Fight Aging!

One of the reasons that most people reject the idea of living longer through new medical technologies is that they believe, incorrectly, that it will result in being aged, frail, and in pain for longer. This is not the goal, and probably not even possible, but it has proven to be very hard to convince people that the result of success in this field of research will be years of extended youth and health. Ultimately the goal is indefinite postponement of aging by periodic repair of its causes, a state of medicine that would lead to accident-limited lifespans of thousands of years.

This goal requires support and funding, however. Progress today is much slower than it might be given large-scale funding and thousands of scientists hard at work. Very little happens on the large scale in this world without widespread discussion and the backing of a sizable fraction of the public, however, and few are at present in favor or even aware of this work. So it is always pleasant to see small signs of progress in the process of advocacy, in the form of pundits who understand and respond to the idea of restored health and youthful vigor:

Nodding off the other night, I caught a piece of a public radio program that featured a scientist/lecturer/philosopher who said there is someone living on the planet today who will reach the age of 1,000 years old. As I shifted in the recliner to ease the reliable late-night achy tightness in my back, the promise of new body parts sounded good. As I realized I couldn't see the clock because my glasses had slipped off while I dozed, the prospect of sharp, young eyes again - that might last for hundreds of years - was intoxicating.

It's no longer just about organ transplantation and knee replacement but rather about molecular manipulations that "create" tissues and organs. It no longer is merely about treating disease and injury with drugs and devices but rather applying a mind-boggling array of therapies that actually re-create the body as it ages or when it suffers trauma.

Still, I could not grasp the notion of living for 1,000 years. Nothing in human experience - other than sci-fi rumination and phantasy - anticipates such longevity. Yet, it's not that long ago that living 100 years was rare. Today, centenarians are as common as 60-year-olds were in the 1950s. If the prognosticator on the radio was right, it will be my 8-year-old granddaughters who benefit from a new age in medicine, health and longevity in ways we aging boomers can't imagine. But then again, our parents could not have fathomed the advances in medicine and pharmaceuticals that have extended lifespans and enhanced the quality of life for their children.

Can you imagine? One thousand years old. I'm not ready for it. Fact is, at my age I've about had it up to my gills with a lot of people, and they have had it with me. We'd not want to hang together for 500 years (which would be the new middle age), let alone 1,000. But, if I could do something permanent for a contrary lower back, the click-pain-click of that left knee, the slight hearing fade in the right ear - well, I'd go for it right now.

Link: http://www.inforum.com/content/jack-zaleski-live-1000-years-no-thank-you