Ageing Reversal – Love it or Loathe It?
Summary
Ageing is considered a disease that can be cured or even reversed and the technology is being perfected. There are 2 aspects here. One is curing or preventing diseases that are more likely as we age, such as heart problems, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and cancer. Crispr, the gene editing tool will assist.
The second is reversing ageing, which makes most diseases less likely. Or eventually eliminated, enabling life to continue for maybe 500 years! Is this a good thing? I don’t think so. The ethical questions are huge.
An extreme example would be a 20 year old body and brain capability with 90 plus years knowledge and experience. That would produce super humans. But being younger than your children and grandchildren seems ridiculous. It may destroy ordered family life as we know it.
Life may also become very boring. Life without end was considered a punishment for the ‘Wandering Jew’ and ‘The Flying Dutchman’! But when these old, physically young people have had enough, euthanasia would solve it. Advocates, such as Jeff Bezos say technology is changing the world so rapidly, they want to see and be involved in what happens.
However, most work being done now is to eliminate the diseases that ageing causes. Then older people don’t suffer the multitude of diseases most presently do. That allows people to live a decade or two longer and die naturally without suffering common old age diseases. Surely that is a good thing.
The video below is highly recommended as it explains ageing reversal particularly well. The speaker is an Australian, Dr Sinclair from Harvard University.
Reversing Ageing
David Sinclair, Harvard Medical School reversed ageing in mice. He used proteins to turn an adult cell into a stem cell. In their first breakthrough, they restored the damaged retinas of old mice. This improved vision to newborn levels.
References
8 Responses
Very relevant for your readership, Campbell.
Just today, I came across this report of a life extending treatment being tested at the Mayo Climic to reduce the proportion of senescent body cells in the body.
(Hitherto, I had thought this was only achieved with a decent malt whisky administered per diem!)
https://flip.it/yjisJv
Good One Tony
A single malt can do wonders to our outlook and convince us life is good as ever! At least at the time.
Hi Campbell – you are sharing a great topic. Thank you for all the revelations that comes from you.
Essentially, I am contended with the things as they are and shudder living for another 50 years. Mostly, the family, relationships and so on and adapt/ adopt technology not heard of. Life May become very boring!
Thanks Bala
As long as I don’t suffer from old age maladies I am happy to go in my sleep, without pain or knowledge that I was to die. Am I dreaming? Oh, must be still alive!
Hi Campbell , Very interesting and I’m a believer ! But biggest problem would be adding to the population of an already over-crowded world with mankind already dominating the planet . We would need a very low birthrate for say 3 generations .
Trees in the redwood forests of Oregan/California live for several thousand years … I don’t think they get bored !!!!!
Good point Richard.
Yes, there are too many people now in the world. Like everything else, it will be worked out. With more education, 1st world countries are already not replacing themselves, or maybe the young oldies will go to a new planet!
Hi Campbell
Hope you are well and it looks like your working on being around for a very long time.
Interesting take on getting older and older and going longer than our forefathers. Hopefully we will also have the ability to be activity longer perhaps with the help from technology. My problem is the lifestyle & diet suggested and the cash to fund it, but the issues will be a bigger non productive population which will have to be funded.
Well done
Cheers
Foulsh
Good Thoughts John
I’d like to be around to see my grandkids grow up, but as long as I die in my sleep without pain and knowledge, that will suit me. Yes I won’t be changing my lifestyle but what David Sinclair is saying is you won’t need to do that. Substituting old cells with stem cells all through the body will do it in the future.
He is changing his lifestyle now so he lives long enough for the technology to do it. The tech won’t be ready in my lifetime, maybe yours, young fella.