Russian Media Coverage of Aubrey de Grey and SENS

The Science for Life Extension foundation did a good job of marshalling up the Russian language media for Aubrey de Grey's recent trip to Moscow - I pointed out a good Russian media interview at the time. By way of their labors, and either Google or Yahoo!'s machine translation services (both of which produce fairly horrible results), a selection is provided herein. There's surprisingly little hype and mangling of the message beyond that produced by the translator automation.

The brave may want to dive right ahead into the audio and multimedia offerings:

And here are a range of print articles:

Aging: How to undo the verdict?

But what constitutes aging? The first group are those that occur in the body, starting from young age. The second are those that occur at the end of life. Defects and damage in the body accumulate and lead, eventually, to aging and death. To combat these processes now used two approaches. First - Geriatric, which offers a variety of means to hinder the processes that lead to aging. Second - Gerontology, examines why and how in the normal metabolism defects arise and how you can affect the metabolism. De Gray believes that both approaches are bad, and even the researchers involved in their study, does not believe that aging can be overcome in the near future.

The secret of eternal youth

Scientific lectures now rarely collect complete halls. But here both theme and persona of lecturer - everything straight-away cast a spell. Speech by British guest at the House of scientists gathered this full house.

In Moscow went scholar

Aubrey believes that the scientific and medical development [will be] improved faster than the accumulated damage in the body. This is the principle of [longevity escape velocity] escape from old age. As will become available first generation therapy, people get even more healthy 20-30 years old. During this time science and medicine will find new ways of strengthening and extension of health.

Scientist Aubrey de Grey

In fact, Aubrey is standing in the world scientific community. A doctoral thesis devoted to biology of aging. Defend it in Cambridge - one of the pillars of world science. And it does not promise instantaneous rejuvenation, asserting: fight with the old age - complex and long process. To be famous and created a Methuselah Foundation, which - funding for research to extend human life. Last year the fund has spent 2 million dollars worldwide. Now Aubry first came to Moscow - to seek allies.

Cellular technologies will bring to humanity a thousand years younger

Renowned gerontologist Aubrey de Gray is convinced that using cellular technology in the near future, life expectancy can be increased [by] 30 years

The first man, who live to 150 years, now may have 60

"I believe we can defeat aging in the near future. There is 50-percent chance that the man who was the first to live to 150 years old, is already live, and he is now 60 years old" - said De Gray on Saturday at a meeting with journalists in Moscow, organized by fund "Dynasty" and "Science for the extension of life."

Extravagant [Biogerontologist] Proposes the Methods of Retaining the Eternal Youth

Aubrey De Gray (Aubrey de Grey) - the world-famous British [biogerontologist] working in Cambridge, the chief editor of Rejuvenation Research, the only peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to effects on the aging process. His main research interests - the study of cellular and molecular damage in human aging, as well as the development of methods for the rejuvenation of the body based on the removal of lesions.

British gerontologist considers that life can be extended up to 1000 years

De Gray noted that most scientists agree that aging is not associated with [a] genetic program of self-destruction, supposedly rooted in the body, [but rather with] the accumulation of defects, damage, which then leads to disease and death.

Eternal youth is available in 30 years

"How do you feel about the participation of Russian research groups and organizations in your project?" - Asked Director Gray. "I have a lot of Russian colleagues in the UK and the U.S. - said the scientist. - We have not yet been funded gerontological research in Russia. But I see Russian scientists enormous scientific potential".

Death can be a bum beer

What such is old age? This is a breakdown in the organism as a result of the wear of some of its components. It means in order to avoid old age, it is necessary in time to change or to clean 'spare part'.

This week, staff met with the British [biogerontologist] Aubrey de Gray

Mr. de Gray, you are often accused of that, you're trying to "play God", doing research, which - extend [life]. How do you [respond to] these accusations?

- Deeply convinced that the reluctance to extend the life will be terrible crime against the "higher forces". After all, aging brings pain, suffering and infirmity, it kills people. All the major religions say that we are obliged to keep suffering to a minimum. If God wants us to live up to exactly 100 years old, he will find a way to realize their vision. The Holy Scripture does not indicate that we must not ease the [sufferings of] age.

Eternal youth is available in 30 years

"In the next 25-30 years will develop the first treatment, which would extend the healthy human life for 30 years", - promises to de Gray. However, a single treatment of old age will not be able to lead to a complete rejuvenation of the body. Soon, he again begins to accumulate damage, and possibly treat it will be increasingly difficult.

But these difficulties, according to de Gray, can be solved: "Progress in science is, and therapy will gradually improve".

The man who lives 1000 years has already been born

To prolong fleeting youth, to postpone inexorable old age, to conquer the diseases, which poison last year of the life of any person, these dreams disturb the imagination of people not of one hundred years. But the fantasy of scientists never stretched further 100-150 years of cheerful and healthy life.

Then came Aubrey De Gray and changed the course of ideas of people about the possibilities of science. Yes who is he, the agitator of scientific calmness?

I have omitted a bunch of others that are reprints in various different media outlets, but you get the idea. Engineered longevity through the application of science is an idea that the Russian media is receptive to, it seems.

Comments

I wonder how long De Grey has been saying 25 to 30 years ? Has it been 10 years yet ? In which case the original 25-30 years was really 35-40 years. Will it be 25-30 years 10 years from now ? Why is that always the magic number ? I wonder if it comes from any real extrapolation or it comes out of thin air.

Posted by: jay at March 20th, 2009 11:05 AM

There are all sorts of timescales and estimates floating around, referring to differing goals or subsets of the overall goal. Ten years, as I recall, was an estimate for the time between securing a billion dollars in funding and establishing robust rejuvenation in adult mice - meaning doubling their remaining life span.

It's hard to tell from these translated articles what is being projected for thirty years, but I'd guess it's the advent of human rejuvenation, assuming we start in soon on developing mouse rejuvenation.

Posted by: Reason at March 20th, 2009 12:25 PM

Jay,

In answer to your question, Aubrey began appearing on the radar map around '03-04. So, he has been actively promoting SENS for about 5 years now. I have found some of his papers about various mitochondrial theories of aging from around '98-00.

Posted by: kurt9 at March 20th, 2009 11:21 PM
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