Are seemingly fantastical claims made by some scientists overreaching themselves?
Reuters have an interesting article with this headline:
Who wants to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured
The article begins thusly:
If Aubrey de Grey’s predictions are right, the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.
A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, de Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to “cure” aging — banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely.
“I’d say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I’d call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so,” de Grey said in an interview before delivering a lecture at Britain’s Royal Institution academy of science.
I doubt I’m alone in daily marveling at the scientific and technological advances made by humans, and it’s not impossible to get the impression that if science continues to progress apace, then there will be very little they couldn’t achieve.
In view of this, I have to wonder at the spiritual / theological / ethical implications of this sort of technology becoming available to us.
July 4th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Terry Pratchett (yes, the same one) wrote an early book about a society where high ranking people were paid in “days” – extra time on their lives. It’s already true that the rich live longer than the poor (especially the poorest); what would such technology bring to to common man? Would only the elite get to live very long lives?
July 4th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
That’s a very valid point Nic and one that crossed my mind whilst writing the post. Would this technology be the preserve of the rich and powerful alone. They can always breed more – short living – proles..
July 4th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
The answer is yes, of course this will only be for the rich. Just as already we benefit in this country from higher life expectancy because of our healthcare system etc., and even within the UK lifespans vary significantly between different social groups.
On the other hand, notice that he goes for a “50/50″ chance. So if it doesn’t quite work out that way, he can still say “I told you so”. Or he would, if he was around to say it.
July 5th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Back in March, I wrote about the TIME cover article “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal”, focusing especially on de Grey’s comments: “He’s not dying, Jim.”
I find it fascinating that de Grey pays no attention to the way longer lifespans are already screwing up our societies, especially when connected with the declining birth rates — fewer and fewer young people are supporting more and more older people. I suppose when telomerase is released, the elderly will be able to work many more years for the rich atheists.
In some ways, I hope I’m right and Western society does collapse before all this happens.