How Close Are We to Immortality?
Researchers are working to get to the bottom of longevity, unlocking the secrets to extending our lifespans well into our 100s… and beyond.
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Harvard Professor David Sinclair thinks longevity, or extending our lifespan, is the “greatest unsolved problem in biology.”
The global life expectancy is currently hovering somewhere around 72 years old and women typically live longer than men and the age tends to be higher in developed countries and lower in impoverished nations.
Some experts argue that the tools we currently have when it comes to extending our lifespans are as simple as diet and exercise, but a healthy diet is only going to get you so far. So scientists are seeking out clues in the natural world that could help us side step growing old, some scientists even think that many of the ailments we refer to as diseases could be thought of as the symptoms of aging.
So, in addition to improving our nutrition, sleep, social life, access to health care, and so on, what else can we do to increase our chances of immortality?
Find out more on this episode of How Close Are We?
#Immortality #Aging #Longevity #Science #Seeker
Longevity and anti-aging research: ‘Prime time for an impact on the globe’
Anti-aging research: ‘Prime time for an impact on the globe’
“We currently live in a world where aging is so common that it’s considered by most of the world, including the medical community, as something that’s natural and inevitable. And if something’s considered inevitable, typically you don’t focus on it in the same way as something you can treat. Cancer was a natural part of life at one time, in the same way that aging is today. A hundred years ago, doctors didn’t focus on treating cancer as much as we do now, because then you couldn’t do much, if anything, about it. As soon as you show you can modify the disease process, like we learned in the 1970s with the discovery of oncogenes that cause cancer — and increasingly so today — then there’s renewed hope, and views about the condition shift.”
There’s no limit to longevity, says study that revives human lifespan debate
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05582-3
“Some scientists have examined demographic data and concluded that there is a fixed, natural ‘shelf-life’ for our species and that mortality rates keep increasing. Others have looked at the same data and concluded that the death risk flattens out in one’s ultra-golden years, and therefore that human lifespan does not have an upper threshold.”
13 Habits Linked to a Long Life (Backed by Science)
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-habits-linked-to-a-long-life
“Researchers report that maintaining healthy social networks can help you live up to 50% longer. In fact, having just 3 social ties may decrease your risk of early death by more than 200%. Studies also link healthy social networks to positive changes in heart, brain, hormonal, and immune function, which may decrease your risk of chronic diseases.”
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