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from the the-fountain-of-eternal-youth dept.
An end to grey hair and crows-feet could be just 10 years away after scientists showed it is possible to reverse ageing in animals.
Using a new technique which takes adult cells back to their embryonic form, US researchers at the Salk Institute in California, showed it was possible to reverse ageing in mice, allowing the animals to not only look younger, but live for 30 per cent longer.
The technique involves stimulating four genes which are particularly active during development in the womb. It was also found to work to turn the clock back on human skin cells in the lab, making them look and behave younger.
Scientists hope to eventually create a drug which can mimic the effect of the found genes which could be taken to slow down, and even reverse the ageing process. They say it will take around 10 years to get to human trials.
There is also a study paper.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by snufu on Saturday December 17 2016, @07:22AM
But do we really want the baby boomers doing their thing all over again, in reverse?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday December 17 2016, @08:00AM
But do we really want the baby boomers doing their thing all over again, in reverse?
I sure hope you aren't trying to claim the TV generation is worse than the Facebook generation.
My view is that death has taken a lot away from us. It steals our past, it steals our future, and of course, we will eventually be lost to it as well. Much has been written disparagingly of the ignorance and shortsightedness of humanity. Well, the principle cause of that is death from old age.
When no one lives longer than a bit over a century, you really can't expect people to know much of the past older than that or care about the future beyond that point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:50AM
My view is that death has taken a lot away from us. It steals our past, it steals our future, and of course, we will eventually be lost to it as well.
Well, to be fair that is the role of death and that is why life so precious. On the other hand living to be 100 - 120 means your retirement fund better be twice as large because you're going to need it.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday December 17 2016, @01:29PM
Well, to be fair that is the role of death and that is why life so precious.
Well, to be fair, those are empty words. It's probably a bit late for most, if not all of us currently living, but we could be doing something about this other than coping.
On the other hand living to be 100 - 120 means your retirement fund better be twice as large because you're going to need it.
Or you could just work longer. That's certainly going to be a big part of the solution with far more radical life extension such as living to 1,000 years. It's ridiculous to complain about problems that are trivial to solve.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @04:59PM
Or you could just work longer.
Now that's something to look forward to! You can start working full time in your teens and then keep it up until your mid 80's. Nothing says "a longer, better life" than an additional 20 years of life filled with 20 years of labor.
That's certainly going to be a big part of the solution with far more radical life extension such as living to 1,000 years.
Let's see how the Earth handles an increasing population that lives an additional 20% - 30% before we totally ruin the planet with a population explosion that endures 1,000 years on this rock.
It's ridiculous to complain about problems that are trivial to solve.
Trivial to solve? Just do more of the stuff that makes life hard and arduous for an additional 20+ years because, you know, that's why we want you to live longer generic worker person.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday December 18 2016, @01:35AM
Let's see how the Earth handles an increasing population that lives an additional 20% - 30% before we totally ruin the planet with a population explosion that endures 1,000 years on this rock.
Before you go on with this nonsense, keep in mind that the longest lived countries are also the lowest fertility - that is, fewest children per person over the course of a human life.
In other words, we already know the Earth can handle the declining population that lives 20-30% longer. And living to 1,000 years gives us a long time to think about problems that we'd otherwise blow off. Like overpopulation. I wonder what else you oppose that helps the goals you allege to care about?
Now that's something to look forward to! You can start working full time in your teens and then keep it up until your mid 80's. Nothing says "a longer, better life" than an additional 20 years of life filled with 20 years of labor.
If you can't be bothered to work a little more, then I can't be bothered to care. You can always kill yourself early, if you really don't want to live longer. Suicide is pretty cheap, you know and you don't need to save up for it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @08:02AM
If we let the baby boomers die, gen x and millennials will just become them. If baby boomers get to live forever, we can have the civil war we need.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @08:23AM
Those boomers that will never be able to retire because they had no financial plan other than SSI and chose to live way above their means? They probably won't be able to afford the drugs, and they are no threat; I can't see Medicare picking up that tab. Those of us that planned and invested for retirement and can afford to live well into our 100's if we could remain healthy? Not a threat to you or yours; we're too busy enjoying life, doing the things we now have the resources to do and enjoy before advancing decrepitude makes that impossible. Of course, the kids might be a bit pissed with our longevity if they were relying on an inheritance...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @08:36AM
Don't be so ignorant of the facts. Baby boomers have more in retirement savings than any other subsequent generation. Sorry to mess up your map of reality.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @10:01AM
I'm not sure you know what a baby boomer is. They were the ones who were able to retire with pensions from their jobs and generally live like kings. I think you have them confused with Generation X, who are generally regarded as the first generation that didn't wind up being better off than the previous one overall at the same points of comparison across age. Regardless, you're a fool if you think you'll be allowed to touch these drugs. They're going to be entirely out of reach for anyone who can't afford their own island from which to enjoy them.
But that's the post-Raygun microeconomic human condition for you. Blade Runner or whatever other Corporate-dominated economic dystopia you prefer isn't going to happen in the future, it's already started
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @08:25PM
Stop being asses. I know what Boomers are; I am one - here are the stats on Boomer retirement savings other than relying on SSI (from the Motley Fool guys (look it up)): Less than $50,000 - 37%; Between $50,000 and $100,000 - 13%; Between $100,000 and $200,000 - 14%; Between $200,000 and $300,000 - 12%; Between $300,000 and $500,000 - 9%; Over $500,000 - 15%. 50% of the Boomers will only be able to draw $4,000 a year from their investments to supplement SSI. On average, once retired, it will take about 4% of investment savings a year to cover basic living expenses. To live well, vacation, travel, etc. is more like 7% to 8%. So, pretty much all these Boomers are truly fucked. We are in much better shape than that. We did not have fabulous salaries; we chose to become college educated and have had our share of good and bad jobs, raised 3 kids, got them through college with advanced degrees (they worked for their tuition), lived modestly in a small home with a small mortgage and did not get into leasing shiny new cars every 3 years, big, expensive vacations, motorhomes, etc. as many of our Boomer friends and family did; instead, we invested as much as we could and still be comfortable. We still enjoyed life, went to films, the theater, symphony, but the main goal was to invest. I took a very early retirement because I could. I have friends and family that are Boomers and are pissed because they made different choices. Now, we are the bad guys because we chose to think about the future.
Pensions largely went away 20 years ago, being replaced by 401k accounts; cheaper for employers to let the employee take the risk. AARP estimates that only 10% of retiring Boomers will have a pension, and it will most likely be depreciated.
The best advice I can give you is to get a good broker and get educated on how money should be working for you. Even if you can only invest $10 a week, get started now. Stop pissing away your money making other people wealthy and start working on your own cash flow situation. Based on my experience, most of you will ignore this advice and just get pissed at those that have done it. Kinda like the MAGA folks.