What hope do you have to live to significant live extension?

[henkalv]

200 years? None.

Science seems to be indicating we have a hard wired expiry date that humans won't be able to easily get past.

The hayflick limit? Cancer cells already gets past that and we know how they do it. It would not be a stretch to say that we can get past that problem in a 2-5 years time or less as we have already done it with mice. (they extended their lifespan with about 50%)

Furthermore there is a rather large bounty for the one who discovers it, and no I am not talking about the immortality in of itself, but a large cash price on about 3.5 billion US dollars I think

 

[Thepistolman1234]

About NO hope

 

[DiMono]

I don't know about anyone else, but I plan to live forever. So far, so good.

I'm naturally long lived. My grandparent all lived well into their '90s, one of them after having 7 heart attacks, and two of them are still alive. I'll be surprised if I don't at least see 2100. Less so if we destroy ourselves.

 

[spartan231490]

It's not life extension you need to be looking at. Life extension is pointless. What you need to be looking for is "youth extension" or something like that. Who wants to be old for 100 years. I'll pass, no thank you.

 

[henkalv]

If I have not made it clear yet then I must stress that we are very likely to live until one has accomplished biological immortality, since most (if not all) the processes that cause aging has already been discovered, some have been negated and we are working on the other ones. With the rate of technological discovery that we have I would not be surprised if I live to see that day

 

[LadyTiamat]

I plan to live long enough to see humanity finally getting off this small speck of dust. Only until then I cannot rest.

 

[Esotera]

We're already there...5000 years ago most of us would be dead by now, and all of us would be dead after a few more decades.

I hope to work quite hard for a decade, then develop programs part-time, and just do lots of exercise and enjoy the world around me. I'd like to help other people through my work, but that isn't strictly necessary...I'd rather just have fun.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

14, so i guess an alright chance. Also, i don't think the singularity is anywhere near a few centuries down the line. Watch the extra credits on PATV, they have an episode on it. It seems fairly likely to happen within the next 70 years.

And i definately don't want to be immortal, that sounds horrible.

 

[Sam Warrior]

If you actually want to live longer (not to mention forever) then there is a number of problems to overcome. First, the idea that uploading you to a computer is rather silly. Yes one could theoretically get all the info in there, but how do you upload the ego?

Rather, if one wants to live significally longer then there is a number of medical problem that have to be solved:
1. atherosclerosis
Basicly that your blood vessel gets a slowely thicker layer of fat on the inside, we can not stop it happening (or well you could exclude saturated fat from your diet compleatly, but that might have some side effects and I am not sure if it would actually stop it anyway)
2. mutations (thus curing all forms of cancer)
When your cells divide it sometimes happens small error and thus you get some cells who, while working semi properly, does not preform like it used to. It could be better (evolution) or you could be out of luck and get cancer. Anyway, if enough error happens then your body won't cope with it anyway and you will die.
3. micro-organisms
4. Hayflick limit
Basicly we have these small things at the end of our dna which decides how many times a cell can split, it gets shorter in every new cell and at the end it won't split anymore. Interesting note is that cancer cells avoid this somehow.

Cancer cells get around the division limit by using an enzyme which extends the junk DNA at the end of the strand. You would also need to take into account the degradation of the brain alzheimers for example, how long could we live before our brains stop being able to process new memories.

 

[henkalv]

If you actually want to live longer (not to mention forever) then there is a number of problems to overcome. First, the idea that uploading you to a computer is rather silly. Yes one could theoretically get all the info in there, but how do you upload the ego?

Rather, if one wants to live significally longer then there is a number of medical problem that have to be solved:
1. atherosclerosis
Basicly that your blood vessel gets a slowely thicker layer of fat on the inside, we can not stop it happening (or well you could exclude saturated fat from your diet compleatly, but that might have some side effects and I am not sure if it would actually stop it anyway)
2. mutations (thus curing all forms of cancer)
When your cells divide it sometimes happens small error and thus you get some cells who, while working semi properly, does not preform like it used to. It could be better (evolution) or you could be out of luck and get cancer. Anyway, if enough error happens then your body won't cope with it anyway and you will die.
3. micro-organisms
4. Hayflick limit
Basicly we have these small things at the end of our dna which decides how many times a cell can split, it gets shorter in every new cell and at the end it won't split anymore. Interesting note is that cancer cells avoid this somehow.

