FuturePundit on Aubrey de Grey
Randall Parker comments again on Aubrey de Grey's vision for the future of serious anti-aging research.
It is very unfortunate that more money is not flowing into rejuvenatiion therapy development. With a level of funding for rejuvenation therapy develop which is less than 3% of the current yearly NIH budget tens or hunfreds of millions more of us would have a chance to eventually become young again.
I certainly agree with this, even if I personally feel that we would be better served with less government and more private research. More than a few noted gerontologists have called for increased funding in this area (as in this friendly debate between Art Caplan and Rick Moody, in which everyone seems to be having far too much fun). Aubrey de Grey has a lot of support for his views in the gerontological community, but making progress against the most conservative viewpoints on aging takes time.
It is obvious - even to those of us outside the research community - that scientists are attaining a new level of understanding of the human body, and a new sort of medicine will be built atop this knowledge. Progress requires money, however, as well as a government willing to stand aside and cease restrictive legislation. Our future is at stake, and we should all do more to support the advance of medical science.