Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

Post Reply
User avatar
Nutso
2 Star Admiral
2 Star Admiral
Posts: 9615
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:58 pm

Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

Post by Nutso »

https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... nted-study
“Our findings support the theory that, rather than slowing down death, more people are living much longer due to a reduction in mortality at younger ages,” said José Manuel Aburto from Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, who analysed age-specific birth and death data spanning centuries and continents.

“We compared birth and death data from humans and non-human primates and found this general pattern of mortality was the same in all of them,” said Aburto. “This suggests that biological, rather than environmental factors, ultimately control longevity.

“The statistics confirmed, individuals live longer as health and living conditions improve which leads to increasing longevity across an entire population. Nevertheless, a steep rise in death rates, as years advance into old age, is clear to see in all species.”

All the datasets examined by Aburto’s teams revealed the same general pattern of mortality: a high risk of death in infancy which rapidly declines in the immature and teenage years, remains low until early adulthood, and then continually rises in advancing age.

“Our findings confirm that, in historical populations, life expectancy was low because many people died young,” said Aburto. “But as medical, social, and environmental improvements continued, life expectancy increased.

“More and more people get to live much longer now. However, the trajectory towards death in old age has not changed,” he added. “This study suggests evolutionary biology trumps everything and, so far, medical advances have been unable to beat these biological constraints.”
"Bible, Wrath of Khan, what's the difference?"
Stan - South Park
User avatar
IanKennedy
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 6155
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:28 pm
Location: Oxford, UK
Contact:

Re: Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

Post by IanKennedy »

That fits in with Telomeres in DNA. As DNA is replicated the Telomeres tails get shorter and shorter, eventually they're too short. That would put a finite lifespan on your DNA replication. You would have to somehow fix the DNA to live longer. There's a line in the Bicentennial Man movie that talks of DNA elixirs, which is likely reference to this issue.

https://www.tasciences.com/what-is-a-telomere.html
email, ergo spam
User avatar
McAvoy
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Posts: 6225
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:39 am
Location: East Windsor, NJ

Re: Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

Post by McAvoy »

Well Father Time is still undefeated. Though he is taking quite a few on chin from the Queen and Betty White.
"Don't underestimate the power of technobabble: the Federation can win anything with the sheer force of bullshit"
RK_Striker_JK_5
3 Star Admiral
3 Star Admiral
Posts: 12986
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:27 am
Commendations: The Daystrom Award, Cochrane Medal of Excellence
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

I... always figured it was.
Post Reply