The Past and Future of Longevity Science and Advocacy
Here, Anne C. comments on an issue I have brought up at times in the past: the healthy life extension advocates of 30 years ago were absolutely wrong in their focus and predictions. They existed in the old school world of producing desired changes in aging through the brute force application of simple chemicals, with meaningful success promised in the 1990s - an impossible dream, given the science of the time. Yet today advocates say essentially the same things, and with similar timescales for predictions of progress and success. Why are we right while the past generation was so wrong? The answer to this question is clear: it is the capabilities and speed of advance of modern biotechnology, the same reason that cancer will be successfully treated and managed in the late 2010s rather than the late 1980s. We must be wary, however, of falling into the same trap as those past advocates - of seeking an answer, any answer that promises success soon, at the expense of the most plausibly correct answer. We're not here to promise rescue from aging - leave that to the "anti-aging" charlatans. We're here to make meaningful, rapid progress towards the technology that will one day rescue us from aging. We need to be realistic about whether that is possible within our lifetimes - but the goal is worthy whether or not that is the case.
Link: http://rationallongevity.blogspot.com/2007/01/avoiding-past-mistakes-in-longevity.html