Signs of the Times

(Via CBS News). There are more positive views of radical life extension in the mainstream press these days: biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey "feels that people can live to be 1,000 years old without suffering any of the bad things usually associated with old age. ... He went on to say, 'I think the first person to live to 1000 might be 60 already.' Hello! Get in line behind me. ... He is optimistic that the mouse trials, followed by the human trials, should only take another 25 years or so. In other words, if we can all just hang on for another 25 years, each of us might be able to live to be 1,000. Just try not to get hit by a car for the next quarter of a century. Needless to say, there are quite a few scientists who don't take de Grey very seriously. ... But let's give de Grey and those who believe in his theory the benefit of the doubt for a moment. ... Would we benefit from the wisdom of older people who had seen so much? Would human accomplishments be greater than today because everyone would be able to develop to his or her own potential? ... The interesting thing about this kind of speculation is that it brings up the idea of whether there is ever an age when people should be considered 'old enough' to die. A 20-year-old may feel that a person who is 94 has lived a long and full life, and that nobody should feel bad if he dies at that age. However, when that young person ages and becomes 93, he no longer feels that way about 94. Most of us probably think 1,000 is too old for a person to live. But will we still think that when we're 999?"

Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/27/opinion/garver/main2986036.shtml

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