What do you think a immortal monkey would be like?

[Jayson1]

Whenever we think of the concept of life that doesn't end we either think of a God or a human in some kind of afterlife or maybe just someone who doesn't ever die here on earth like the Flint character on the "TOS" episode "Requiem for Methuselah." What would a monkey though be like if it somehow got that ability?

Would a monkey eventually become sentient simply after living so long that the sheer amount of experience he/she would gain would make it possible even though I don't think their brains are designed to contain that level of intelligence? Do you think it might instead be a kind of evolved instinct that develops? For example, if you pointed a gun at the monkey would the monkey know that his/her life was in danger even though it wouldn't quite understand what a gun even is?
I also wonder about his/her emotional state. I think a human would go insane if he/she never died but would a monkey actually not be effected because it's not as self aware as a human or do you think a monkey could even start to feel suicidal while not even understanding that concept?

Jason

 

[MadeIndescribable]

Would a monkey eventually become sentient simply after living so long that the sheer amount of experience he/she would gain

Immortal doesn't have to mean perfect health. Technically a human could still age and suffer the ravages of dementia, but still never die.

if you pointed a gun at the monkey would the monkey know that his/her life was in danger even though it wouldn't quite understand what a gun even is?

That could be said of any monkey, regardless of mortality.

would a monkey actually not be effected because it's not as self aware as a human or do you think a monkey could even start to feel suicidal while not even understanding that concept?

Never underestimate an animals capacity for empathy. Any creature would be tormented by the amount of companions it would have to watch die over and over and over again.

 

[Velocity]

A monkey wouldn't understand the danger from a gun, just danger from a jaguar or a snake. Would he still be immortal if a jaguar caught him and chewed him up? I doubt a monkey could live forever with all the monkey eating enemies that they have. That includes people. Or would they still be living and immortal when changed into jaguar poo? Ok, that's enough thinking about this Jayson monkey thread. Ready for the inevitable next one.

 

[Jayson1]

A monkey wouldn't understand the danger from a gun, just danger from a jaguar or a snake. Would he still be immortal if a jaguar caught him and chewed him up? I doubt a monkey could live forever with all the monkey eating enemies that they have. That includes people. Or would they still be living and immortal when changed into jaguar poo? Ok, that's enough thinking about this Jayson monkey thread. Ready for the inevitable next one.

I know a immortal monkey could in theory be killed so my question does sort of factor in luck that this one somehow managed to not be killed by some outside force. As for aging I was thinking more along the lines of the monkey not physcially aging and just mentally aging.
Also when it comes to being immortal at what point does the brain gain so much knowledge that it has to basically erase everything you use to know to make room for it? With humans who I think would eventually forget everything from their past such as their families and childhood and even early adulthood I wonder what a monkey would forget.

Jason

 

[CorporalCaptain]

An immortal monkey? I see not only Shakespeare, but also Tolstoy, Christie, and the complete works of Asimov.

 

[B.J.]

Ask Jack.

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[J.T.B.]

An immortal monkey? I see not only Shakespeare, but also Tolstoy, Christie, and the complete works of Asimov.

Yeah, but the smell!

 

[Velocity]

I know a immortal monkey could in theory be killed so my question does sort of factor in luck that this one somehow managed to not be killed by some outside force. As for aging I was thinking more along the lines of the monkey not physcially aging and just mentally aging.
Also when it comes to being immortal at what point does the brain gain so much knowledge that it has to basically erase everything you use to know to make room for it? With humans who I think would eventually forget everything from their past such as their families and childhood and even early adulthood I wonder what a monkey would forget.

Jason

Well, unless the monkey is in a zoo, he better hope he doesn't forget who his enemies are or what is ok to eat. I doubt a monkey would have much to remember beyond that and who the other monkeys are in his troop. I don't know that a monkey brain has the ability to grow and learn beyond a certain point, unlike apes. (spoken like the anthropology minor I used to be) Speaking as an old lady, I have trouble with remembering names the most. I can remember songs I sang in grade school fifty years ago, but yesterday I saw a man I used to work with 3 years ago and I couldn't remember his name at all. I worked with him every day. At least monkeys don't have to remember names.