Will we live to be in our late hundreds? It is becoming possible!

to the one who said "we only lived to 40-50 years old a thousand years ago" i offer this reference: the bible. moses wrote (about 3,500 years ago) that "the measure of a mans life is 3 score and 10 (70 years), and if by measure of strength, 4 score" (80 years old). we live as long now as we always have but there have been times in history when, due to plague, environmental hardships, etc. our life spans were reduced overall. i remember being told as a child that the average lifespan of people 100-200 years ago was 40 years old. there was a huge infant mortality rate during the western expansion of this country so that if half the population lived to be 100 and the other half died at birth, the "average" life span would be 50 years old. lies, damned lies and statistics.

Originally posted by Byrd
We'll see better options for older workers (and perhaps a social pattern of working to 50, retiring for a decade, and then going back to work for another 20 years.)

Hehe. Interesting idea. I suspect those who are genetically advantaged and/or practice successful selfhealing techniques today, are natural forerunners to longevity in the future.

As much as I'd like to see such a development in medicine, I don't think we are really ready for it yet. I think as a society we need to learn to better manage our resources before we start spreading them out more due to lowering the mortality rate.

Done in increments, it might not be so bad. I just can't even imagine what the ramifications of one generation suddenly living 100 years longer than the preceding generation. Seems like it could cause some serious socio-economic destabilization to me.

You're not implying that the human genome project is waiting until the world has
better control of population growth and the environment before it releases the life extension virus are you Neon? I hope not because we'll probably be dead by the time it does. I'd much rather not wait until the worlds ready for it because I have a feeling that it won't for probably another 100 years from now! Although the release of this virus before hand will probably lead to all these most necessary changes to be made sooner.

Originally posted by whitewave
i remember being told as a child that the average lifespan of people 100-200 years ago was 40 years old. there was a huge infant mortality rate during the western expansion of this country so that if half the population lived to be 100 and the other half died at birth, the "average" life span would be 50 years old. lies, damned lies and statistics.

I agree with whitewave. The statistics don't tell the whole story. Just a few years back, childhood was a very precarious time......once you made it past 3-4 years old, your chances of reaching a ripe old age were much, much better. Just browse thru a few old vital records sites and you will see. When all those early deaths are figured in, the average really goes down.

I also believe that over the next few years the statistical average will go down, rather than up. Not from infant mortality rates, but because the large number of baby boomers that are NOT living into their 80's, 90's, or even 70's........as I mentioned in my earlier post, I read the obits. From July 18: one person was 78, one 89 , four were in the 50's and one was 42. From July 23 one was 83, one 45, and one 53. This brings the average to just about 60.

What 'they' tell me, or what I see ? Which to believe?

Bio manipulation live 650 year and more.

The vast majority seems to have no idea about what is happening with the human genome. Go to my thread 100 years is a joke try 650 years. And as for all you morons saying population explosion. Only 2 percent of the world population die of old age. meaning that the cells in the body age to a point where body function no longer is possible. That is as stupid an argument as God doesnt want us to live forever.

First is if we die at 70 there is no chance we will ever get off this rock so basically by refusing to extend life you are guarantying human life will end completely. Why because eventually our sun will burn out and the earth will be no more. And then after that the andromeda galaxy will collide with the milky way galaxy and everything is over. So if you like your short life then fine you are not forced to change your self, die off works for me. As for me I want to be around when war is a historical fact, I want to see flying cars and colonization of other planets, i want to meet other life forms. If you are so eagerer to die works for me but don't drag everyone else down with you.

Oh and if you are one of those god people. Then you have no choice but to acknowledge that god has infinite wisdom. And in his infinite wisdom he would have created us fully knowing that we would advance to this point. So by stating that god does not want us to do this, is stating that god does not know what it is doing when he made us.

As for me there is no god it is just a concept made up to keep people in line because after all it is scary to know you are going to end and there is nothing else except transferal of energy from one form to another.

Read my thread and find ,snoop, steal, every bit of information you can. We all know that our government will hide this information and use it only for the monetary elite.

Neon:

Are you talking about sirtuins?


Group:

Has no-one on ATS discovered the surprising (yet creepily true) tale of the eternal mice? Or the "Army story" about LTC Tom's never-ending doggie?

I haven't been here that long, and I'm too dang lazy/overworked to scour through the back threads to see if it was covered. I hate to repost the topics of threads past if so.

Our laboratory studies the regulation of aging. Not very long ago, most people thought that aging was something that just happened. We just wear out, like cars. Not true! Several years ago, we discovered that mutations in the gene daf-2, which encodes an insulin/IGF-1-like receptor, double the lifespan of the nematode C. elegans. Since then, insulin/IGF-1 endocrine systems have been shown to regulate the longevity of flies and mice as well. We have found that this system is regulated by sensory neurons in C. elegans, and that signals from the reproductive system also regulate aging. Amazingly, if we perturb insulin/IGF-1 signaling and reproductive cells in the same animal, we end up with animals that live SIX times as normal! What's more, they stay vibrant and healthy until the very end. We have also discovered that a different regulatory system involving mitochondria functions during development to set the rates of behavior and aging. We are now trying to understand how the insulin/IGF-1, reproductive and mitochondrial pathways, as well as another perturbation, caloric restriction, influence lifespan at the molecular level. this is from the labs of Cynthia Kenyon

What is not stated here is that the enzyme used to cause this effect only mutates Daf-2. The effect would be identical if introduced into a human. The enzyme used is called Ethyl Methanesulfonate.

i am posting this because i believe that this needs to be know and needs to be implemented. The first thing everyone will say is that it will cause a population explosion. This is not true. Only 2% of the worlds population dies of old age. The truth is most die of diseases, car wreaks, war, aids, cancer, and other accidental effects. We need this now. This is the only way we have to make space exploration plausible for humans.

