Aging gene! Could we live forever! This is speculation! Your thoughts!
By Andrew
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
United Kingdom
April 21, 2010 1:31am CST
Ok, this is pure curiosity and speculation on my part! We know that the scientists are investigating all areas of the human anatomy now and they are making new discoveries all the time. In relation to genes it seems the scientists are delving ever deeper into this mysterious world and gaining new incite! They are locating genes that affect or cause certain diseases and they are then trying to remove them or even predict when a particular disease may be contracted.
So, what about the aging gene? This is just a theory but what if they were able to locate this gene and remove it entirely! Do you think we would stop aging? If you were aged 90, old and wrinkly for example, would you remain 90, old and wrinkly but you just would not age or grow any older? Same thing, if you were twenty years of age and they removed this gene, would your remain twenty indefinitely? I know this one is wild but it's good to think about the big what if questions! It all seems pretty illogical but with technology moving forward the way it is it may be possible to extend our life spans by many, many years! Your thoughts if you please!!
Andrew
Andrew2 people like this
4 responses
@rsa101 (37968)
• Philippines
22 Apr 10
Wow that would mean we would overpopulate this planet if that would be done. I think there should be an end to one's life. I accept I want to live longer but I do not want to live forever since that would just be boring overtime. I think that we should try to moderate our quality of life but we should not aim to live forever. We should always give way to the new generation to continue on our legacy.
1 person likes this
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 10
I suppose over population would be the biggest challange to deal with and I guess planet Earth would eventually run out of space! Obviously we could make use of all the water that covers the planet and maybe create floating cities! I'm always in favour of science and technology taking huge leaps forward but I guess there may need to be a cap on what the scientists discover and utilise in terms of technology! We only want to move forward if it's going to benefit the human race otherwise it should all be left well alone! Andrew
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
21 Apr 10
Hi Andrew, Now that's an interesting question! It's also a good idea for a discussion. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before the aging gene is discovered but there would be much more to think about. We would still need to find a cure for Cancer,Heart disease and hundreds of others, besides all the new diseases that keep cropping up all the time. We may be 100 and only look 20 but we will still die unless a cure is found or even better a way to prevent it from occurring in the first place. If we could prevent disease and stop the aging process,where would everyone live? Maybe we could eventually migrate to other planets and that might be fine for the physical body but what about psychologically? There would be no retirement age and most would eventually want to change jobs. We would also have to stop wars and murder, in other words create a perfect human being lol! There are no doubt some diseases brought on by aging but it isn't true for most. Let's see what others say. Blessings.
1 person likes this
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 10
Hi Pose, yes I thought this one might get people thinking! This certainly gets me thinking and I suppose some uncomfortable questions arise and you have mentioned virtually all of them! If I was to live forever I'm not sure I would be keen on working forever with there being no retirement age! Unless wars ceased to exist then I'm pretty sure the Earth would be a very unpleasant place to live! I'm always interested in these science programs when they show them on the science channel, they are very educational. Andrew
@phoenix8606 (4942)
•
21 Apr 10
hell0! I don't know anything about the aging genes but I really don't think that people can live forever eevn with some wonder medicines. because sooner or later the cells in our bodies get too old and too tired/"worn out" to can continue function and they just die. maybe the scientist will find some medicine which will make our life last longer but definitely not forever!
1 person likes this
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 10
Yes, when I come to think about it this seems virtually impossible! I know for a fact that medicine is improving all the time though and I'm always amazed at what these guys do in the operating theaters! I guess I will try and prolong my life by regular exercise and generally looking after myself! Andrew
@mezulu (166)
• United States
21 Apr 10
Aging isn't just a gene-there are a number of contributing factors. Health, environment, diet, etc. These can all accelerate or decelerate your aging. However, there must be some sort of a gene that causes aging.
Would I want to live forever? No. I think that it is natural to die; to move on to the next stage of things. Besides, a world where everyone lived forever would be terrible. Can you imagine the overpopulation? We suffer the effects of overpopulation even today, with approximately 175,000 deaths every day. I cannot even imagine a world where there were still 350,000 births every day, and no deaths to help even the odds. It would be a terrible world indeed.
1 person likes this
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 10
It's quite interesting when you put it like that! Yes, the over-population would be horrendus. I'm sure that living for such a long time would become tedious or boring, well depending on how you lived your life. I guess technology can be good as well as bad in certain areas. Andrew
