Is aging and death an engineering problem?
Raika, 72, has just finished reading the molecular biologist Aubrey de Grey's book 'End of Aging' and is a little skeptical of his claims that ageing is optional and that society is currently trapped in a pro-ageing trance where we're hypnotised into believing that getting old and dying is inevitable when, according to him, we can extend our lives indefinitely by a repair and maintenance approach -- that aging and death is just an engineering problem.
"Comparing the repair and maintenance approach of classic cars and old houses to human beings, as Aubrey de Grey does, is very seductive," says Raika, "but even he admits that life extension is not possible right now because the panel of interventions currently available to us is not sufficiently comprehensive."
"I believe that unlimited life will one day be possible," says Raika, "and already a lot of rich old people are having their ageing body parts replaced with healthy parts from young donors; but for the rest of us, it's ageing as usual."
"I don't believe I'm trapped in a pro-ageing trance," laughs Raika. "I think ageing is awful, I hate it with every fiber of my fast deteriorating body, and if there were a magic bullet available that would keep me from deteriorating any further, I'd pay anything for it, but failing that I have to accept with as much grace as I can muster that I'm on a downward spiral."
"De Grey's Methuselah Foundation is based on a good idea with definite scientific merit and considering the misery and crippling costs of aged care in a fast growing ageing population I think the government should divert the money it’s wasting supporting failed banks and failed wars to this foundation immediately."
"Right now, old people are looking forward to dying as an escape from the pain and misery of their complaints - and plenty of people are willing to help them achieve that demise," says Raika. "Wouldn’t it be better to give these people a reason to live, to hang on, in order to benefit from the research that the Methuselah Foundation is doing?"
"If I could, I would love to live forever," says Raika. "I love life, I am never bored, and it really saddens me that my body can no longer keep up with my mind -- there are hundreds of things I want to do, and I really like de Grey's vision of a future retirement where we continually reinvent ourselves."
"Right now, when we retire, we retire forever and it's all downhill for us," sighs Raika. "We are social outcasts, invisible old people that nobody cares about, and in that respect society is trapped in a pro-ageing trance. The mantra has always been, out with the old and in with the new."
"Old folks homes are deliberately located miles away from the action; aged care professionals are poorly trained and paid; and in so many ways we are supposed to keep out of sight, out of mind, and die as quickly and quietly as we can."
"Is old age a disease that can be cured?" muses Raika. "Well, if it is then the government is doing absolutely nothing about it and why should it when the world is already too crowded, life is cheap, and if nobody died we would be worse off, presumably. Also, there's the quasi religious idea that death is a natural and necessary function of life."
"And, when they are developed, at what age should these anti-ageing techniques be applied?" muses Raika. "Knowing how my own body has deteriorated over the years, I would prefer to live forever at aged 30, say, certainly not at 72 when everything, already, has gone south."
"Basically, there is nothing odd about animals living forever - there's a microbial worm that's apparently immortal and tortoises that live for 400 years," says Raika, "so why can't our genes be manipulated to achieve longevity in the same way that plants are genetically modified to resist disease?"
"I believe that all that’s lacking in longevity research is effort and funding, and I applaud what de Grey is doing even though I probably won’t be around to benefit from it."
"Anyway, when the anti-ageing techniques are developed, I can imagine they will be very expensive and only available to the very rich - or, perhaps, the most deserved."
"I cannot believe that everyone, irrespective of their mental capacity and psychological profile, will have access to potential immortality," says Raika. "It is going to open a can of ethical worms, isn’t it?"
"As long as technology advances, I believe de Grey’s vision of an ageless society will eventuate, and with it will emerge a smarter society, I think, because if people had to live through the long term consequences of their actions, potentially for 100s of years, then they would need to exercise exceptional wisdom."
"I can understand, too," adds Raika, "that in a pro-ageing society, one governed by religion, a trance does sort of exist where people are programmed to accept old age gracefully, to welcome meeting their God and living in Heaven. In de Grey’s vision, if our earthly lives were potentially everlasting, people would definitely care more about making life on earth more pleasant - no more wars, perhaps?"
"And then, from all of this, we enter a science fiction realm where our physical bodies are allowed to die but our minds, our essential selves, continue to exist on computer chips allowing interaction with other downloaded 'people'."
