Read History with Jack 21 Gilgamesh's project

   In the entire human history, there is one topic that perplexes the world’s scientists the most: Death. In the past, ancient people were giving meaning to death rather than trying to overcome, and they claimed that death was the inevitable ending of life. The most ancient literature in the world, the Epic of Gilgamesh, was a very good example.

    The Epic of Gilgamesh told the story of a hero’s quest. Gilgamesh was a powerful king of a city called Uruk. He was half man half god, and his subject people feared him. Therefore, they prayed to the gods seeking for protection. The gods created Enkidu, a wild man who was stronger than any animal. He challenged Gilgamesh to a fight but Gilgamesh won. From then on, the two heroes became very intimate friends. Then, they went on defeating the gods’ giants and monsters which enraged the gods. The gods cursed Enkidu and eventually he died. Gilgamesh stayed by his friend’s body for a long time until he saw a worm dropping out of Enkidu’s nostrils. He was suddenly gripped with horror that he himself would die one day, and he must find the way to be immortal. He set out for a dangerous quest, fighting monsters and finding his way into the underworld. At last, he found Utnapishtim, the last survivor of a vast flood, and convinced Utnapishtim to tell him how to be immortal. However, on his journey back to Uruk, the magical plant which would make him immortal was eaten by a snake, and he came back empty-handed. Then, he learned that when the gods created human, they set death as the inevitable fate of humankind, and we should learn to live with it. But, this was not the case for modern day science and biology.

   70,000 years ago we were just an insignificant animal in a corner of Africa. But in the following millennia, we transferred ourselves into the master of the world and the terror of the ecosystem. Scientists are now developing new means to make the body more invulnerable to death, like genetic implantation and replacement of organs. Defeating death is becoming a reality. Some scientists even predict that in 2050, there would be a-mortal (not immortal, because they could still die of some accident, but they would be immortal if they do not experience any accident.)

   However, doing this could also raise many potential dangers. This would mean social unfairness, since only the rich and powerful could enjoy the perks of immortality. This could cause riots and social violence. Also, if this technology is harnessed by a crazy leader like Hitler, it could cause severe damage to the world.

   Moreover, as humans are deteriorating the environment and causing mass animal extinction, we are at the brink of extinction ourselves. We do not know what our true needs are and we are never satisfied with our life. Those who are immortal might crave more wealth or power. Can immortality really bring happiness to humankind? Do humans need to consider what they truly want?