Is aging a process that we simply have to accept as a fact of life?
A philosopher would say yes. Many doctors would also agree: our cells eventually reach a point where they can no longer divide and either die or reach senescence, or retirement phase. Scientists believe in the Hayflick limit (named after molecular biologist Leonard Hayflick, who advanced the idea of limited somatic cell division), which says no one can live past about 120 years.
But an increasing number of people, including gerontologists, biologists, engineers and futurists, believe aging is a disease, and one that can be cured.
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Additional Resources:
- “Why Do Some People Live to 100 Years?,” Forbes
Research has shown that people who live past age 100 develop diseases at later ages than the rest of us, and scientist study these long-lived people in the hope of someday eliciting the same effects in others through genetic technology.
- “Longevity Genes Found; Predict Chances of Reaching 100,” National Geographic
This article discusses a suite of 150 “long life” variants found in about 70 genes. Scientists can use the these genes to guess, with 77 percent accuracy, whether a person can live into their late 90s or longer. - SENS Research Foundation
Learn more about “Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence” and life extension science at the website of gerontologist and futurist Aubrey de Grey’s SENS research foundation.
