At the end of the article it makes the case for a crash research program for life extension. A 1% reduction in cancer mortality would be worth $500 billion. This is the life extension dividend. The SENS program would be a good starting point for a crash program for life extension.
Some people shudder at the thought of a treatment to extend human life, imagining that the added years would be ones of frailty and of failing intellect and strength. However, the animals that get added time from resveratrol treatment are, by all measures, remarkably vital until the end. It has been estimated that drugs that maintain health and vitality could save the U.S. economy tens of trillions of dollars. For example, a permanent 1 percent reduction in mortality from cancer would have a value to current and future generations of Americans of nearly $500 billion. Many scientists are encouraging Congress to increase funding for aging research, to launch the equivalent of the Apollo program. Only a few humans made it to the moon. In the future, millions may live a century or more, and remain vital and productive during those added years.
resveratrol
sirtuins
life extension
life extension dividend
SENS
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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