I don’t think it’s worth a quick read as she doesn’t discuss the arguments, just trots them out, but let me try for some karma with a summary:
Science wants to reverse ageing but that has drawbacks says Joan Bakewell.
Ageing process reversed in elderly mice, but no reason for excitement.
Anti-aging for looking young deludes people, bodies age, get used to it.
Years ago people were crippled by disease, this is the proper field for what medicine should do.
Cryogenicists are ‘frantic’ for eternal life, but the world might be different, and why bother trying if revival is uncertain? Who would revive damp and out of date people to add to population problems? Some deluded people get only heads frozen—creepy.
Most don’t want immortality but living longer is good, but also planet should stay same which gives a resources problem. We can’t eat sand, science proposes flights to Mars.
We must consider benefits of anti aging against costs even though it’s distasteful to calculate like that, but China’s one child family rules do that.
Author is too old to benefit from anti-ageing future, but isn’t worried.
Benefits of current longevity: grandchildren marrying, lifestyle pleasures.
Negatives: isolation, lack of employment, rejected by mainstream, indifferent/distant family, inept carers, entropy.
Life is about family, friends, memories; the young are too busy and dismiss these so we old people have to set patterns for their old age.
I don’t think it’s worth a quick read as she doesn’t discuss the arguments, just trots them out, but let me try for some karma with a summary:
Science wants to reverse ageing but that has drawbacks says Joan Bakewell.
Ageing process reversed in elderly mice, but no reason for excitement.
Anti-aging for looking young deludes people, bodies age, get used to it.
Years ago people were crippled by disease, this is the proper field for what medicine should do.
Cryogenicists are ‘frantic’ for eternal life, but the world might be different, and why bother trying if revival is uncertain? Who would revive damp and out of date people to add to population problems? Some deluded people get only heads frozen—creepy.
Most don’t want immortality but living longer is good, but also planet should stay same which gives a resources problem. We can’t eat sand, science proposes flights to Mars.
We must consider benefits of anti aging against costs even though it’s distasteful to calculate like that, but China’s one child family rules do that.
Author is too old to benefit from anti-ageing future, but isn’t worried.
Benefits of current longevity: grandchildren marrying, lifestyle pleasures.
Negatives: isolation, lack of employment, rejected by mainstream, indifferent/distant family, inept carers, entropy.
Life is about family, friends, memories; the young are too busy and dismiss these so we old people have to set patterns for their old age.