Long For This World_ The Strange Science Of Immortality Part 11

CHAPTER 9: THE WEAKEST LINK.

Aubrey de Grey introduced his cancer cure in these papers: de Grey, A. D. (2005). "Whole-body interdiction of lengthening of telomeres: a proposal for cancer prevention." Front Biosci Front Biosci 10: 242029. 10: 242029.

de Grey, A. D., F. C. Campbell, et al. (2004). "Total deletion of in vivo telomere elongation capacity: an ambitious but possibly ultimate cure for all age-related human cancers." Ann N Y Acad Sci Ann N Y Acad Sci 1019: 14770. 1019: 14770.

De Grey writes about his hopes for the Singularity in Edge.com, January 2, 2009. http://ieet.org/index.php/IEEET/more/2781.

See also de Grey, A. D. (2009). "The singularity and the Methuselarity: Similarities and differences." Stud Health Technol Inform Stud Health Technol Inform 149: 195202. Here he writes, "Aging, being a composite of innumerable types of molecular and cellular decay, will be defeated incrementally. I have for some time predicted that this succession of advances will feature a threshold, which I here christen the 'Methuselarity....'" As he says, that threshold is very close to the Singularity. 149: 195202. Here he writes, "Aging, being a composite of innumerable types of molecular and cellular decay, will be defeated incrementally. I have for some time predicted that this succession of advances will feature a threshold, which I here christen the 'Methuselarity....'" As he says, that threshold is very close to the Singularity.

For a ma.s.sive defense of the Singularity idea, see Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. Viking.

CHAPTER 10: LONG FOR THIS WORLD.

For an excellent collection of papers on aspects of the great questions "can we" and "should we," see: Post, S. G., and R. H. Binstock, eds. (2004). The Fountain of Youth: Cultural, Scientific, and Ethical Perspectives on a Biomedical Goal The Fountain of Youth: Cultural, Scientific, and Ethical Perspectives on a Biomedical Goal. Oxford University Press.

For John Cheever's envy of Saul Bellow's immortality, see Atlas, J. (2000). Bellow: A Biography Bellow: A Biography. Random House.

Updike's last book of poems is one of his finest: Endpoint and Other Poems Endpoint and Other Poems (2009). Alfred A. Knopf. (2009). Alfred A. Knopf.

Because life expectancy has lengthened within the lifetimes of baby boomers, they may find the approach of old age even more disturbing, in some ways, than generations past. What if their s.h.i.+p is sinking within sight of land? Shakespeare speaks of the "double death": "'Tis double death to drown in ken of sh.o.r.e."

For an insightful essay on baby boomers' compet.i.tion for more years, see Kinsley, M. (2008). "Mine is longer than yours." New Yorker New Yorker (April 7). (April 7).

On the psychology of time-our own private expectations of how much or little time lies ahead-see Carstensen, L. L. (2006). "The influence of a sense of time on human development." Science Science 312(5782): 191315. 312(5782): 191315.

There is a large and growing literature on twenty-first-century demography. In this chapter, I cite Christensen, K., G. Doblhammer, et al. (2009). "Ageing populations: the challenges ahead." Lancet Lancet 374(9696): 1196208. Christensen, K., A. M. Herskind, et al. (2006). "Why Danes are smug: comparative study of life satisfaction in the European Union." 374(9696): 1196208. Christensen, K., A. M. Herskind, et al. (2006). "Why Danes are smug: comparative study of life satisfaction in the European Union." Bmj Bmj 333(7582): 128991. 333(7582): 128991.

For Aubrey de Grey's rejection of demographers' forecasts: de Grey, A. D. (2006). "Extrapolaholics anonymous: Why demographers' rejections of a huge rise in cohort life expectancy in this century are overconfident." Ann N Y Acad Sci Ann N Y Acad Sci 1067: 8393. 1067: 8393.

Terman, A., and U. T. Brunk (2005). "Is aging the price for memory?" Biogerontology Biogerontology 6:20510. 6:20510.

CHAPTER 11: THE TROUBLE WITH IMMORTALITY.

For the story of Luz, I consulted The Book of Legends The Book of Legends, Bialik and Braude (op cit.).

This book is still worth reading, although it is dated by its conviction that Freud and his disciples had us figured out: Becker, E. (1973). The Denial of Death The Denial of Death. Free Press.

For a wonderful new book exploring some of the same emotional territory, read Barnes, J. (2008). Nothing to Be Frightened Of Nothing to Be Frightened Of. Alfred A. Knopf.

Veatch, R. M. (2009). "The evolution of death and dying controversies." Hastings Center Report Hastings Center Report 39(3): 1619. 39(3): 1619.

Haeckel, E. (1900). The Riddle of the Universe The Riddle of the Universe. Harper & Brothers.

[image]apek, K. (1925). The Makropulos Secret The Makropulos Secret. International Pocket Library.

