Is a 1000 year old human a possibility?
Sun, June 1, 2008 at 2:29 PM 
Can Humans Live to 1,000? Some Experts Claim We Can.
Cambridge University geneticist Aubrey de Grey has famously stated, “The first person to live to be 1,000 years old is certainly alive today …whether they realize it or not, barring accidents and suicide, most people now 40 years or younger can expect to live for centuries.”
Perhaps de Gray is way too optimistic, but plenty of others have joined the search for a virtual fountain of youth. In fact, a growing number of scientists, doctors, geneticists and nanotech experts—many with impeccable academic credentials—are insisting that there is no hard reason why ageing can’t be dramatically slowed or prevented altogether. Not only is it theoretically possible, they argue, but a scientifically achievable goal that can and should be reached in time to benefit those alive today.
“I am working on immortality,” says Michael Rose, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, who has achieved breakthrough results extending the lives of fruit flies. “Twenty years ago the idea of postponing aging, let alone reversing it, was weird and off-the-wall. Today there are good reasons for thinking it is fundamentally possible.”
Even the US government finds the field sufficiently promising to fund some of the research. Federal funding for “the biology of ageing”, excluding work on ageing-specific diseases like heart failure and cancer – has been running at about $2.4 billion a year, according to the National Institute of Ageing, part of the National Institutes of Health.
So far, the most intriguing results have been spawned by the genetics labs of bigger universities, where anti-ageing scientists have found ways to extend live spans of a range of organisms—including mammals. But genetic research is not the only field that may hold the key to eternity.
“There are many, many different components of ageing and we are chipping away at all of them,” said Robert Freitas at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing, a non-profit, nanotech group in Palo Alto, California. “It will take time and, if you put it in terms of the big developments of modern technology, say the telephone, we are still about 10 years off from Alexander Graham Bell shouting to his assistant through that first device. Still, in the near future, say the next two to four decades, the disease of ageing will be cured.”
But not everyone thinks ageing can or should be cured. Some say that humans weren’t meant to live forever, regardless of whether or not we actually can.
“I just don’t think [immortality] is possible,” says Sherwin Nuland, a professor of surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. “Aubrey and the others who talk of greatly extending lifespan are oversimplifying the science and just don’t understand the magnitude of the task. His plan will not succeed. Were it to do so, it would undermine what it means to be human.”
It’s interesting that Nuland first says he doesn’t think it will work but then adds that if it does, it will undermine humanity. So, which is it? Is it impossible, or are the skeptics just hoping it is?
After all, we already have overpopulation, global warming, limited resources and other issues to deal with, so why compound the problem by adding immortality into the mix.
But anti-ageing enthusiasts argue that as our perspectives change and science and technology advance exponentially, new solutions will emerge. Space colonization, for example, along with dramatically improved resource management, could resolve the concerns associated with long life. They reason that if the Universe goes on seemingly forever—much of it presumably unused—why not populate it?
However, anti-ageing crusaders are coming up against an increasingly influential alliance of bioconservatives who want to restrict research seeking to “unnaturally” prolong life. Some of these individuals were influential in persuading President Bush in 2001 to restrict federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. They oppose the idea of life extension and anti-ageing research on ethical, moral and ecological grounds.
Leon Kass, the former head of Bush’s Council on Bioethics, insists that “the finitude of human life is a blessing for every human individual”. Bioethicist Daniel Callahan of the Garrison, New York-based Hastings Centre, agrees: “There is no known social good coming from the conquest of death.”
Maybe they’re right, but then why do we as humans strive so hard to prolong our lives in the first place? Maybe growing old, getting sick and dying is just a natural, inevitable part of the circle of life, and we may as well accept it.
“But it’s not inevitable, that’s the point,” de Grey says. “At the moment, we’re stuck with this awful fatalism that we’re all going to get old and sick and die painful deaths. There are a 100,000 people dying each day from age-related diseases. We can stop this carnage. It’s simply a matter of deciding that’s what we should be doing.”
One wonders what Methuselah would say about all this.
Reader Comments (96)
oh i wish... life is so beautiful... i wish i would have 1000 to live it :D
It would be amazing to see someone live until the age of 1000. But our organs have to been created to last that long and they will just fail
as far as i am aware there have been no human trails on reveratrol, and we wouldn't know for certain if it was effective until long term trials are done. I think the first 1000 year old person could possibly be alive today, but i dont think there is anything you could take or do to live that long. Rather you body would be repaired/replaced as you age.
the most important thing is not to live a thousand years, but the quality of life. I think that has more people interested retained the maximum potential years younger, anyway great article.
I don't know why, but it seems quite a scarey though, living for centuries. Surely organs like the heart simply wears out? I guess with the stem cell research mentioned in the article, it will just be the matter of creating a new one - not sure I'd wanna go through the operation to have it installed either. Will it soon be the case of us getting an MOT and service just like our cars to have parts replaced?
thanks.
Very interesting blog. I agree people can live longer. I used to read that ancient people lived long to 1000 years. But we must not fight death...that is a natural act we must be used to..:-)
So far, the most intriguing results have been spawned by the genetics labs of bigger universities, where anti-ageing scientists have found ways to extend live spans of a range of organisms—including mammals. But genetic research is not the only field that may hold the key to eternity.
Nice Article.Thanks for sharing.
Count me on those against us living beyond our natural clock. That's a pretty absurd idea bound to cause a mess bigger than we can deal with. Come on, is living 1000 years even that attractive? I like the fact that our time here is limited.
I can understand this thinking. I think that people could live for extremely long times because our science can keep people living through just about anything. I think the issue comes into how you want to live that life. How long would you want to live on life support until a more viable option is discovered?
Very interesting post, I am not sure how I feel on the subject, as nice as it would be to live forever I am not so sure that we really are meant too...none the less interesting post :d
good post. i interset with you.
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It has been proven that mice feed a low calorie diet live much longer. It seems to even work in humans to some degree. However, do we really want to live longer? I mean it would be great but living organisms where ment to die. We as humans have no idea what happens to us when we die.
There is also the problem of overpopulation and new blood with new ideas, even evolution.
I do however believe it is possible to live much longer because the body has some very amazing capabilities to heal itself, some which aren't even switch on in our genes yet. The real question is not if we can live forever, but do we want to?
WOW nice photo !
I don't think I would want to live a hundred years what more 1000 years!Its so disturbing to see people walking like zombie...scary!
Thank you for this intriguing article. I have always wondered about how long the human body could sustain itself. Being of the Christian persuasion, I have been curios as to how/why humans of old could live for so much longer than the average human today. Thanks again for your article.
I agree that our views are changing thanks to the exponential advancement of technology. This post reminds me of one of my favorite movies "The Man from Earth," a pretty low-budget but smart flick about a man who has lived for centuries do a few genetic mutations. Check it out, they make a much more plausible case for it.
Until then, I'll just enjoy getting old and wrinkly like everybody else!
thanks
actually in the time we are spending, we cant think any thing beyond our aproach, science has given us such a new things that we can believe on that which is not approved yet
i guess that's why men create cloning.. to cure the disease by cloning the organs in our body..
and if it happens, men will live 1000 year..
but i don't want to live for 1000 years. i believe bibble^^
i guess that's why men create cloning.. to cure the disease by cloning the organs in our body..
and if it happens, men will live 1000 year..
but i don't want to live for 1000 years. i believe bible^^
I think it is really impressive that with the advances in science and medical research that people could see the possibility of living to 100 plus, although I am not so sure it would be as fun as it sounds, or if we are meant too..but interesting post none the less :D
I'd like to live to 1000. I just don't know if the Newports are going to let me.