Dear Friend,
Current scientific advancements point to the possibility that many people alive today will live forever.
I recently read in a book that, “the suffering, humiliation, and loneliness of a human being can now be extended for years.” Wow! How cynical. Yet this attitude is common in many people today, who fear the prospect of an unusually long (by today’s standards) life. First, they likely perceive a long life as just a painful extension of the dying process. They imagine being old and decrepit, living at the doctor’s office, always recovering from one surgery or another. But, in the future, there is a very good chance, a likelihood I think, that life spans will not only be extended, but that your body will reverse it’s dying process – a process that we today know as “aging.”
There is no reason for the human body to age. It does not wear out as most people think. The human body continually renews itself. Cells die, and new cells are born to replace them. The problem seems to be that over time, DNA becomes damaged, and the new replacement cells form with subtle flaws. Over time, these flaws compound, and the result is a dying body. Yet science seems to be quite close (10 to 20 years max) to developing the ability to repair DNA. Even to improve on it. In other words, despite what you see in front of you today, human kind is decades away from a fountain of youth.
This is a seminal moment for all life on this planet. Take care of yourself. Within 10 to 20 years, those who can afford it will be able to extend their life span by one year for each year they live. Aging stops. In subsequent years the life span will be extended faster than you age. Then the reversal of the aging process will take place. In the early years, this science, like all new technologies, will be experimental and imperfect. It will also be incredibly expensive, as all new technologies are. However, within a short time the price for life extension should drop precipitously and the quality should improve at the same rate.
If you are healthy when all of this is going on, perhaps you will be able to wait until the science gets cheap and reliable. However, if you are in bad shape, you will have to dig deep into your pockets. And demand for this technology will be high while availability will be limited. For many who cannot dream to afford such treatments, death in the traditional manner will look them square in the eye. We can expect social unrest from those who feel discriminated against because of their state of “poverty.” Nevertheless, you might want to protect your health and squirrel away as much money as you can (though I know not where in these times) in preparation for the miracles that are almost here.
In light of this information, how might you approach your life differently?
All the best,
Hugh
