Lately the idea of living longer, maybe a lot longer, seems more realistic. As biologists uncover the fundamental facts of life, they claim that they now know what the molecular “hallmarks” of aging are
Transhumanism is a patchwork of beliefs about how technology will enhance the human condition, maybe radically so. There are Extropians and brain uploaders, artists keen to paint in virtual worlds, and do-it-yourself biohackers ready to have electronic chips implanted in their bodies. One common thread, though, is the hope for super-longevity.
Who wouldn’t want to reach 110, if not 500? Unlike mere armchair futurists, the life extensionists are prepared to experiment on themselves, and others, using vitamins and prescription cancer drugs, as well as compounds available only by finagling them from chemical suppliers.
“It’s not supposed to be for people,” said Richard Daly, a retired plastics manufacturer I met in Florida, of the peptide he swears reduced his biological age by four years. He winked. If a scientific paper points to a promising molecule, someone in “the community” has found a way to take it.
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