Latest News and Developments about Humankind's Drive Towards Biological Immortality

S Jay Olshansky professor at the School of Public Health and author of The Quest for Immortality is skeptic about achieving immortality.

The struggle for immortality has been an endless road through time. Backing more than 1,700 years, Ko Hung a well-known alchemist became known for his resurrecting capabilities. A more prehistoric cult is Hsien where physical immortality is thought as possible.

According to Ko Hung, transformation was possible, from man to animal and so on. At that time, transformation accounted for the evolution of species. It was even thought that transforming into metals such as gold could be performed. This aspect of alchemy, pinpointed that mortal human could eventually grasp physical immortality through establishing better eating habits. This ancient philosophy is corresponding to our contemporary ‘caloric restriction’ approach towards longevity.

Possibility of Immortality
According to Aubrey de Grey, living up to 1, 000 years can become a viable possibility soon. He firmly refutes that immortality is unattainable and that death is necessary. Some clear example about improvement in longevity is for instance, Ko Hung, who reached the age of 60, which was in 343 AD a very old age. Yet, Hsien didn’t work for Hung.

Moreover, Roger Bacon, a 13th Century English Philosopher was well known for the Bacon’s Theory; SATP. It proposed that life span could be indeterminate as physical immortality is achieved simply by using the “Secret Arts of The Past”. Bacon proposed that human lifespan has been at a steady decline since ancient patriarchs, due to undignified and bad lifestyle.

Denying early steps towards immortality
S Jay Olshansky, PhD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago considered that physical immortality isn’t as simple as it seems to be. The only common accomplishment by past philosopher physical immortality is ‘death’.

Bacon’s considered that to achieve immortality it would only be to practice SATP. ‘Secret Art of The Past’, which is a lifestyle, constituted on healthiness and consumption of substances such as coral, pearl and gold. These substances supposedly dealt with the aging of humans. Roger Bacon pass-away at the age of 78 in 1292. Yet, he reached a high-leveled age for that time but SATP failed.

Physical immortality has always been an alluring aim of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Greek Physician Galen, 2nd Century AD, Avicenna, Arabic physician 11th century AD and ancient Hindus were all in the search for physical immortality. Even explorers such as Alexander the Great and Ponce De Leon were in the quest for magical places such as ‘Shangri-la’, ‘Holy Grail” or ‘Fountain of Youth”. Despite their tremendous effort, their attempts remained futile.

Mummers rather than certainty
Many scientists propose that physical immortality might, with the contribution of financial support, be unveiled in 10 years. These people might have tin knowledge about history or might even be saying the same thing as Alexander the Great or Roger Bacon said in their time. There are no confirmed promises; the only one thing that needs to be accomplished is to survive long enough to life eternally.

The story of physical immortality is an old tale of living a life of lasting youth. It consists of the absence of fragility and full strength, both mentally and physically. It is a very lucrative and seductive proposal that is still very uncertain until now.

Gerontology has not yet reached a state of technology where extending life by hundred years is feasible. According to S Jay Olshansky, gerontology can deliver more in the field of mental and physical health rather than immortality. The outcome of healthiness can practically extend life span consequently. Increase in life expectancy based on healthiness should be considered as a windfall gain.

Reference:
‘Don’t fall for the cult of immortality’

Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Immortality, Longevity