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Can Science Give Us
Eternal Life?
Man has made great strides in technology and medicine, raising the hope that human immortality may be just around the corner. How have these advances come about, and what do they mean for you?
by Larry Walker
From our earliest history, mortal man has sought in vain for immortality. Spanish explorer Ponce de León is famous for his futile search for the fountain of youth. Most other names are lost in history. The searchers had one thing in common: They all failed. Medical science is on a path that some feel will succeed in ending human mortality by reversing- or at least drastically slowing-the aging process.
Can science extend our lifespans into hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of years? Some think it's only a matter of time. A recent spate of books and magazine articles claims that this and other remarkable prospects are possible for the near future.
Progress in the battle against aging
Over the last century advances in medical science have extended life expectancy far beyond the proverbial threescore and ten. Life expectancies in the United States in 1900 were only 48.3 years for men and 51.1 for women. By the mid-1950s they had increased to 66.0 for men and 71.7 for women. By 1996 the figures had risen to 75.7 and 82.7.
The U.S. population includes more than 50,000 people who have lived past 100 years of age, and the number of people who reach that milestone doubles every 10 years. People over the age of 85 constitute the fastest-growing segment of the population. Similar figures exist in other developed nations.
Now, for the first time, prognosticators proclaim that an end to the aging process may soon be within reach. "The Coming Triumph Over Aging" is the title of the first chapter of a 1998 book, Cheating Death, by Marvin Cetron and Owen Davies.
In the preface to his book Immortality: How Science Is Extending your Life Span-and Changing the World, also written in 1998, author Ben Bova predicts: ". . . Human immortality is no longer a fantasy or a dream but may be achievable within this generation." The book boldly concludes: "The first immortals are already living among us. You might be one of them" (p. 251).
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