The Trailing Indicators
Judging by this MSNBC article, it takes three to four years for new information to percolate into the mass media to the point at which it appears in general interest pieces on a particular topic. So this article on longevity science looks something like a refugee from late 2004, but I'll take it as a sign of progress that this is the worst thing I can find to say about it. "Public imagination has been sparked by researchers such as Aubrey de Grey, the British scientist who claims that aging is an 'engineering problem' that can be solved by identifying basic causes of aging and creating nuts-and-bolts medical and biomedical solutions. These may include growing new organs or tissues for use in aging bodies, or other techniques promised by the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine. But some scientists who study the underlying causes of aging say such benefits aren't likely to extend lifespan in the near future. 'It's easy to say that aging is an engineering problem, but we're pretty elaborate pieces of engineering,' says longevity researcher Brian Kennedy ... Nonetheless, leading anti-aging researchers are pursuing several approaches that they hope may one day extend lifespan." The article goes on to mention some of the better-known fields, such as research into the biochemistry of calorie restriction.