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Aging is a natural part of life, but that hasn't stopped people from embarking on efforts to stop the process. Unfortunately, perhaps, those attempts are futile, according to University of Arizona researchers who have proved that it's mathematically impossible to halt aging in multicellular organisms like humans. "Aging is mathematically inevitable - like, seriously inevitable. There's logically, theoretically, mathematically no way out," said Joanna Masel, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and at the UA.
Masel and UA postdoctoral researcher Paul Nelson outline their findings on math and aging in a new study titled "Intercellular Competition and Inevitability of Multicellular Aging," published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Current understanding of the evolution of aging leaves open the possibility that aging could be stopped if only science could figure out a way to make selection between organisms perfect. One way to do that might be to use competition between cells to eliminate poorly functioning "sluggish" cells linked to aging, while keeping other cells intact. However, the solution isn't that simple, Masel and Nelson say.
Two things happen to the body on a cellular level as it ages, Nelson explains. One is that cells slow down and start to lose function, like when your hair cells, for example, stop making pigment. The other thing that happens is that some cells crank up their growth rate, which can cause cancer cells to form. As we get older, we all tend, at some point, to develop cancer cells in the body, even if they're not causing symptoms, the researchers say. Masel and Nelson found that even if natural selection were perfect, aging would still occur, since cancer cells tend to cheat when cells compete.
https://phys.org/news/2017-10-mathematically-impossible-aging-scientists.html
[Abstract]: Intercellular competition and the inevitability of multicellular aging
So, either you die of old age or you die of cancer. Choose wisely !!
(Score: 2) by choose another one on Tuesday October 31 2017, @03:02PM (2 children)
Well, they sure don't seem to have managed to kill the hope inherent in the religious fairytales yet (in fact the 72-virgins nutjobs seem to be expanding), but yes if you mean "any sane and rational hope one might have" then I'm with you.
We shall prove those scientists wrong, or die trying...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 31 2017, @09:10PM
They don't mention that all of those virgins are guys.
...and I think that 1 chick who knows what she's doing and is enthusiastic about you beats the hell out of a bunch who don't know which end is up and who will likely get into cat fights with each other and find a way to blame you.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday November 01 2017, @06:16AM
A lot of downtrodden people are on the religion drug.
https://thehumanist.com/news/national/why-are-the-poor-more-religious [thehumanist.com]
Islam is the fastest growing religion because most of the world's population growth is in Africa and Asia.
https://www.citylab.com/design/2014/09/africas-population-will-quadruple-by-2100-what-does-that-mean-for-its-cities/380507/ [citylab.com]
Nigeria has a 2.6% population growth rate, Ethiopia 2.5%, Pakistan 2%, India 1.2%, Bangladesh 1.1%, U.S. 0.7%, China 0.5%.
Eventually, successful anti-aging therapies will be developed. They probably won't be as expensive as you think either. The challenge may not be getting it to people who want it, but dealing with people who have an apocalyptic mindset for whom immortality is an incompatible, godless concept. If you aren't dying as regularly scheduled, then you aren't afraid of death (to an extent, since you can still get blown up) and not nearly as interested in an afterlife. Mind uploading backups would inflame things even more and raise philosophical questions about whether you actually "died" or not.
Don't worry about the Muslims who are probably one Atlantic/Pacific Ocean away from you (yes, I assumed your nationality). Worry about the Christians next door. They see the signs of the end times everywhere, and disruption of the mortality status quo could spark a call to arms.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]