As if it isn’t scary enough that women in their early 30s are shooting their foreheads full of botulinum toxin A (more euphemistically known as “Botox® “) to clench onto the slippery fountain of youth—now one author predicts we can “cure” aging, arguing that the aging process is merely a disease. Sounds like Mork from Ork to me.
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Aubrey de Grey, a computer scientist and biogerontologist believes it’s possible for humans to live for centuries and discusses his theory in the newly released book, “Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime.”
De Grey believes that if we get to work now on curing this “disease,” humans could live for 1,000 years. 1,000 years?! Now while I don’t exactly look forward to the prospect of eternal rest, I have to say being around for century upon century doesn’t sound too great either.
If the earth didn’t somehow slough us off due to the demands we would place on it via overpopulation and increasing energy needs, we would then presumably be forced to live out each phase in a far more extended time span. Can you imagine crawling around in pampers for over 100 years? Or worse, going through puberty for a century? Or what about doing late nights at the office for 500 years? While this would enable us to be cats with 9 lives, I’ll happily leave the whims of reinvention up to Madonna.
In my former mentor’s office she had a poster with Woody Allen on it that said, “The best age is the age you are.” And that’s true…mainly because it’s quickly fleeting and thus infinitely precious…not even close to a disease.
Amanda Sobanet
Comments (1)
Great site and thanks for bringing this critical topic into public debate.
Proposals like Aubrey de Grey's can seem surprising at first. But aging is a terrible disease that kills 100,000 people a year.
being around for century upon century doesn’t sound too great either
That's always your choice. But wouldn't you like to test it first before giving up?
Can you imagine crawling around in pampers for over 100 years? Or worse, going through puberty for a century?
This misperception is so common that it has a name: the Tithonus Error. I can imagine living as long as I choose with the healthy, robust body you had at age 25. I sounds pretty good to me.
Or what about doing late nights at the office for 500 years?
My mom retired at age 61 and now plans on devoting the rest of her life to helping other people as a volunteer. Every day is thrill for her as she makes the world a better place for everyone.
overpopulation and increasing energy needs Overpopulation is largely a myth. What matters is how we choose to use our planet and our resources, not the amount of absolute space. Nonetheless, this *may* be an issue we have to ultimately address - perhaps centuries from now. Perhaps we'll have space colonization by then. Perhaps we'll have to restrict the birth rate. In either case, the problem is not as bad as 100,000 people suffering and dying every day.
It is really, really, hard for us to imagine a radically different world. Imagine how our great-grandparents would view our society? It would look like utopia to them.
Regardless of whether you think super-longevity is a good thing or not doesn't matter: it will eventually happen. It is up to us to decided whether we want that option for our parents, us, our children, or our children's children.
If you want that option you will consider de Grey's ideas seriously and support them.
Posted by Kevin Dewalt | November 8, 2007 7:11 PM
Posted on November 8, 2007 19:11