"It’s not exactly the fountain of youth de Grey proposes, and it may not appeal to people for whom life is a sensual pleasure, and it does come with the risk that some young geek will pull the plug on us, but it does offer hope to those of us who are more cerebral," adds Raika. "Imagine being able to have a relationship without old dangly bits getting in the way!"
"Comparing the repair and maintenance approach of classic cars and old houses to human beings, as Aubrey de Grey does, is very seductive," says Raika, "but even he admits that life extension is not possible right now because the panel of interventions currently available to us is not sufficiently comprehensive."
"I believe that unlimited life will one day be possible," says Raika, "and already a lot of rich old people are having their ageing body parts replaced with healthy parts from young donors; but for the rest of us, it's ageing as usual."
"I don't believe I'm trapped in a pro-ageing trance," laughs Raika. "I think ageing is awful, I hate it with every fiber of my fast deteriorating body, and if there were a magic bullet available that would keep me from deteriorating any further, I'd pay anything for it, but failing that I have to accept with as much grace as I can muster that I'm on a downward spiral."
"De Grey's Methuselah Foundation is based on a good idea with definite scientific merit and considering the misery and crippling costs of aged care in a fast growing ageing population I think the government should divert the money it’s wasting supporting failed banks and failed wars to this foundation immediately."
"Right now, old people are looking forward to dying as an escape from the pain and misery of their complaints - and plenty of people are willing to help them achieve that demise," says Raika. "Wouldn’t it be better to give these people a reason to live, to hang on, in order to benefit from the research that the Methuselah Foundation is doing?"
"If I could, I would love to live forever," says Raika. "I love life, I am never bored, and it really saddens me that my body can no longer keep up with my mind -- there are hundreds of things I want to do, and I really like de Grey's vision of a future retirement where we continually reinvent ourselves."
"Right now, when we retire, we retire forever and it's all downhill for us," sighs Raika. "We are social outcasts, invisible old people that nobody cares about, and in that respect society is trapped in a pro-ageing trance. The mantra has always been, out with the old and in with the new."
"Old folks homes are deliberately located miles away from the action; aged care professionals are poorly trained and paid; and in so many ways we are supposed to keep out of sight, out of mind, and die as quickly and quietly as we can."
"Is old age a disease that can be cured?" muses Raika. "Well, if it is then the government is doing absolutely nothing about it and why should it when the world is already too crowded, life is cheap, and if nobody died we would be worse off, presumably. Also, there's the quasi religious idea that death is a natural and necessary function of life."
"And, when they are developed, at what age should these anti-ageing techniques be applied?" muses Raika. "Knowing how my own body has deteriorated over the years, I would prefer to live forever at aged 30, say, certainly not at 72 when everything, already, has gone south."
"Basically, there is nothing odd about animals living forever - there's a microbial worm that's apparently immortal and tortoises that live for 400 years," says Raika, "so why can't our genes be manipulated to achieve longevity in the same way that plants are genetically modified to resist disease?"
"I believe that all that’s lacking in longevity research is effort and funding, and I applaud what de Grey is doing even though I probably won’t be around to benefit from it."
"Anyway, when the anti-ageing techniques are developed, I can imagine they will be very expensive and only available to the very rich - or, perhaps, the most deserved."
"I cannot believe that everyone, irrespective of their mental capacity and psychological profile, will have access to potential immortality," says Raika. "It is going to open a can of ethical worms, isn’t it?"
"As long as technology advances, I believe de Grey’s vision of an ageless society will eventuate, and with it will emerge a smarter society, I think, because if people had to live through the long term consequences of their actions, potentially for 100s of years, then they would need to exercise exceptional wisdom."
"I can understand, too," adds Raika, "that in a pro-ageing society, one governed by religion, a trance does sort of exist where people are programmed to accept old age gracefully, to welcome meeting their God and living in Heaven. In de Grey’s vision, if our earthly lives were potentially everlasting, people would definitely care more about making life on earth more pleasant - no more wars, perhaps?"
"And then, from all of this, we enter a science fiction realm where our physical bodies are allowed to die but our minds, our essential selves, continue to exist on computer chips allowing interaction with other downloaded 'people'."
"It’s not exactly the fountain of youth de Grey proposes, and it may not appeal to people for whom life is a sensual pleasure, and it does come with the risk that some young geek will pull the plug on us, but it does offer hope to those of us who are more cerebral," adds Raika. "Imagine being able to have a relationship without old dangly bits getting in the way!"
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