Another Look at the Mainstream View of Aging Science
Today, another reminder that we have plenty of work left to do in spreading a modern understanding of the potentials of healthy life extension science. So much of the public discussion of aging is based on the scientific understanding of yesteryear, and the talking points of a gerontological community whose members have historically been extremely reluctant to discuss ambitious, realistic goals in increasing longevity. One of the Immortality Institute folk posted links to the transcript of an Australian popular science show on aging very illustrative of these points:
Far too many people find the idea of understanding the mechanisms of aging and engineering a decade or two of additional healthy life to be too much of a change from their present ingrained view of threescore and ten and aging as a mysterious fact of life - never mind the real possibility of an ageless society created through advanced medical science well before the next turn of the century. But widespread understanding and support of the greater, more ambitious goals is needed in order to create an environment in which the necessary work is funded at a sufficient level for rapid progress. So the advocates and forward-looking scientists must continue to work hard to change this state of affairs.
Technorati tags: advocacy, aging, life extension