Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events and wisdom may expand.
Will a cure or a program of effective treatments for aging ever be developed?
The answer to the first question is conditional on medical advancement: if medical science continues to advance in the fields of biogerontology and bioengineering, then some people hope the answer is "yes, that it will happen eventually.
Scientist and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil claims that biotech and nanotech advances expected over the next two decades will be sufficient for humanity to slow down aging and make a realistic stab at ending death.
Kurzweil should not be taken lightly. Called “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes magazine, his enthusiastic fans range from Bill Gates to Bill Clinton, and a recent Time magazine article compared him with the genius of Thomas Edison.
Kurzweil believes that unraveling the human genome has enabled researchers to begin development of powerful technologies that promise to re-grow cells, tissues, and organs; reverse aging; correct bad genes; and build nanobots the size of blood cells that will roam through our bodies keeping us forever young and healthy.
In a recent interview with CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Kurzweil revealed steps outlined in his book that bridge the gulf between today, when medical help focuses more on treating symptoms than cures; and tomorrow, when biotech and nanotech revolutions promise so many miracles. Kurzweil divides these steps, which he says anyone can take, into three bridges.
Bridge One begins now by adopting a powerful nutrient menu specifically designed to meet each individual’s genetic requirements; and it also includes eating less animal fats, carbohydrates, and high-glycemic-load foods; plus adding more physical and mental activities to our routine.
Bridge Two relies on biotech advances expected between 2010 and 2020, when stem cell and gene therapies will be available to replace defective tissues and organs, bringing an end to most diseases and aging.
Bridge Three takes us into the amazing 2020s, when nanotech, robot, and artificial intelligence systems will provide cell-repair mechanisms, human-machine interfaces, and vastly improved minds. By 2030, the writers claim, adults, regardless of their age, could be living in a powerful, youthful body enjoying great health and free from most unwanted deaths.
Psychologist Karim Hajee would add positive thinking to the mix. “Some refer to this as mind power”; he says; “others call it spiritual power; but most call it the power of our subconscious mind”. Believe in this positive future; know that you can improve your health and survive to become part of it – and you will.
Cambridge University researcher Aubrey de Grey believes that by 2020, science advances will add more than a year to human life expectancy every year. This, he claims, is evidence that many of us alive today could live for 200 years or more.
Kurzweil and Grossman carry this further; they point out that what humans have always dreamed of – the promise of living an indefinite lifespan – could soon become reality. Follow the principles laid forth in their bridges and you too, along with many of your loved ones and friends, might journey into our “magical future”, and all the way through the 21st century – and beyond.
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