Bernard Williams's paper about[image] apek's play is reprinted here: apek's play is reprinted here: Williams, B. (1973). Problems of the Self Problems of the Self. Cambridge University Press.

Someday soon, neurophilosophers may be able to explore Joshua Lederberg's point about remembering and forgetting. See, for instance: Shuai, Y., B. Lu, et al. (2010). "Forgetting is regulated through Rac activity in Drosophila." Cell Cell 140(4): 57989. 140(4): 57989.

And see Bhanoo, S. N. (2010). "Forgetting, with a purpose." New York Times New York Times.

If we ever do stop aging, what will become of the wisdom of the ages? Everything ever written about childhood, youth, middle and old age will seem incredibly dated. For the time being, at least, this is still a valuable anthology: Sampson, A., and S. Sampson (1985). The Oxford Book of Ages The Oxford Book of Ages. Oxford University Press.

CHAPTER 12: THE EVERLASTING YES AND NO.

Robert Butler writes about the "longevity dividend" in his book The Longevity Revolution The Longevity Revolution (op cit.). See also Butler, R. N., R. A. Miller, et al. (2008). "New model of health promotion and disease prevention for the 21st century." (op cit.). See also Butler, R. N., R. A. Miller, et al. (2008). "New model of health promotion and disease prevention for the 21st century." BMJ BMJ 337: a399. 337: a399.

Two attacks from the center against the fringes of antiaging medicine: Olshansky, S. J., L. Hayflick, et al. (2002). "Position statement on human aging." J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 57(8): B29297. 57(8): B29297.

Olshansky, S. J., L. Hayflick, et al. (2002). "No truth to the fountain of youth." Sci Am Sci Am 286(6): 9295. 286(6): 9295.

Vijg, J. (2007). Aging of the Genome: The Dual Role of DNA in Life and Death Aging of the Genome: The Dual Role of DNA in Life and Death. Oxford University Press.

Houellebecq, M. (2001). The Elementary Particles The Elementary Particles. New York, Vintage.

Graham, A. C., trans. (2008). Poems of the Late T'ang Poems of the Late T'ang. NYRB Cla.s.sics.

William Butler Yeats composed beautiful translations of the Upanishads. Yeats, W. B., and Swami Shree, trans. (1975). The Ten Princ.i.p.al Upanishads The Ten Princ.i.p.al Upanishads. Macmillan.

Acknowledgments.

Aubrey de Grey was cheerful and extremely generous with his time and help, even though I told him from the outset that I was not writing as an acolyte. I'm very grateful.

Nick Lemann, dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, gave me a crucial year's writing leave to finish the book. A fellows.h.i.+p from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation helped make that year possible.

Eric Kandel, Arnie Levine, Paul Nurse, Martin Raff, Frank Rothman, and Harold Varmus gave me early advice and encouragement.

John Bonner, Stuart Firestein, Philip Kitcher, Nick Lemann, and Michael Shapiro read early drafts. Judy Campisi, Joan Finkelstein, Steve Helfand, Martin Raff, and Jan Vijg read late drafts. Many thanks to all of them for valuable suggestions and corrections.

Dozens of scientists and science watchers went out of their way to help, although not all of their names appear in the book. Special thanks to Martin Ackermann, Richard Cohen, Ralph Greenspan, Marguerite Holloway, and Neil Patterson.

Fay Schopen helped me with research, particularly in Cambridge. I still owe her a pint.

At Ecco, Dan Halpern saw the book's possibilities and waited for it with the patience of Job. When Matt Weiland joined Ecco a little over a year ago, he took on the day-by-day job of working with book and author. Matt shepherded these chapters out of many blind valleys. Without him, the book would not have found the path it has.

My agent, Kathy Robbins, was wonderful, as always. I feel lucky to work with her, and with the excellent staff of the Robbins Office.

My sons, Aaron and Benjamin, took an interest in this project from the first day, when Aubrey de Grey came to visit us. I owe them thanks for their good words and advice.

As always, my wife, Deborah Heiligman, read many drafts, taking time away from her own writing projects. She saw me through this book at some cost to her own longevity. In her, the meaning of the span.

About the Author.

JONATHAN WEINER is one of the most distinguished popular-science writers in the country: his books have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His writing has appeared in is one of the most distinguished popular-science writers in the country: his books have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, Time, The New York Times Magazine, The Was.h.i.+ngton Post, The New Republic, Scientific American, Smithsonian The New Yorker, Slate, Time, The New York Times Magazine, The Was.h.i.+ngton Post, The New Republic, Scientific American, Smithsonian, and many other newspapers and magazines, and he is a former editor at The Sciences The Sciences. His books include The Beak of the Finch; Time, Love, Memory The Beak of the Finch; Time, Love, Memory; and His Brother's Keeper His Brother's Keeper. He lives in New York, where he teaches science writing at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

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