Scientists discover Easter Island 'fountain of youth' drug that can extend life by ten years (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1198366/Fountain-youth-drug-extend-life-decade.html)
The paper I saw said 20 years.
I can't quite get my brain round how they would arrange randomised double blinded trials with proper control groups. Bit tough on the ones who have to be killed off early.
I don't want my life prolonging; I do want anti-aging so when I die at the original life expectancy time those last years have been free of all the aging problems, which is a different thing - ie an anti-aging pill that keeps me young but leavs my death date unchanged would suit me fine.
Especially as it is beginning to appear that all the ghastly things my 80-90 year old parents are suffering with are cropping upin me 30 years earlier (which seems to be thought to be due to the chemo) - there's a remarkable correlation between the diagnoses that all three of us have been having in the last couple of years, with me getting both my Mum's and my Dad's which seems fair in one way but does seem also a bit OTT.
Mostly I want a pill that can blast away most of my inherited characterstics including one that stops me saying policemen have got younger.
You have been maiden and mother. Now embrace the ..eh.. other one! ;)
Sorry, lost fight with temptation to bring up that joke :-[
I seem to be the one to inherit the maladies from both sides of the family too (more than my two elder brothers).
Many things to say but this piece caught my attention:
Quote from: daily mailIn its current form, an extended life span would come at the cost of having to live in a germ-free tent.
I couldn't stop making an Asimovian
spacers connection, could this be the reason why they hated germs so much? ;)
Really, I'd rather be healthy because I've been exposed to run of the mill nasties. Also, not having allergies to things like bees is also a nice part of the package.
People in my family (particularly the women!) refuse to die at decent times--almost no serious physical problems crop up in my family so we live FOREVER (my great grandmother was 103 or so when she finally died, after spending her life on a horse and smoking a corncob pipe for at least seventy years).
We do get dementia and a horde of mental illness seem to run in the family, on both sides, so there's no way to avoid that. Compared to what I could have had, I seem to have gotten off lightly.
Anyway, Griffin, I agree completely!
A fulfilled but short life would be my preference too over a long one of maladies and pain*. There is just that uncertainty, whether there is indeed nothing negative post-death. Can't the Lord just come and make a deal that he will just delete your existence instead of going into the heaven/hell lottery or give a decent proof of His nonexistence? ;)
*and there is still (futile I presume) hope to have sex one day.
Someone tell Juan Ponce de León that I peed in the Fountain of Youth. ;D
So that's why the stuff tasted so badly? But you sure have some heavy sulphur in your urine then...
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The fountain is an attraction in St. Augustine FL, with the admission you get the 'priviledge' of tasting the stuff and you can buy it by the bottle too! ::)
Readers of Faust Eric by Terry Pratchett know about precuations that should be taken concerning the Fountain of Youth.