this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2023
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Living to 120 is becoming an imaginable prospect::undefined

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[–] papalonian@lemmy.world 67 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Who the hell wants to do that?

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 50 points 11 months ago (2 children)
[–] sock@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago

im imagining someone rotting from 90-120 but still conscious then making this news story

im joking tho i only read the headline

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

When we can live to 150, I’ll believe we can live to 120 in good health. In reality I’m watching 80yo people around me deteriorate into shells of their former selves.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sure, and 50 years ago people un their sixties looked like they just saw the grim reaper.

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Maybe, though I think that’s a bit overstating it. 50 years ago, leading men in romance movies were sometimes 50+

Lead, smoking, post war trauma… all less of an issue in today’s generations. What are the big longevity extenders for the next generation? I don’t think projections are very good.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The projection is that we'll repair the damage regular living does to us (basically metabolism).

And I disagree with you, it will help us better than penicillin or what ever other progress that made us live longer and healthier in the past.

Most problems are based largely on aging, it's because our body wears out. Very few people get cancers, heart attacks, alzheimers or die from simple infectious diseases in ther twenties.

The theory exists since a couple of decades and althought being challenged thoroughly no cracks has been found up to today at least, we can repair the damage done and cure ageing, and today funding is there.

On a side note, senolytics and some other first gen treatments are probable for say in ten years or earlier (some experimental stuff already exist too), if they roll back your age just by a meager 10 years when you're 60, it's 10 years of research and new treatments that you can have access to and so on.

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I see… anti aging.

Well, if that technology ever actually lands, then I agree with you, it will be momentous.

However, we’ve been 30 years away from being able to slow/stop/reverse aging for the last 30 years. It’s like fusion. It’ll be facking great if it happens, but no one should talk about it like it’s a sure thing.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 2 points 11 months ago

Well 30 years ago was when it all started (basically Dr de Grey shaking up gerontology, and the subsequent book Ending Aging), and the first ten years he fought all the problems in old academia and funding research himself. The next 10 was more fighting the "deathists" and trying to get at least some seriously funded adventures on the road and now ten years after that we have bio gerontologists not only wanting to push forward but they also can without jeopardizing their careers, lots of well funded biotech startups (rich people did finally get it) and the first treatments (Dasatinib + Quercetin was the first one IIRC, which can be had over the counter. It's a senolytic and removes senescent cells) actually exists.

Now we need ways to assess the effectiveness of those treatments in humans (better ways than trying and waiting for 30 years), and see if they actually do rejuvenate, and that's one another tricky question that lots of people are working on right now, so for me the future is bright.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] Arthur_Leywin@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (3 children)
[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I would want to too, but not on this planet with these people and the very uncertain future.

Why? There's so much to experience! If I could stay healthy, age more slowly or not at all, it would be great to try and experience as many good things as possible.

[–] Arthur_Leywin@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh you were talking about living longer if you were in a utopia or something close to it. Ok yeah I agree with you there, but unfortunately that's not reality xD

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I doesn't have to be a utopia, it just has to be better than this.

And just in case you didn't know, aging has been reversed in mice and the existence of biologically "immortal" species ("immortal" jellyfish) means it's possible to achieve the same in humans.

[–] ViciousTangerine@lemmings.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's hypothetically possible that we could hack biology enough to become functionally immortal, but do you really want that? Considering the impact 90 year old Senators are having I'm just imagining an ever more out of touch gerantocracy. Imagine young people being born into a world where no one ever retires or dies, and their opinions are fixed based on what they experienced 100 years ago. Change is good.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 2 points 11 months ago

Change is good indeed. Maybe if people didn't think "eh, I can fuck up the world as I won't be alive to live with the results" they might care a little more. Also, if were able functionally immortal, traveling to a new star system would be well within our possibilities.

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I think people are confusing “people want to live to 120” with “people want to be 120.”

Actually being 120 would probably be awful. But seeing the year 2130 might be truly wild. On a basic level, it’s the same as wanting to live to see tomorrow.

What age do you want to die at?

[–] Darthjaffacake@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is actually a really interesting question, personally never. Not like heat death of the universe never but I don't feel like there's a point in theoretical forever young immortality where I would want to die, there's always more shit to do and I've never felt like I need to up my game or something. I'm curious what you guys think though

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

About the same. I should up my game though.

[–] Arthur_Leywin@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

The age where I can no longer do things that I like to do, code and workout.

[–] PixxlMan@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Cause life's nice :)

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Is this the sign up? I'm in