Slowing down the aging process

chelseamb11

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/03/9917514-real-benjamin-button-stem-cells-reverse-aging-in-mice

CN: Scientists have been injecting mice with their own stem cells and their aging has drastically slowed.  They see this as a huge potential on human use eventually.

It's amazing what science can do.  Assuming it was FDA approved and didn't have any side effects, would you do it?  Would you inject yourself with your own stem cells in order to live to be healthy, say, 200 years old?  If given the option, would you live forever?

I definitely wouldn't want to live forever.  Living to be 200? I'm not sure.  It'd be awesome to live that long, but I feel like I'd be ready to pass on by then.  You'd also have to work for over 150 yars of your life I'm guessing in order to financially support yourself.

Anysunrise

I'd probably do the to 200 bit. Assuming that I wasn't "old" for most of it. Aging scares me.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

I don't think I'd do it.  What if none of my family or friends did it?  They'd all die and I'd be alone.

Then again I guess I'd be still be alive and I'd look good...

No.  I still couldn't do it.

achiduck

Hm.. interesting article.

I wouldn't mind trying it out if it made the quality of my life better, but I'm not sure I would want to live longer then I'm already going to (provided that I don't die while I'm still young).

And I'll take a big fat pass on working for 150 years.

aragx6

I read an article in some magazine -- Wired maybe? that some scientists were saying that the millenials should be the first generation to easily have lifetime averages of more than 100. Stem cell research is a huge part of that. And yeah, I'd totally do it.

chelseamb11

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_slowing-down-aging-process?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:8a9c3d28-40e0-4904-9e74-fd080d765401Post:1a7824d0-6f51-4c1a-9fe2-b0bcdd9443e8">Re: Slowing down the aging process</a>:
[QUOTE]I read an article in some magazine -- Wired maybe? that some scientists were saying that the millenials should be the first generation to easily have lifetime averages of more than 100. Stem cell research is a huge part of that. And yeah, I'd totally do it.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]

Really? I read somewhere else that our generation will be the first to live SHORTER than our pevious ones largely because of our diets and its contributions to obesity, diabetis, etc. I'm intrigued to see where our generation ends up.  And to see where our country is in 50 years.

laurenclaire1386

The FDA is a crock. The can "approve" all the shiit they want to, doesn't mean it's safe.

No, I seriously doubt I'd ever consider anything like this. I'm all about modern medicine and I'd use whatever I could to get myself well if I were sick, but this gets too far into the playing god thing for me. Ain't nobody need to live 200 years. Except maybe like Stephen Hawking, or ridiculously smart people like that. Just your average Joe though? Nah.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

In biblical times people lived to be 800, 900, even 1000 years old if I remember correctly from my Genesis readings, lol.  I can't even imagine what that would be like.

annakb8

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_slowing-down-aging-process?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:8a9c3d28-40e0-4904-9e74-fd080d765401Post:89187c6f-b4a9-4ac4-a3ee-40a14b27bc6b">Re: Slowing down the aging process</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>The FDA is a crock.</strong> The can "approve" all the shiit they want to, doesn't mean it's safe. No, I seriously doubt I'd ever consider anything like this. I'm all about modern medicine and I'd use whatever I could to get myself well if I were sick, but this gets too far into the playing god thing for me. Ain't nobody need to live 200 years. Except maybe like Stephen Hawking, or ridiculously smart people like that. Just your average Joe though? Nah.
Posted by laurenclaire1386[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Ditto, especially the bolded part. </div><div>
</div><div>Also, the population of Earth is already hugely unsustainable. This is putting it bluntly, but we need people to die. We don't have the resources for everyone to live until 200. Even if this were a scenario like <em>Time Enough for Love</em> where we successfully colonized other planets and resources weren't a problem I still wouldn't want to live that long. 

</div>

kcscejal

I don't think I'd do it.  I'm all for modern medicine helping me when I'm actually sick, and the life expectancy increase because of that, but just doing medical procedures to live longer?  No thanks.

laurenclaire1386

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_slowing-down-aging-process?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:8a9c3d28-40e0-4904-9e74-fd080d765401Post:22beef5d-ee3c-42f5-a4c2-ad8e00bb9c18">Re: Slowing down the aging process</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Slowing down the aging process : Ditto, especially the bolded part.  Also, the population of Earth is already hugely unsustainable. This is putting it bluntly, but we need people to die. <strong>We don't have the resources for everyone to live until 200</strong>. Even if this were a scenario like Time Enough for Love  where we successfully colonized other planets and resources weren't a problem I still wouldn't want to live that long. 
Posted by annakb8[/QUOTE]
This too. It would be complete fucking anarchy (people killing one another over resources like food and water) if people lived any longer, well, than they do now. From a social program standpoint, Social Security already can't handle the burden because advances in medical technology mean our senior citizens are living longer than they did when it was instituted.

kcscejal

Oh I agree completely anna.  We're already having some difficulty managing with the age people are living to now.

WildRumpus

I'm down with LC's way of thinking. I'm not 100% against things like Botox, etc, to help myself age gracefully, but no way in hell would I want to see myself at 200.

Megbo2012

Looks like TK is nomming more posts.  We already live too long as it is. (imo)  I can't imagine being anything more than a vegetable at the ripe ol' age of 190. I'll pass.

Birdie1483

I'd rather be able to live healthy until I hit my 80's and then let nature take it's course than to live to 200. I just want to be able to avoid the big C and other ailments that might kill me before I'm ready. Almost everyone I know who's lived into their 80's or 90's were ready to go.

ErinG93

My grandpa turns 95 next month and he's been ready to go since 1997. He gets no enjoyment out of life. He even beat cancer a couple of years ago and is pretty bitter about it. No way in hell I want to live to be 200.

SunriseAmber

This actually scares me a bit. No, I wouldn't do it. I mean I can't say I'm 100% sure but I don't think I would. Besides living that long you (general) would most likely die from something else before then anyway.

KarleeKrause35

Honestly, I think I'm too lazy to live 200 years.
Things change so rapidly. All I can think about is having to constantly adjust and stay abreast of the latest technology. I hate the idea.

K Byte

I would love to live to 200 IF and only if my quality of life was still good. My grandma just died age 90 and was pretty miserable by the end, honestly, she was still mentally all there but her body was completely frail. If this kind of research would help us extend our lives while aging more slowly (so a 100-year-old would be equivalent to like a 50-year-old now or whatever) I think that would be super cool.

Of course there are a whole host of issues with this like overpopulation, making sure you have enough money to live that long, etc. But it sounds cool in theory. Imagine being born in 1812 and dying in 2012, you would have so many memories and get to see so much societal change, I think it would be amazing.