimental researches into nature and of the success you meet with. The rapid progress true science now makes, occasions my regretting sometimes that I was born too soon. It is impossible to imagine the height to which may be carried, in a thousand years, the power of man over matter. We may, perhaps, deprive large masses of their gravity, and give them absolute levity, for the sake of easy transport. Agriculture may diminish its labor and double its produce: all diseases may by sure means be prevented or cured, (not excepting even that of old age,) and our lives lengthened at pleasure, even beyond the antediluvian standard. Oh that moral science were in as fair a way of improvement, that men would cease to be wolves to one another, and that human beings would at length learn what they now improperly call humanity.”

— Benjamin Franklin, “Letter to Joseph Priestly,” (1780)

3 Comments Add yours

  1. Mark Waser says:

    BAH! I should have re-blogged this rather than re-posting it. My apologies. I’ll do better next time.

    1. B.J. Murphy says:

      haha No worries, my friend. Re-blog, re-post, RE-BOOT!, it doesn’t matter which. So long it’s out there. :)

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