Steven Cave was extremely eloquent in talking about something that many of us are afraid to discuss. He describes 4 different stories we tell ourselves about death and how we deal with them. One of the most impacting statements to me was that we believe these 4 stories because we are biased and we are biased because we are afraid of death. Our fear of death is natural but not rational. Its not rational because theres absolutely nothing that we can do about it, we just need to come to terms with it.
Elixir- the old story of a fountain of youth is a very common immortality story. We have changed that to fit today’s feelings through how we can avoid death through science (stem cells etc). In greek mythology their nectar and ambrosia can be seen as the elixir of immortality.
Resurrection- some people can accept that they are going to die but know that they will return. This is especially important in christianity. In todays day and age we see resurrection ideas through cryogenically freezing practices.
Soul- A much more spiritual way of seeing immortality. Its the idea that the body dies but the soul will always live on. We see this in Ancient Egyptian myths. After being mummified with everything they could possibly need in the afterlife their souls take on this vast journey to the underworld.
Legacy- The idea of legacy as an immortality story is a bit different than the other 3 stories. Instead of the person or their soul living forever they are always remembered. Today it is much easier to have a legacy with the internet available for pretty much everyone.
At the end of his lecture, Cave describes the way he came to terms with his inevitable death. He sees it as a book. The opening cover his birth and the back cover as his death. All that matters to him is that it was a good story no matter how long or how short it is.
Hum 115: World Mythology 
I like how you mentioned that it is much easier to leave a legacy behind thanks to the good ol’ world wide web. It’s going to be quite a while before internet land forgets “deez nuts” guy or Charlie from “Charlie Bit Me” but even more importantly it gives us direct and immediate access to the people making a significant difference out there and it’s pivotal that their name and ideas live on.
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You mention nectar and ambrosia as an elixir in Greek myth. But remember that Tantalus was in eternal torment in Hades because he stole the food of the gods. Greek mythology has that strong theme of humans needed to remember their limits, so any attempt at an elixir would be denying our nature as thanatoi (those who die). In a more modern sense, I’m thinking about the trope in fiction about scientists “playing god” and creating disasters because they wanted to reshape the boundaries of our mortality. Think of how often “living forever” starts as a wish and ends as a curse.
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I liked that Cave said he viewed it as a book and an inevitability. I think that everyone wants to live the longest life possible instead of trying to make the most out of it and leave behind a greater legacy in actually living instead of just surviving.
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