One can only imagine the ambiguity in everyone concerned when the population begins to load itself up with elderly, resource sucking greybeards who’s only perceived contribution to society is one of consumption and not production. What are those in charge supposed to do about this challenging ethical and moral dilemma? The frightening prospect of a world with crotchety old folks clogging roads and supermarket aisles…dreadful thought, unless you are one of the lucky immortal geezers gifted with extended or even everlasting earthbound life.
What an exaggerated concept it is to believe that the elderly living in an immortal world would be a resource drain. When you truly think about it, is it right or wrong for individuals to make the attempt to live forever? That is a question that has made the rounds of life extension debates for some time.
The science and medical communities are making increased headway into regenerative physiological solutions utilizing stem cell research to slowly carry onward. Health studies bring us ever closer to understanding about the effect of lifestyle options and their influence on our futures. Tissue and organ manipulation and transplantation are more routine and medical researchers of the genetic variety make progress almost daily deciphering our gene pool. We humans as a species are coming very close to knowing the secrets of life extension and even the potential for immortality. This is no longer the stuff of Hollywood sci-fi.
What require added attention are the legions of people raising the queries regarding the ethics and morality of immortality , are doing so with the answer already clearly in place – “This should not happen, it is just not right!” There is no difference in the political stripe of the loudest of these critics, complaining in print and other media about how people will continue living long past the last final Jeopardy airs.
Why does the subject of immortality bring with it such an unconstructive dialogue? Well, apparently there are numerous reasons available when you read the opinions and listen to the anti elderly “pundits” who are seemingly springing up all over the place. One reason many are against immortality and the science to make it happen is the incredible cost involved in support of an army of fogies and the lack of good health many would experience. The longer the population lives could well mean more age related conditions, like arthritis, osteoporosis, and altered brain function along with hygiene and care issues – who the heck wants to live like that?
One more complaint from these naysayers is that it just is not meant to happen – humans living immortal lives or for long extended time periods. It is against all innately human expectations and probably those of anything God ever intended. Human life expectancy is supposed to be for no more than maybe one hundred years of age and anything longer is a genetic anomaly.
Those folks who are vexed by living in a world of immortal humans, in addition, worry about the prospects of children growing up in a world without opportunity. They also fear living in a world of egotistical vanity, where a long life is expected and they are worthy of as much time as can be wrung out of a human.
These debates have been argued for some time and not many take them too seriously since most people believe it will not have an impact in their lifetime. But is it erroneous thinking for any of us to want the government and private sector to invest the kind of money necessary to research and develop this type of technology? What could possibly be wrong with wanting to live longer or if these findings even helped our children and grandchildren live improved lives?
What About Life Extension Over Immortality
Rather than getting our hackles up over immortality, lets remove it from the equation due to the fact that we are so far removed from this potentiality and no technology is even remotely close to keeping us vital forever. At this moment, however, the potential exists for an increase in our current life expectancy by a wide margin; remaining alive forever is a pipe dream for some time to come. We should be discussing what is really doable and that is living for a longer span than we are presently.
Ultimately the same ridiculous arguments will be made about living longer, just like we heard when discussing immortality and they are just absurd. No one is talking about spending billions only to grow older for longer while becoming ever more feeble and debilitated. Who wants to suffer like that? The inspiration behind living longer is that we do so in good health with some quality to our prolonged lives. If there is nothing to look forward to in living extended years but wearing a diaper and staring at a wall, there is no debate, period. This however, is not where the center of the argument lies.
As for upsetting any natural laws of life expectancy – hogwash! Who wrote those laws? Our life span as it currently stands has increased twofold since the time of the ancient Hittites, Greeks, Egyptians et al who were doing well if they lived to a ripe old thirty five or so. Does this make us unethical or immoral, even freaks of nature because we have improved on our life expectancy?
From a Biblical perspective, there are plenty of folks who lived for eight or nine hundred years – Noah, of ark fame lived many hundreds of years, he would have needed that extra time for his do it yourself project! I believe it is pretty obvious that evolution – by its very nature – has no plan to halt the progress of a particular species. Some organisms live a few days while others live for many hundreds, even thousands of years. Evolution could not care any less how long you, I and the rest of humanity stay alive and procreate. An inherent life span of a predetermined length of time just is not part of the human species – just our ever increasing capabilities with technology, medicine, community health and agricultural progress.
Sure, there will be some hurdles to overcome, not the least of which will be what we do with the increase in elderly and the young people seeking methods to dislodge their predecessors in the workplace. There are ways to ease these problems by shuffling social traditions and instituting laws that see fair compromises for both generations to avoid the older folks impeding the advancement of new blood. As life expectancy increases, the flexibility of society will have to be evident along with improved social security and health care as an incentive for retirees. There will need to be enhanced means of doling out resources so the fogies are not hogging the works! I for one have faith in society as a whole to make the considerate decisions for all.
These decisions could include raising the age of retirement but offering augmented retirement packages as an inducement. Certain employees’ jobs would have an expiration date that allows for a younger individual to replace an older employee. A form of affirmative action for younger persons with leadership potential could be implemented. Open minds will play an important role and perhaps even some form of social equity could be invoked to ensure no one is forgotten or slips through the cracks of the longevity progression taking place.
It is not by any stretch self serving, nor does vanity have a part to play in our desire to want a longer life. Ask any of your loved ones how they would feel if you could continue to be a part of their lives for an extended period of time. There could well be an argument that vanity has a part to play where immortality is concerned, but deeper thought reveals confusion between vanity and a simple yearning to live longer for our loved ones that powers our vision for a prolonged existence.
All the gnashing of teeth, allegations and indicting double speak aside, it is still unapparent if the desire for an extended life is in fact unethical, immoral or even going against God’s greater plan for humanity. There still has not been a compelling enough debate against such a plan. The experts in the field think it is only a matter of a few decades before we will be able to see our great grandchildren having their own children. Medical research experiences new breakthroughs regularly and we are on the cusp of many long awaited treatments, therapies and cures for our most frightening age related diseases. It took less than a decade for Americans to walk on the moon after a serious commitment was made to make it happen. This was also science fiction for many who sat and watched the first lunar steps happen in their lifetime.
Humans are a curious species which is a large part of the reason why we have evolved so much through time. Brilliant and motivated minds are hard at work trying to make extended longevity a reality sooner rather than later. Private industry sees potential financial gain in keeping people alive longer and medical professionals are sworn to assist individuals in sustaining their health for as long as possible. They already have many preventive measures they can offer and treatments keep getting better for common illnesses due to age. What killed us thirty of forty years ago are now treatable, albeit chronic conditions now but we buy ourselves time.
I find it hard to believe that any of the cynics of life extension would turn down the opportunity for treatment or perhaps a potential cure if faced with a life threatening illness. How is that different from anything discussed thus far? The potential for life extension exists and the sooner we collectively decide we want this opportunity for us and our families, the sooner we see the results. That just leaves us with one last point.
Keep up with your exercises, continue to eat your vegetables, quit smoking, cut back on the booze and support the push for more funding for regenerative medical procedures. You may also want make reservations now for that 150th birthday bash, all the good spots are going quickly!
Tue, May 11, 2010
Anti Aging, Immortality, Longevity