Cancer cells get around the division limit by using an enzyme which extends the junk DNA at the end of the strand. You would also need to take into account the degradation of the brain alzheimers for example, how long could we live before our brains stop being able to process new memories.

I am kinda an idealist on the field, so my answer is that any process that is done can be undone somehow (except entropy, entropy really sucks)!

A possible way around it could be to try to make the brain revert to how it acted during growth, which could have some... interesting effects on the person in question, but which would also reverse the degradation. I do not know how to do it (though it most likely includes truck loads of hormones), but some nifty scientist might make it happen in say 20-50 years

 

[him over there]

I don't want life extension, Everybody dies and if you don't then well you're pretty much a cheater. Seriously we don't need this. I don't want to sound like a Luddite though obviously that is what I'm being right now but isn't the whole point and beauty of life that you get one chance. That one chance to try and do everything you want to do, Journey not the destination bah blah blah and so on?

 

[The Last Nomad]

I'd say we as a species are able to live longer now than before, but its too early to see the effects, the people who are still dying have not lived a full life under these new conditions.
I imagine somebody born today will easily live to 2100 provided they get through the first 20 years (In the "first world" that is).

Me personally, I can't wait for mind uploading and the singularity. Bring on the future motherfuckers

 

[Sam Warrior]

If you actually want to live longer (not to mention forever) then there is a number of problems to overcome. First, the idea that uploading you to a computer is rather silly. Yes one could theoretically get all the info in there, but how do you upload the ego?

Rather, if one wants to live significally longer then there is a number of medical problem that have to be solved:
1. atherosclerosis
Basicly that your blood vessel gets a slowely thicker layer of fat on the inside, we can not stop it happening (or well you could exclude saturated fat from your diet compleatly, but that might have some side effects and I am not sure if it would actually stop it anyway)
2. mutations (thus curing all forms of cancer)
When your cells divide it sometimes happens small error and thus you get some cells who, while working semi properly, does not preform like it used to. It could be better (evolution) or you could be out of luck and get cancer. Anyway, if enough error happens then your body won't cope with it anyway and you will die.
3. micro-organisms
4. Hayflick limit
Basicly we have these small things at the end of our dna which decides how many times a cell can split, it gets shorter in every new cell and at the end it won't split anymore. Interesting note is that cancer cells avoid this somehow.

Cancer cells get around the division limit by using an enzyme which extends the junk DNA at the end of the strand. You would also need to take into account the degradation of the brain alzheimers for example, how long could we live before our brains stop being able to process new memories.

I am kinda an idealist on the field, so my answer is that any process that is done can be undone somehow (except entropy, entropy really sucks)!

A possible way around it could be to try to make the brain revert to how it acted during growth, which could have some... interesting effects on the person in question, but which would also reverse the degradation. I do not know how to do it (though it most likely includes truck loads of hormones), but some nifty scientist might make it happen in say 20-50 years

Well fairly recently its been discovered that the brain actually has stem cells so in theory we could get those working again, there are also a group of chemicals which stimulate the growth and survival of neurones during development which could also be used. Though I think for the most part the focus is on curing diseases not extending lifespans. The single biggest problem we have in that regard is cancer, which is just a nasty little bugger.

 

[lordlillen]

4. Hayflick limit
Basicly we have these small things at the end of our dna which decides how many times a cell can split, it gets shorter in every new cell and at the end it won't split anymore. Interesting note is that cancer cells avoid this somehow.

so one of the secrets to eternal life is cancer? ironic.

 

[Soviet Steve]

All I know is that it is beyond my power to change. If the opportunities arise I will discuss it with the significant other, until then I plan to simply enjoy a good long life.