The Need for Radical Life Extending
Could humans live 300 years?
The older members of the modern long-term health community are more likely to be interested in ending aging and extending human healthy life for as long as possible. They have been part of this movement for a considerable amount of time. Newcomers are more moderate and aim for smaller goals. This may be because successful projects like the SENS Research Foundation or Methuselah Foundation tend to moderate their rhetoric when they gain a larger and broader base of support. This road to moderation is a concern. I believe that those who claim that new medical technology is the answer to a healthy, active and youthful life for many centuries will continue to play a role.
If our goals are diluted from radical life extensions of centuries to adding just a few years, marginal projects will dominate the field and push out everything else. In a sense, we are already in this situation. The vast majority of funding is going towards the discovery and development small molecules which alter the metabolism of the aged to make it more resistant to the underlying cause of aging. If this is all we do, then our parents and grandparent’s aging and death schedule will be the same. We have the technology and knowledge to do better. For example, we can follow the SENS agenda, which focuses on rejuvenation biotechnologies that repair the root causes of ageing.
This article in the popular media looks at some people who are not afraid to aim for radical life extension. The article is not terrible, but it does not escape the straitjacket that is conformity. It suggests it’s strange to want a long life in good health or to want to avoid a painful, slow death. The current status quo is not so bad that its defenders will not be present. For whatever reason, the status quo – aging, suffering and death – are fiercely defended. The article captures the current state of development as well as the perspectives of its subjects, which is quite a departure from previous years’ media attention.
Source:
http://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/06/the-urge-to-radical-life-extension/
