Anti-Ageing Technology: Will It Prove To Be A Boon or A Curse?
As I have mentioned a few times in the past, it is a very interesting time to be alive right now in the early 21st century. This is because we are at a place from where the journey ahead is nothing short of magical.
I am talking in terms of technology and how it will change our world so drastically in the coming decades, that we would barely even recognise our own world if we were to somehow get a glimpse of it today.
Such is the transformational power of technology. It can change existing things, make them obsolete and introduce totally new avenues of human exploration that were simply not possible before, continuously taking humanity to new heights.
One such technology is the ability to alter our biology in many different ways. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to be focusing on reversing the ageing process.
Ageing
We all know that growing up and growing old is a natural process that all living beings go through. It’s nature’s way of maintaining balance. As newer things get created, older things must die, passing the token of life from one generation to the next.
Ageing is an automatic process and it seems that our bodies are somehow aware of ‘time’, making the necessary changes at every stage of life. We still don’t understand this process fully or exactly what causes it. What we do have, is an understanding of some of the processes that might cause it.
One of these processes is the shortening of Telomeres as a result of cell division. Let me explain this in a simple way. Basically, there are these special DNA sequences called Telomeres, which sit at the end of our chromosomes and serve as a ‘cap’ or protection for our genes.
We also know that the cells in our bodies are constantly dividing and forming new ones. The telomeres get shorter each time a cell divides and after a certain number of divisions, they are too short to allow for further divisions and hence the cell dies.
They are like the molecular clock of the body and therein may lie the answer for controlling the ageing process.
Patient Zero
Video taken from Singularity Weblog's YouTube channel.
Elizabeth Parrish, CEO of BioViva, claims that she is the patient zero, the first human being, to have successfully reversed her ageing, after having underwent two gene therapies in 2015.
According to BioViva and Parrish, one of the two therapies was to protect her against loss of muscle mass and the other was to increase the length of her Telomeres, which have been successful in rejuvenating her. A particular thing of interest, that raises the brows, is that the second therapy reversed 20 years of telomere shortening!
To be precise, the length of her Telomeres increased from 6.71 kilobases (measured in September 2015) to 7.33 kilobases (measured in March 2016).
This was achieved by delivering a special enzyme called Telomerase to the blood which had the effect of lengthening her Telomeres. This is just an explanation in lay man’s terms. The actual process is very complicated.
Skepticism
Despite the precise data provided by the company, scientists and researchers all over the world are really skeptical of their claims. For one, they say that there was a total lack of proper scientific procedure with numerous measurements before and after the procedure. There is an extreme lack of data.
Also, citing a lack of rigorous clinical trials, they say that there can be no guarantee that the same process can be replicated in other human beings (if it even worked for Parrish is unsure at the moment).
Ethical Issues
Even if we do manage to develop the ability to reverse ageing, there is the lingering ethical issue of if we should actually do it. It would be going against the natural process, for starters.
If the anti-ageing treatment is expensive, it means that only a certain portion of the population will be able to get their hands on it. This will create another division in humanity like they show in sci-fi movies.
Also, it would cause an unnecessary burden on the natural resources if we lived to say, 150. More people means more strain on resources.
Ultimately, we need to find answers to all the questions before ever implementing such a disruptive technology into the world, the most interesting one of which is, “Is ageing really a disease, to be cured like all others?”
"Disruptive" technology is not necessary to reverse aging. The human body ITSELF is the technology! Take it from me: I've reversed cavities, reversed wrinkles, have zero gray hairs, and in relation to human energy, I've become a child again. Thank you for posting the article; however, I must admit... it is overly complex. As Einstein has said, you must be able to state in simplicity. I'll post again :)
Yeah, the human body is capable of amazing things, almost magical things, but not a lot of people are aware of that or believe that. Even if they do, they are not willing to unlock their potential. I hope in the future, we are more into raising our consciousness and stuff like that.
Watched your 1 month of eating fruit video. I was quite amazed at the results. Maybe I'll try something like that too :)
I wish technology would grant the wishes that people want with health and aging. People are stuck under this illusion that the answer is not inside of them--because this is exactly what has been promoted to them. This article itself feeds into that belief system, and supports that belief system. Instead, let's remind people that they're never going to improve upon nature :)
Glad you enjoyed the vid! :)
I agree with you to the extent that what we think we want isn't what we really need in order to reach our fullest potential of fulfillment (which we DO have with us, always).
That said, the fountain of youth isn't something that can be accessed by self-reflection or meditation. If it's everlasting life in "this flesh" that people are after (whether that's a misguided desire, or not), then technology/ science is the only hope for a solution.
"technology/science is the only hope" -- Like I said, you are the technology. Your body is the technology. You have everything you need :D
Everything I need for what?
