• Science Finds Fountain of Youth Brain Region That Slows Down Aging
    93 replies, posted
[quote]For the first time, a brain region has been found that may control aging throughout the whole body, a new study reports. A signaling pathway in the brain region known as the hypothalamus could speed up or slow down aging in mice. If it applies in humans, the discovery could open up possibilities for slowing age-related diseases and increasing life span.[/quote] [url]http://www.livescience.com/29230-aging-controlled-by-brain.html[/url] Fuck yeah I can be 105 years old in the future and still look like a 20 year old
There's hope for you yet Ms. Rivers, hold in there! [img]http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/joan-rivers-fugly-fug.jpg[/img] .. But that's truly incredible. Hooray science!
[quote]We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that? [/quote] To prevent overpopulation & resource shortages probably. I'm real excited by this if this turns into longer-lifespan drugs though.
[QUOTE]If it applies in humans, the discovery could open up possibilities for slowing age-related diseases and increasing life span.[/QUOTE] The implications here creep me out. Mostly because operations cost money; and if this comes out like that, this'd mean we'd quite literally put a price on human life.
If by slowing down aging they mean decelerating the death of cells, then it would be worth it. Otherwise, goodluck looking like a 20yo on a 50yo body that's about to die :)
[QUOTE=irukandji;40522566] Otherwise, goodluck looking like a 20yo on a 50yo body that's about to die :)[/QUOTE] Are you from like; Zimbabwe or some shit? Where do people die when they're 50?
Can anyone help me find this article in a proper scientific journal? I'm having trouble finding it. Although it does seem that Dongsheng Cai has at least one article published in the Nature, which is one of the most esteemed scientific journals out there, and that lends him a massive amount of credibility. But yeah, someone help me find this paper and I can probably tell if this is bullshit or not. Better safe than sorry.
[QUOTE=Riller;40522550]The implications here creep me out. Mostly because operations cost money; and if this comes out like that, this'd mean we'd quite literally put a price on human life.[/QUOTE] You mean like how it already is in the US? There's already people dying because they can't afford life saving operations. This doesn't really change anything. Besides, there's a difference between living longer with drugs and surviving a disease with drugs.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] So evolution can happen. Everything is a work in progress.
[QUOTE=chimitos;40522737]So evolution can happen. Everything is a work in progress.[/QUOTE] Evolution doesn't require death from old age.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] Probably to prevent overpopulation and reduce gene stagnation. If really old people are having kids then your genes keep getting put into the gene pool for hundreds of years
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] Because when god evolved us he did it wrong and hasn't fixed it yet.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] The layman theory is that cells can only reproduce so many times. After some time, waste accumulates and the renewal of healthy cells slows down. The body becomes weak and more susceptible to infections. Then you die.
I hope they make such an operation as expensive as possible. Why should I want millions of people making 8 in their normal lifespan which will live again really long and produce even moar kids. This would be a real problem, we can't even handle 7 Billions people wirh a normal lifespan.
because wealth = intelligence right
[QUOTE=TorashVD;40522921]I hope they make such an operation as expensive as possible. Good, Intelligent people can live longer, but why should I want millions of people making 8 in their normal lifespan which will live again really long and produce even moar kids. This would be a real problem, we can't even handle 7 Billions people wirh a normal lifespan.[/QUOTE] The carrying capacity for Earth with current technology is 10 billion people, you couldn't be more of a slack jawed neckbeard if you tried. Then on top of that 10 billion you could probably add on a few more with more cities, high rise buildings, desalination plants, renewable power and vertical farms. That's not to mention more efficient production and building techniques thanks to 3D printers.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;40522985]The carrying capacity for Earth with current technology is 10 billion people, you couldn't be more of a slack jawed neckbeard if you tried. Then on top of that 10 billion you could probably add on a few more with more cities, high rise buildings, desalination plants, renewable power and vertical farms. That's not to mention more efficient production and building techniques thanks to 3D printers.[/QUOTE] Not only that, but world population isn't expected to go much higher than around 10 billion if it even reaches that point.
Great. Now start working on those intergalactic travel things and finding new habitable planets. This will not be good news for our survival if we can't expand our resources and living space.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;40522804]Evolution doesn't require death from old age.[/QUOTE] If you think about it, yeah, it does. When animals grow old they are not very good hunters, can no longer reproduce, but still consume food that would be more useful for the youth, so basically it makes more sense from an evolutionary standpoint to just kill them off.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;40522985]The carrying capacity for Earth with current technology is 10 billion people, you couldn't be more of a slack jawed neckbeard if you tried. Then on top of that 10 billion you could probably add on a few more with more cities, high rise buildings, desalination plants, renewable power and vertical farms. That's not to mention more efficient production and building techniques thanks to 3D printers.[/QUOTE] Nevermind the fact that Capitalism, while a good system, is [I][B]extremely[/B][/I] wasteful with food distribution. Supermarkets throw out truckloads of food because it's not 'perfect' enough to sell. If an apple has a funny shape or a can is dented, it's trash as far as they care. They're also paranoid about lawsuits regarding 'unfavorable' foods, so they don't even donate the stuff.
Earth will basically be overwhelmed and destroyed by longer human life, as if it isn't happening already due to overpopulation, desertification, non-renewable resources, oil spills and co2 emissions.
it's an awfully narrow-minded viewpoint to just instantly assume that humanity is somehow bound to [I]just[/I] earth
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] Evolution needs iterations to experiment and sort out the bad and the good to keep everything nicely adapted to whatever the world may throw at its creatures. In the long run survival isn't determined by how long an individual can survive - as long as it produces offspring at some point.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] overpopulation only occurs where there is a severe lack of education, i.e in countries with poor public services see: education vs fertility
[QUOTE=irukandji;40522566]If by slowing down aging they mean decelerating the death of cells, then it would be worth it. Otherwise, goodluck looking like a 20yo on a 50yo body that's about to die :)[/QUOTE] 50 years? what the hell? my grandmother is about 90, does this mean she's a mummy?
Junk food will kill me before it becomes reality.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;40522536]If it turns out to be true it raises some interesting questions. Why do we (or for that matter [I]anything[/I]) age in the first place? Let's just assume this applied to all living things. We're all basically pre programmed to naturally die; Why the hell is that?[/QUOTE] Pretty sure all livin g things age because our DNA slowly but constantly deteriorates throughout our lives- aging and dying is to prevent living on with (and even worse from an evolutionary standpoint: passing on) a trainwreck of a DNA which could cause all sorts of tumors and disorders.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;40523203]Nevermind the fact that Capitalism, while a good system, is [I][B]extremely[/B][/I] wasteful with food distribution. Supermarkets throw out truckloads of food because it's not 'perfect' enough to sell. If an apple has a funny shape or a can is dented, it's trash as far as they care. They're also paranoid about lawsuits regarding 'unfavorable' foods, so they don't even donate the stuff.[/QUOTE] But the food doesnt just disappear, it is then used as high quality fertilizer or food for other animals.
[QUOTE=Géza!;40523437]Pretty sure all livin g things age because our DNA slowly but constantly deteriorates throughout our lives- aging and dying is to prevent living on with (and even worse from an evolutionary standpoint: passing on) a trainwreck of a DNA which could cause all sorts of tumors and disorders.[/QUOTE] Hasn't it been suggested that aging might be due to epigenetic factors instead of or as much as simple genetic factors?
Also people need to realise that just because you age slower, doesn't mean you can't die. You can still contract diseases and get hit by a bus, so there aren't any ethical implications from this.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.