What if you could live to be 150 years old?

[GaryC 7]

I just watched this show on Discovery about human genetics and the new advances. One of the things they talked about was the research into aging. They talked about how one scientist found a breakthrough that has been able to double the average life span of every living thing he tried this chemical on. Everything from yeast to mice so far. He seemed certain that it will work on humans and give us all an average life span of 150+ years. Not of an additional 70 years of old age but the general slowing of the aging process.

They also had a researcher that has found a way to reverse the aging process on skin cells. In effect, turn off the clock and reset it to new. He also thinks this will work for every cell in the body eventually. This is a serious attempt to treat aging as a genetic disease and not a natural process.

Both of these breakthroughs are being presented as something we may be able to take advantage of in 10 -15 years, within the lifetimes of most of us here.

So here is my question. Assume for a moment that these two breakthroughs result in a viable treatment for anyone that wants it.

1. Would you take it? Would you even if your SO doesn't want to?

2. How would this effect society in general? For example, our SS system and other retirement planning is based on an average life span. If I, at 60 ten years from now, take both of these drugs and become young again and live 150 more years be allowed to start taking SS at age 67 knowing that I would be drawing it for another 140 years or so?

3. Personal relationships: We all love our SO's and plan to spend the rest of our lives together. But if that meant 120 years of marriage rather than a max of 50 years would a relationship last that long?

There are so many other ramifications of doubling the average human lifetime. These are just a few I was thinking about while I watched the show.

[pedroh 21]

well it depends... if you get to live 150 years with a body of 25-45 years.. that's cool.. but if you get to live 150 with an old raggedy ####### body.. what for??

why living 150 years like an old person, all achy and stuff? if it were more like a highlander thing, that your body stays at a certain maturity for so long.. yea that'd be cool..

[Jenn! 918]

well it depends... if you get to live 150 years with a body of 25-45 years.. that's cool.. but if you get to live 150 with an old raggedy ####### body.. what for??

why living 150 years like an old person, all achy and stuff? if it were more like a highlander thing, that your body stays at a certain maturity for so long.. yea that'd be cool..

The article says it slows the aging process. So at 30, it's like you're 20, and at 60 you're like 40, etc.

[Jenn! 918]

So here is my question. Assume for a moment that these two breakthroughs result in a viable treatment for anyone that wants it.

1. Would you take it? Would you even if your SO doesn't want to? yes, but I think he'd want it as well

2. How would this effect society in general? For example, our SS system and other retirement planning is based on an average life span. If I, at 60 ten years from now, take both of these drugs and become young again and live 150 more years be allowed to start taking SS at age 67 knowing that I would be drawing it for another 140 years or so? people taking the drug could not be eligible for SS

3. Personal relationships: We all love our SO's and plan to spend the rest of our lives together. But if that meant 120 years of marriage rather than a max of 50 years would a relationship last that long? I'm sure people would start getting married much later, especially if women were fertile until 60 or 70. But that's still 90 years of marriage...

[almaty 19]

I think i would pass, but not sure.....

[pedroh 21]

well it depends... if you get to live 150 years with a body of 25-45 years.. that's cool.. but if you get to live 150 with an old raggedy ####### body.. what for??

why living 150 years like an old person, all achy and stuff? if it were more like a highlander thing, that your body stays at a certain maturity for so long.. yea that'd be cool..

The article says it slows the aging process. So at 30, it's like you're 20, and at 60 you're like 40, etc.

ah cool

[almaty 19]

cool.,..

[pedroh 21]

had to

[thetreble 19]

Who the hell would want to live that long?

[Nessa 23]

no

[Jenn! 918]

Really? People don't want to live that long? Why not?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

instead of working till you're 65 or 70, you'd have to work until you're 120.

[chri'stina 190]

instead of working till you're 65 or 70, you'd have to work until you're 120.

True

I don't know...if my SO didn't want to do it I don't think I would, and also my friends and family and kids...I don't want to live that long just to be lonely after everyone I loved is gone.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I guess if everyone is doing it that would be one thing - but then that would be considered unexceptional. Doing it by yourself would be interesting - but I think it would affect someones personal outlook if you had to outlive friends and relatives. You might, for example, not be too keen to form emotional attachments to people because you know those relationships are transitory.

There's plenty of novels and movies out there about people who are or become immortal and the overriding theme in those tends to be one of disconnection and isolation - of not being able to form lasting relationships, and the stresses of living in a time not your own.

[Jenn! 918]

If it proves to be safe, then I don't see why everyone wouldn't do it. It would be very complicated, I think, to have a society with two separate types of people - those who die at age 90 and those who die at age 150.