> Yet attempts to increase health and lifespan have been successful in nearly every animal studied so far. In a 1993 study, changing just one gene (daf-2, a pathway humans share) in C. Elegans worms doubled their lifespan. Changing one additional gene (rsks-1) resulted in a five-fold lifespan increase—the equivalent of a 400-year-old human. In mammalian models, approaches like inhibiting mTOR activity or eliminating senescent cells often result in increased function and median survival rates.
> Technologies like genome engineering for polygenic conditions may be decades away from safety, and a long list of scientific and technological bottlenecks remain underfunded. In addition, because clinical trials for multiple disease indications are also costly, lengthy, and prone to false-fails, the effects of existing therapeutics on human aging remain largely speculative.
Aging is fine, it’s people’s attitude towards it that sucks on average.
On average it’s seems many get stuck in some existential crisis by realizing they don’t have enough time left to self actualize according to some previously realized ideal. However, self actualization requires self awareness and understanding of how to navigate changing circumstances–many would take this as being “a loser” or “giving up”, but those are either people with chronic good luck (so it’s impossible to get them to see anything from anyone else’s pov), or people who are prone to self flagellation.
Aging is great if you reframe your life, and give yourself the freedom to explore. Secondly, if you look at some aging athletes, they’re a good example of the possibilities of the human body and the fitness it can maintain with some amount of discipline and care. Exercise also staves off cognitive decline to some degree.
Sure, the human mind can employ coping mechanisms and maybe delay things a bit by taking care.
I don't see how this makes aging "fine" or "great" though. This is a big leap. It's probably the single biggest source of misery, since it affects everyone, and it also comes with a huge economic impact, causing even more misery.
> Technologies like genome engineering for polygenic conditions may be decades away from safety, and a long list of scientific and technological bottlenecks remain underfunded. In addition, because clinical trials for multiple disease indications are also costly, lengthy, and prone to false-fails, the effects of existing therapeutics on human aging remain largely speculative.