#1

Always good to see longevity science being covered in the major press:

Research is finding ways to extend animal lifespans but regulators are still wary of treating ageing as a disease

Do you fancy becoming immortal? Me neither. Silicon Valley titans who lust after “escape velocity from death” leave me cold. But most of us would love to stay younger for longer — preferably without Botox. A stream of breakthroughs suggests that the science of ageing is now at an inflection point. Already, our perceptions of old age are changing. People who packed out concert halls in their youth to hear the Beatles sing “will you still need me . . . when I’m 64?” now think that old age starts at 74. According to a big German study, those in middle or older age today have an elevated idea of “old” compared to previous generations. This mirrors increases in life expectancy, especially for the better-off half of the population in rich countries. The big prize now is to improve the final decade for everyone — rich and poor. Few of us want to live forever, even if it was on offer; but we’d give a great deal to avoid a grim descent into the twilight zone of crippling frailty. Ever since I interviewed scientists for a book about ageing, I am regularly asked for my advice on what substances to take, including “off-label”. Everyone wants a longevity short-cut. American men in high-powered jobs are especially keen to experiment with products, including supplements, which are available in the US not Europe. I myself am taking one of them, with no visible results — but then they wouldn’t be visible.

…

Some teams are experimenting with drugs that are already prescribed to humans. Rapamycin, an immunosuppressant used in human transplant operations, has been shown to significantly extend the lives of mice, including very old ones. It seems to work by suppressing the mTOR complex, a set of genes that regulate metabolism. Meanwhile, a trial is looking at whether metformin, commonly prescribed for type 2 diabetes, might delay the development of other chronic diseases. Studies have found a correlation between metformin and delaying cancer, for example, but causation is not yet proven, nor has metformin been tested on healthy, non-diabetic older people.

História completa: Science is closing in on the frailties of old age

3 Likes
#2

Camilla is a good journalist who I have done some work with in the past. She is also a member of the UK House of Lords (a form of mainly appointed, but partially hereditary second chamber like the US Senate, but without elections - or at least without elections beyond the hereditary peers.)

She has written other pieces in this subject area.

5 Likes
#3

I find this sentiment curious. Why not want to be immortal? A person can choose to end his/ her life whenever…why not retain control? Is it sour grapes (I can’t actually have it so I don’t want to want it)?

Does anyone understand the rationale for this perspective?

4 Likes
#4

The universe is infinite, that’s reason enough to be immortal

2 Likes
#5

Eh, dark energy kinda limits our accessible universe to a mere 3-4% of the observable universe.

#6

I suspect the reason is a pretty banal one, springing from the same sentiment as when young people say they don’t care to reach old age, it’s all over after you reach 30, 40, 60 take your pick. A simple lack of imagination. Then they reach the target date, and surprise, surprise, no way do they feel like dying, or even old. Like in that quip about “old is always five years older than me”.

It’s the same superstition about “don’t interfere with nature”, where “interfere” is always a shifting target depending on what is attainable at the moment. Let nature take it’s course, but when a drug, convenience or medical intervention allows a previously unattainable cure, suddenly the “nature” proponent is more than happy to take advantage of it, nature be damned.

The naturalist fallacy folks are singularly lacking imagination, we can’t live too long because of overcrowding (duh, as lifespan increases, people simply have fewer kids), we don’t want to spend decades getting increasingly frail (that’s not how it works, you can’t be young until 30, then spend the rest of, say 150 years getting ever more frail), we would all lose our friends (don’t bogart it all, share the cure!).

I especially like the “we’ll get bored, not know what to do”. If so lacking in imagination, curiosity, thirst for knowledge, distant horizons, exploration, experiences, appreciation, I recommend you kill yourself, not because you are bored, but because you don’t deserve a long life that would be wasted on you, don’t waste resources, leave them to those who are appreciative of the incredible miracle of the gift of life in a cold universe, the greatest miracle of all miracles, the insane wonder of LIFE. Leave life to those of us who would be grateful for the greatest gift of all: more time on this planet… and perhaps other planets. Why are ye fearful, ye of little faith? Little faith in life and its beauty, the possibilities of the human intellect, science and an incredible future? If you fear the future, you can always cut it off right now. For the rest of us, we walk toward the light, with optimism, faith in humanity and appreciation of beauty and the endless opportunities of an eternal universe.

3 Likes