Op-Ed: Living Forever: Is It Possible? What Will Get Us There?
September 19, 2007
When I say “amyloid,” of course, almost everyone thinks of beta-amyloid protein (also called “amyloid beta”), which accumulates as the waxy “senile plaques” that cluster around the brain cells of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
–Aubrey de Grey, Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime, p. 134
Aubrey de Grey is so deep into geek biogerontology that using “almost everyone thinks of” in the sentence quoted above does not strike him as rather generous. In reality, most of us are thinking “amyloid…amyloid…you’re talking about the singer, right? No, no…what am I saying…Wasn’t she the actress in that movie…?”
Four years ago, I reported that de Grey foresees a not-too-distant future in which humans can reverse the effects of aging, raising the possibility of living healthy lives for hundreds of years. He has not backed away from that position, and this book, written by de Grey and his research associate Michael Rae, represents an update from his perspective. In brief, he says that
1. The latest scientific research indicates no flaws in the theory that aging can be eradicated.
2. However, getting the required techniques developed will require institutional changes relative to our current system for conducting medical research.
As an economist, I am most interested–and most qualified to form an opinion about–the second point. (TCS Daily)
