Prospects for Defeating Aging Altogether
Medically, there is no such thing as aging. Aging is simply the set of lifelong, progressively accumulating precursors of the various aspects of age-related ill-health. Each such precursor contributes to many age-related health problems, and most such health problems have many precursors - that's why everything in aging is broadly synchronised - but that's all aging is. Thus, medicine for aging is simply preventative medicine against age-related diseases and disabilities. I claim that truly comprehensive regenerative medicine against aging, capable of actually rejuvenating already-old people by repairing these precursors, is probably only a few decades away.
What do you see as the greatest impact that regenerative medicine will have on our societies?
Add your thoughts or post your questions for Aubrey.
Aubrey de Grey, WorldFuture 2011 Speaker, "Prospects for Defeating Aging Altogether"
More information about WorldFuture 2011
Digg
Facebook
Google
LinkedIn
Twitter
Yahoo
Like us on Facebook
WorldFutureSoc on Twitter
Great Question!
Today, aging economies are seen as less competitive because aging populations tend to invest less and draw down savings. They also draw more from public services. Longevity research holds the potential of reversing these trends and making these economies more alluring as investment destinations.
About the author
Patrick Tucker is the senior editor of THE FUTURIST magazine and director of communications for the World Future Society.
Education and aging
Education should be an integral part of this discussion, as this trend will significantly impact the quality of life for our youth.
http://www.wfs.org/forums/worldfuture-2011-conference-forum/internationa...
Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres
President & Co-Founder, Global SchoolNet Foundation
www.GlobalSchoolNet.org
Linking Kids Around the World!
Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres
President and Founder
http://www.GlobalSchoolNet.org
Continuing Education
Agreed. Additionally, since an extended lifetime will presumably span many careers, it will be essential to develop greater resources for on-going, lifelong education.
Richard Yonck
Intelligent Future LLC
http://intelligent-future.com
Growth and Continuity
The recurrent loss of individual knowledge and insight, not to mention personal relations, has a stifling effect on every aspect of our world. How much more could we achieve technologically and advance personally, if we weren't "resetting the clock" on such a continual and regular basis?
Richard Yonck
Intelligent Future LLC
http://intelligent-future.com
I feel that increased
I feel that increased longevity will be good in many, many ways. However, we will also see powerful people continuously working to achieve their ends with ongoing vigor - or working to ensure that the status quo remains static and thus potentially stifle innovation.
The dynamics seem impossible to predict, since both the powerful and the weak may live on and change their personal conditions along the way, and thus influence the structure of society. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to unseat an influential incumbent. How many tyrants of the world would still be in place if they retained youthful vigor? A similar argument can be made for the great heroes of the world. What if Gandhi lived still, and with youthful vigor? Again, the dynamics seem impossible to predict, but are fascinating to consider.
Better People perched permanently at the top
Longevity may not be unmitigated bliss if it keeps tyranny alive. If Stalin, Beria, Brezhnev or Andropov were rejuvenated while holding on to their power much more people would despair. What kept opposition alive was hope that one day it will be the dictator's own turn to take a leave.
Could you also "rejuvenate" the dictator's mindset so that they become flexible, caring and completely not themselves? I do not thing so. With added vigor they would defend their position.
I think the same applies in the West with one per centers entrenched at the top and not letting go (being remunerated for "doing God's work" as one of Goldman Sachs' luminaries declared). You could create a biological caste of "better people" (see Requiem of the Human Soul by Jeremy Lent). It was not without reason the ruling group in the past called themselves "nobility." They already had an ideology of "preordained rights" and "pre-election for greatness." Their hubris would only soar. Now even death would not have been their peer and nothing could mellow them down. Imagine if they had an efficient "elixir of youth."
age and aging; prospects and constraints
i'm working on my seminar topic age and aging ; prospects and constraints and i'd really appreciate it if you could give me some guidelines on how to go about my research work... thank you
Who wants to live forever?
Everybody thinks they want to live forever. But I think few of us really do, in the end. People get weary of living in a world that is very unlike the one they truly know.
What kind of ethical dilemmas will prolonging life create? If "natural" death only happens through accidents, how will people choose to pass when they feel their time has come? How will societies restrict that choosing, e.g., by age?
What ethical questions are raised by rich people choosing to live longer, while poor people may not have that choice and the Earth's resources are limited?