Are Engineers really immortal

@gchristnsn OK, I don't fully understand what it is you're suggesting? The head and the Engineer it belonged to may well have been, "functionally alive", but the fact that is now [i]not[/i] functionally alive and in another state, and the fact that you accept the distinction between those states, is the issue. Unfortunately, I think the distinction between its former state of being, "functionally alive", and its current state, lies in the fact that its current state is what is termed as, "Dead". The fact that it is now dead and, therefore, was capable of having the experiencing of Death, means that it obviously cannot ever have been - and, evidently, cannot presently be, "immortal". Something being dead and, "not having decayed", is not the same as it being immortal - it is just dead and not decayed. By that token, a tasty fish now awaiting attention in a freezer is, "immortal", when, obviously, it isn't - and it never was. "False links with the liquid", "humanism", and, "expansion" don't seem, to me, to have much to do with anything in this context... The Engineer is, plainly, [i]physically[/i] dead - therefore he cannot be physically, "immortal", as, if he were physically immortal, he wouldn't be physically dead, he would be physically alive. From what I understood, it was support of [i]physical[/i] life that Weyland was interested in? From that perspective, he would have been able to form no other sensible conclusion than the Engineers are [i]not[/i] physically immortal - because they [i]aren't[/i] - and he couldn't possibly have, "assumed", anything else - and all of this, is by way of answer to the OP's actual question? The OP's question was about Weyland maintaining a certain belief, (regarding the Engineers), in the context of physical immortality - I only say that he could not have maintained that believe, if held. If he did ever previously hold the belief that the Engineers were physically immortal, it was obvious from what he was presented with that they were [i]not[/i], in fact, physically immortal - but one was still physically alive, and physically there, so the whole gig wasn't a complete washout - and he could go and physically ask him, physically something - physically. Other than that, whether Engineers are immortal of soul or not, cannot have been very likely to have had any value in Weyland's immediate frame of discussion and pursuits. I doubt he would have cared or based his initial actions or reactions in reference to that speculation - and the the question doesn't arise, anyhow. If that were the case, and if one Engineer had [i]not[/i] remained alive and they had [i]all[/i] been physically dead, Weyland may still gone down there and waved his bony arms in the air, or something - trying to reach out to their immortal souls to ask them all about his crippled back, but I doubt that....although it might have been a slightly more interesting scene.

[b]allinamberclad[/b] Immortality was Weyland's wish from the beginning and he hoped that the engineers could provide it to him as creators (but why they should do this?). I think, that the concept of immortality is necessary here to base the strategies of the interstellar expansion of the species (creation vs terraforming and direct expansion) and outline motivations of mortal and immortal beings (strategy of the progenitors may be explained only by the facts that they are immortal and they understand that they will exhaust potentially habitable universe if they would expand directly). Yes they of course were only physically immortal and most likely could exist without decay for eternity until something kill them, or they would be gods in the literal sense. The basis of life is energy (the personality may be related to the quantum state of the structures of brain and will perish when energy supply is turned off) and basis for energy is system which could supply it, so you can functionally kill such a being destroying its critical systems, but if he has mechanisms against decay in his cells and tissues of his body it will not decay for eternity. But nothing of this except simple concept of immortality have meaning for the plot.

Im struggling with gchristnsn's point/logic as well (not being a smart ass at all. just completely lost). Having said that, +1 for allinamberclad. Well put.

[b]allinamberclad[/b] Just imagine beings who breed but not die (but could be killed). I don't see what could not be understood here, because this is the essence of the notion of immortality. People are breed but die, and if they would be immortal, they will exhaust all potentially habitable universe. It's actually very interesting question, because nature have mechanisms against overpouplation - aggression and wars, and the strategy of progenitors (whose body don't decay and suggests that they don't die) suggests that they consciously deal against such mechanisms (their behavior may be a result of their religion).

I see what he means - it could be that the engineers can go on living forever IF left unharmed and so in a sense they are immortal in one perspective of the word. But if they are harmed they can die - I think this is what he means yes? But the chances of never being harmed in all of infinite time would be a bit slim! This is all depending on the universe being around for ever of course which if it isn't nothing can be immortal in our universe that lives possibly - this is all way beyond our knowledge lol - no point :P ... Perhaps you should leave it as "the engineers live forever if unharmed" my god I just realised how bored I must be to have typed that out :O ...

@gchristnsn ?!...... But that is not the, "essence of immortality", at all? In fact, it seems to have no relation to it? "Beings who breed but not die (but could be killed)", are, clearly, [i]not,[/i] "immortal" - and there, actually, I would have thought, is the end to it? You might wish they were, but, [i]actually,[/i] they [i]aren't[/i] - as they [i]cannot[/i] be - and you cannot change the actual meaning of a word to suit your wish, as the word and its actual meaning got there first. I don't think it's uncommon to find that a word doesn't exactly suit purposes, but, with so many of them available, I'm certain there are much more satisfying ways to resolve that dilemma? At risk of repetition: the Engineers: are [u]dead[/u] - and they are shown to be prone to Death? Personally, I really would have thought this simple and plain fact should answer any and every query regarding their, "immortality" - but, if not: have it your way...

Im immortal by the way...ok so lets say maybe the engineers can live forever if unharmed - the end! Who gives a s**t lol!

There's nothing to prove or disprove their lifespan either way in the film Purely speculative for now

Well they are not immortal, nether are Vampires for that matter ;) We dont know the life expectancy of a Engineer, but looking at the Elders they appear to be aged so maybe this is a sign Engineers age or that the Engineers were created by the Elders in their image. So it would be safe to assume their race live much longer than Humans, it would also appear as though they do not have females and are not vast in numbers. Again just because we see no evidence of that does not mean that the Homeworld has Billions of Engineers and the females out number the man 6-1. We just dont know so a Engineers natural life expectancy could be what 200 years to 200'000 years we just dont know.