Radical Longevity is in our Future
Aging will be seen as no more inevitable than teenage pregnancy is today. Within 100 years, and likely far sooner, aging will cease to exist.
And you might be thinking to yourself, “That’s impossible! That cannot possibly be true! Aging is a natural part of life and cannot be stopped. Death is inevitable.”
You could not be more wrong.
It is likely that in the not too distant future, perhaps within the next 10 to 15 years, our expected lifespans will double. This technology may even already exist today in the form of a widely prescribed diabetes drug called Metformin; it was approved for use in the United States by the FDA in 1995.
Metformin has already been proven to extend the lifespan of mice by 40 percent. A study by researchers at Cardiff University found that patients diagnosed with diabetes who were prescribed Metformin lived longer than those without diabetes, even though diabetes has been shown to reduce lifespan by 8 years! In December 2015, the FDA approved human trials for the study of Metformin as an anti-aging drug, unlocking the potential for humans alive today to live for over 120 years.
Scientists are beginning to understand the underlying biological processes that cause aging in living organisms, and what can be done to stop, and potentially even reverse aging. Cynthia Kenyon, a Harvard biologist, was able to isolate a specific gene regulating aging in C. elegans, a roundworm with an average lifespan of 30 days.
In her study, Kenyon was able to double the lifespan of the worm. You can check out her TED talk here:
Kenyon’s results were also replicated with flies and mice. Researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging were able to replicate the study, but were actually able to multiply the lifespan of the worms fivefold!
Given the breathtaking pace of discovery in the field, it doesn’t seem unreasonable that people in 2116 will have implants installed in their arms that halt or totally stall aging. Just as many women today use the Implanon to prevent pregnancy, the people of the future will use implants to prevent themselves from aging.
As repulsed as we are by aging, we are ultimately complacent to it. We accept aging as a natural part of life. We are in a state of denial about our fear of aging and death because they are seen as inevitable.
The people of tomorrow will not share this view, and will be repulsed by the fact that more than 100 billion people died before humanity finally conquered death. A holiday commemorating the day aging was conquered will be celebrated by nations around the world.
Here’s to tomorrow!
Originally published in response to “What will people find most revolting about our society in 100 years’ time?” on Quora, June 8, 2016.