Published by Louis Bellemare on 2023-04-17
Men and women will die one day or an other
Men and women are by their very essence mortal beings. Sooner or later, they are destined to die.
Even in a world without disease and aging, there will still be accidents, natural disasters and even wars. We are not spared from accelerated global warming, neither from a meteorite strike. We also face the risk of a nuclear catastrophe. The probability of such fatalities occurring during the lifetime of a man or woman increases with life expectancy. We can therefore conclude that if life were eternal, the chances of these events occurring are 100%. We are therefore all destined to die.
Furthermore, the planet and the universe are not immortal either. Even if we are free from any disease or disaster, our planet could disappear. Our galaxy could also vanish, eaten by a black hole. There is therefore no way out of our destiny, although we still have several years of happiness ahead of us.
These technologies that will save the world
Some articles published recently report the beginning of eternal life in the very near future. One of these articles [1] summarizes the words of Google engineering director Ray Kurzweil. He is a significant figure known for his sensational statements. He claims that in the near future, nanotechnologies will allow devices to be placed inside the human body. These could make man immortal around the year 2029 .
So it would be soon, well before the end of time. According to him, we would therefore be getting closer to this singularity for which we were all created. In fact, it might not be eternal life. It could be a better world. It is a world where we will live longer and longer. Would it really be better? That is another question.
It must be acknowledged that science has made significant advances in biological research since Dolly’s clone. Let us recall the Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded in 2012. The award went to the British biologist John Gurdon. It was also given to the Japanese doctor Shinya Yamanaka for their research on nuclear reprogramming. This was already 10 years ago. In addition to nanotechnologies, this technique makes it possible to achieve what previously seemed impossible. It transforms adult cells into stem cells capable of creating all types of tissues in the human body. A discovery that has raised great hope for curing diseases that until now seemed incurable and consequently for delaying aging.
Other important discoveries
Other important discoveries have been made, particularly in the area of prevention. For example, certain foods can activate proteins that play a key role in regulating metabolism and aging. Another example is anti-aging medicine. It is a new medical approach that aims to prevent, delay, and even reverse aging. This is achieved particularly through hormonal treatments, antioxidants, and certain genetic therapies.
Some drugs are said to destroy senescent cells, which are responsible for aging.
Research on aging: a major impact on our society
We feel that we are approaching an extraordinary revolution. Aging will continue to have significant repercussions on our society, whether life becomes eternal or not. Could we live to 125 or even 150 years?
Several billionaires are interested in research on aging. One of the most famous cases is that of Jeff Bezos. The richest man in the world is the founder of Amazon. He is one of the main shareholders of the Californian start-up Altos Labs. Their mission is to truly find the fountain of youth. Altos Labs has a budget of some $3 billion and also counts among its investors, the Russian billionaire Yuri Milner. The project is serious. Altos Labs has also recruited none other than the Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka as a researcher.
The cost of aging
In a 2017 article entitled The Cost of Aging , [2] the International Monetary Fund (IMF) explains. The article states that aging slows down GDP. The IMF highlights that aging also imposes additional costs on the working population. These costs cover the care and treatment of the elderly. According to the IMF, the growth rate slowdown in industrialized countries happens due to the ‘baby boom’ decline. This reduction mainly affects population age. This decline impacts the age of the population. We already feel it in the costs and constraints imposed on health systems. We can easily assume that these costs will increase.
How can we reconcile the dazzling progress of science in biology and medicine? These advances contrast with the social repercussions of aging on our society and government budgets. The IMF emphasizes that productivity gains are possible. Wage increases for the working population are achievable. A decrease in long-term interest rates is also possible. Increased productivity would increase the financing of services for the aging population. With the rapid evolution of knowledge and advances in aging, do advanced economies really have other choices? In the foreseeable future, could we have fully autonomous farms and factories, without any human intervention?
Government programs and actions to increase worker productivity will become increasingly necessary. This is true at least as long as life is not eternal.
Louis Bellemare
1] Nanotechnology: eternal life for 2029? http://www.diazmag.com/ Nanotechnology: eternal life for 2029? | DiazMag
[2] The cost of aging, Cost of Aging — Finance & Development, March 2017 (imf.org)
Be First to Comment