For fulfillment? If that's what you mean, then we're in agreement.
If you mean to say that my body is all that I need in order to live forever in this same body, then we don't agree.
instead of trying to draw conclusions to my message, it is good that you have asked :) Your body is everything you need to be in this world, travel this world, and experience this world. It's pretty basic. Wanting to "live forever in this same body" is a temporary greed you have due to you being attached and anxious to this world. Eventually you'll grow bored of it. Besides, it wouldn't make you the first known immortal on this world.
Deep stuff, I know. It's knowledge that is not common or easy to access conventionally.
I would like to say that your body is everything you need for overcoming any health-related challenges. Your body is also everything you need for anti-aging.
Thank you for clarifying a bit.
If I'm to be honest with you, I have no reliable basis to argue with you from, as I haven't found a reliable way nor a sound proof that I even exist (by "I", I mean to say as an individual, separate from other individuals - something obviously exists or there would be no experiencing), let alone what is true or not true about reality.
For instance, do I have freewill? It seems so, from my limited perception (conscious awareness), but it could be that everything I do and say is pre-determined or entirely outside of my control.
That being said, based on my own direct experiences, I agree to some extent what you have said about the human body being capable of achieving far more than the average person gives it credit. However, I don't think that it's sound reason to project that observation into meaning that anything is achievable by the human body, or by any type of meditative (transcendental) state of awareness. How could I ever know if, or where, my limits exist?
Also, I've never directly experienced, or had proven to me, the existence of immortality, so it's not a "truth" to me. Of course, the above doesn't prove that it doesn't exist. Again, I'm left back where I began, admitting that I don't really know anything.
There are natural ways to help this. Infowars sells a product that's called DNA Force & there is element called ORMUS that are known to have anti-aging affects as much as turning gray hairs in your head back to your original color! I've written an article on it I will link to.
Had to go back a ways to find it. It speaks about Trump, I believe he knows about ORMUS:
https://steemit.com/trump/@notoriousdjp/does-donald-trump-know-the-bibles-secrets-about-life-extension
Thanks. Will check out the article.
If we have the ability to extend human life, and do not, it is murder. Life is not an unnecessary burden. Anyone who doesn't want to live, shouldn't. As for me, I will live until, at least, 35,000, and anyone who tries to stop me, won't.
35,000 eh? That's a good goal. Till then we will have easily colonised the entire galaxy. Maybe you will travel across the galaxy like it was nothing. hehe
I look forward to it. I hope to have company.
We age by telomere shortening, but also by oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Yep, it seems multiple factors are responsible.
I am not so concerned with resource depletion. We inhabit an insignificant layer of mist on the surface of a, rather large, relative to us, oblate spheroid in space. As large as is our planet, it is, itself, insignificant in relation to the vast amount of resources even in our solar system, let alone our local group, or our galaxy. It appears the universe is not exactly crowded. I would like to live to see it so.
I think what is expensive is caring for the sick and elderly with our current technologies. If we have a chance to change this I believe we have an ethical obligation to do so.
But it would also increase the overall cost of any nation if there are billions of people living in it.
We are going to need to deal with the population issue soon regardless of what else happens. In my opinion a far more important issue is the environmental one which seems to go largely ignored at this point.
Happy and healthy people, plants, animals, and minerals, are a great blessing and we may need the support and cooperation of all of us to solve the larger issues facing the world. Historical methods of war, starvation, and sickness are not good methods of solving the issue imho.
I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks for the different perspective :)
It will be both.
Frankly I tend to lean on that thought as well.
There are always benefits and consequences to all new technology, especially ones which defy nature. It will be great to have extended life, but a lot will change because of it. It's hard to predict what the world would change into, certainly working life would change. Retirement at 65? Not anymore, now you gotta live for another 60 years after that.
It will surely bring about a lot of changes. Socially and economically. Maybe people in the future will have fewer kids or maybe it might even be made mandatory to do so. Who knows how humans as a species will adjust to this nature defying tech.
The interesting world of telomeres... while this is cool, I think I will remain in the skeptical camp too. Also, like you mentioned, the world can't cope with so much age resistant people... it is already suffering massively with the 7 billion people on it now.
Yeah, too much population already. Maybe this can be useful in the extreme of cases only. Time will tell though.
It sure will! Nonetheless cool research!
Thank you so much :)
Wished I could have it. Oh, to be young again...!
haha, It is everyone's wish, I guess. To be young again.
I have said it before, but it is worth repeating that an average Steemer lives longer than the average of general population.
Quick, we should spread this information to everyone in the world. Steem will moon for sure :D
I AM here!
Hi there! :)
Hi, 🙋 Nice to meet You. Upvote in my posts 😁🙌
Nice to meet you too! :)
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