Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Who Wants to Live Forever?

I do!

Well, at the very least I'd like to live a very long and healthy life. Fortunately, science is finally tackling the issues of aging head-on. This article in Scientific American describes some absolutely amazing research into possible therapies that could dramatically extend human life.

I'm glad that people are finally discussing longevity research seriously. For a long time, the topic was taboo among serious scientists. Perhaps it was the innate reluctance of scientists to speculate about future developments? Or perhaps the reluctance was due to the perceived social repercussions of longevity advances? What would happen to society if lifespans were increased dramatically? And who would be able to afford such therapies?

This article indicates that scientists are seriously taking about these issues. And they should. The rate of technological change is accelerating and (barring violence, accident, or illness) most of us will be alive to witness some extraordinary advances. Few things in the world excite me more than this.

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