Dr. Aubrey de Grey, leads the SENS project at Cambridge University and a runner for Methuselah Mprize (extending life span of mouse), believes that research on longevity will soon pay-off.
The pace of time and elapse of years causes aging, and aging is a physical alteration to our body. However, in the future aging might become controlled element similar to any other disease. It is visible that medicine is improving day-by-day and treating more and more health predicaments.
According to Dr. Aubrey de Grey, SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) project that focus on curing and preventing aging, already has a comprehensive plan that can maintain and repair cellular and even molecular damages caused by aging or other health issues.
The technology and methodologies used are already approved at initial clinical trials. There is only a need to combine technology available.
Is living to 1,000 Possible – Another Perspective
S Jay Olshansky, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, considered that extending life significantly, such as up to 1,000 has never been a viable target in gerontology. For instance, if the life of mice is successfully extended to 10 years, than it would practically make sense. It would thereafter only take perhaps another 10 years until the same therapy or medicine would work well for human beings.
Succumbing to fear of old age can be left behind as longevity is making progress. Nonetheless, we won’t become immortal as we will eventually die from other attributes such as flu or accidents and poison from dangerous animals.
What We all Want To Know
When will living to 1000 years be possible? Let’s put it simple: the first millenarian might already be 60 today according to Aubrey de Grey. The accumulative progress that occurs enables repairing of tissues and cells. Eventually, the most serious damage is cell lost, mutated without replacement in our chromosomes, generally caused by seven major categories of cellular and molecular damage. New technology is actively trying to rectify these loopholes in the aging process.
Stronger Belief in Life
People will live a much better life as short life spans of 65-90 are extending by multiplies. Frailty of age will vanish, and practically life extension is the same as life saving as the motive of both is to give a second chance. The new average age will bump up to above a hundred years, while that might even be considered as dying young.
Moreover, having affluent teenagers who are aware about risk-aversion could create a safer neighbourhood. This would eventually prolong survival rate even further and giving human a 50% change to even go beyond the thousand figure. In this possible future, individuals would be strong, independent and both mentally and physically well.
What will happen to society?
Simply thinking about living up to 1, 000 years brings about a utopian or perhaps a dystopian world. Preventing aging will alter everything we assumed today. Society will become long-lived. It would also ascertain the ‘right to life’, where you can decide when to stop your life. Eventually gerontology would consider that curing aging is a basic motive. Doing otherwise would imply that old and frail people are not worth medical care.
Another perspective is boredom of life. Some people think that we would be dreadfully bored when having such a long life. This would not apply to those who strive for learning as they usually lack time. They would finally be able to enjoy life.
Yet, theological criticism would bring about aggressive debates about nature of God. The downfall of belief and the surpassing of nature would make heightening dialogues around the Globe.
In reality humans have always been skilled at fixing and building things dating back the first inventions and discoveries; wheel and fire. In this sense, constantly innovating and building on technology would represent our will power and the image that God created us.
Tue, Dec 8, 2009
Anti Aging