In another article pertaining to the work of Cynthia Kenyon located in Google scholarly article search states the human expected life span would be 650 years.

Another extremely important branch of research is insulin growth factor one. Introduced into the human body masked in virus shell. The implication of this is astounding. If our government allowed us to use it we would be in perfect muscular form for ever. We would never suffer the effect of muscle deterioration the is linked with age. There is a child in Sweden that was born with this mutation, I am having problems finding the link however the photos are amazing. The child is 6 month old in the photo and his calf are stronger than mine and i am 28.

COPY AND PASTed from a guy that was banned After i read up on this i am going to start a new thread.

leapofdreams - Sounds like you are working in a very interesting field.

Actually My main area of expertise is actually physics, but this development is so astounding that all that can understand the basics should be more than overjoyed at the possibilities.

The reason I know about this is that my closest friend is currently working on how to replicate the effects of calorie restriction on mammals over at Bristol University.

He always calls me up excited about this discovery or that discovery. I guess it's a dream of mine to live to understand all there is to understand

All the best,

NeoN HaZe.

Believe it or not i am just a rouge scientist. I have become obsessed with the prospect of biomanipulation and forced evolution threw genetic manipulation. I am absolutely ecstatic to hear you speak of caloric restriction. I began eating by the 1000 cal restriction plan a large number of years ago. i have hit a stone wall with my research threw the university of California. They have removed all of the journals that recorded the progress on procedures of there lab work. It is very stress full knowing the enzyme and administration but not knowing the proper fluid to weight ratio. This information has been erased. I have read a number of medical journals stating that in a median dose EMB can cause other RNA mutations. The mutation can have an effect on rapid development of cancerous cell growth. I believe i will have to go over seas to gather the rest of data needed to further formulate a proper procedure to begin human testing. What is amazing is that Human insulin growth factors have such broad implications on human evolution or artificial evolution.

if your friend ever shared any lab work, journals, list of test results, or procedures i would love to read them or any information that would possible help me gain more knowledge in the field. i have completely rendered my local libraries useless.

Originally posted by darkelf
Another consideration is overpopulation. Jobs and housing for all those people will be in short supply. And if people will be youthful, both physically and mentally, right up to the end, what causes the end?

I doubt the world will become overpopulated with the advent of longevity technology. Simply because it wouldn't be made available to all. It will be expensive to gain access to 'immortality' so to speak. The way I see it is that you have 1 of 2 options: pay for expensive pills/treatments from the pharmaceutical company OR pay for the expensive services of an advanced healer specialized in effective antiaging techniques. Although a few healers may donate their services, it won't be enough to make a significant difference to the world population. So the majority will continue to be left out, from receiving the extraordinary benefits of increased, quality longevity (being young & healthy). This may be the case of the rich becoming richer while the poor becoming poorer as a similar analogy.
These are my 2C IMHO.

As to my opinion of what causes the end, well to me, it means the ultimate control over one's mortality. We'll leave our physical selves permanently when we say so voluntarily, not forced to as is the present case.

Unless Moses and everyone that followed till the 19th century had anti-biotics, I tend to believe 40 years on average for death is appropriate.

Toothaches, and fevers killed people regulary, prior to modern medicine. God forbid you break a bone, or get an infected scratch.

I imagine if you ask someone whether they want to live to 150 or not; you'll get answers that probably reflect on their current health. 50+ probably would say not so much, while 20 somethings, would probably say hell ya.

I'd be all for it, if I could remain comfortable.

Great post.

I want to address a couple of things, so I will bullet proof them. They all tie together, but I wont go into detail to sting them together. (you guys can ponder the concepts and how they interact for fun.)

1) Eternal life is possible in this life (more so than after life i.m.o., a thread explaining more about why I say this HERE .

2) Some people would not want to live forever, a few would like to live longer, a few are happy with what they have. (A lot depends on perspective.) And I find that this is probably a good thing for those that argue overpopulation...as not everyone wants to live forever...but for those who want, its available...and if you live long enough you can do some space exploration and not overpopulate this planet.

3) I think eternal life in the physical is already possible, but was perhaps taken away from us from our ancient "creators"...those scientist who wanted to exert control over us , as we no doubt will do when robots want equal rights and we demand to have their life span 'cut down'.

Again, there are links throughout which highlight my ideas behind each of the statements for those wanting to dig deeper.

But definitely, all things are possible...for those that want to know.

Peace

dAlen

[edit on 23-12-2006 by dAlen]

The overpopulation argument is rather silly as it assumes that we will stay still while the entire world is filling up with people. We never stay still, even though at times it seems like we are. I assume that should it get overcrowded on earth, those with access to this technology will opt to live off-planet where they can have as much space as they want! A doubling of the average life expectancy is to be expected this Century IMO. We have already started to see the beginning stages of this transition period. I believe we are nearing the point of speciation. I doubt this means the end of the Human race though.

Originally posted by nextguyinline


I imagine if you ask someone whether they want to live to 150 or not; you'll get answers that probably reflect on their current health. 50+ probably would say not so much, while 20 somethings, would probably say hell ya.

I'd be all for it, if I could remain comfortable.

This is so true. I've heard the same sentiment from the more fanciful question, "Would you want to be a vampire? Live forever, never age?"

Sure, if it would happen when I was in the prime of life, but who would want to be 'old' forever!!

Originally posted by Schmidt1989 and ammonia levels in your body would still continue to rise, which would still cause death. (thats what causes it now, people dont die from 'old age'.)

so basically, some method of removing ammonia from the body would allow us to not die~~??