The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging

The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging PDF

Author: Bruce A. Carnes

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2002-07-17

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 0393245888

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"This is by far the best book I've read on the science of aging."—Andrew Weil, M.D. "Life-span Truth Will Set You Free from Age-old Worries," announced the Chicago Tribune upon the first publication of this book. The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed, "For readers interested in aging and longevity, this small book clearly explains the major concepts...extremely enjoyable to read." From NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw to Scientific American to the New York Times, S. Jay Olshansky and Bruce A. Carnes have stirred up controversy and brought clarity to an issue often muddled by exaggeration and pseudoscience. Medical science has uncovered a host of answers to the problems of aging, but many of the most exciting discoveries are buried in scientific journals or overshadowed by popular quick-fix treatments. The Quest for Immortality explains the real science of aging and shows which treatments offered by today's multi-billion-dollar anti-aging industries offer real hope, and which are a waste of money and time.

The Quest for Immortality

The Quest for Immortality PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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For more than a decade, Dr. Olshansky and Dr. Carnes have been working in the field of aging to identify the biological attributes of species that influence their length of life. Amid countless claims by scientists and the lay population that human life expectancy will continue to rise indefinitely in the future, Olshansky and Carnes have stood fast in their conviction that such claims are without any scientific basis. In their book The Quest for Immortality, S. Jay Olshansky and Bruce A. Carnes provide a comprehensive account of the real science of aging, from a historical overview of religious and philosophical thinking about aging and death, to the biology behind the changes we see in the mirror, to the promising but frightening future of genetic engineering. They demystify the complex language and concepts of science, explain how to distinguish real science from media hype in order to help readers make informed health decisions, and offer a powerfully optimistic vision of aging and health in the twenty-first century.

Why We Die

Why We Die PDF

Author: Venki Ramakrishnan

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2024-03-19

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 0063113295

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"Utterly fascinating." —Bill Bryson "An incredible journey." —Siddhartha Mukherjee A groundbreaking exploration of the science of longevity and mortality—from Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Venki Ramakrishnan The knowledge of death is so terrifying that we live most of our lives in denial of it. One of the most difficult moments of childhood must be when each of us first realizes that not only we but all our loved ones will die—and there is nothing we can do about it. Or at least, there hasn’t been. Today, we are living through a revolution in biology. Giant strides are being made in understanding why we age—and why some species live longer than others. Could we eventually cheat disease and death and live for a very long time, possibly many times our current lifespan? Venki Ramakrishnan, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and former president of the Royal Society, takes us on a riveting journey to the frontiers of biology, asking whether we must be mortal. Covering the recent breakthroughs in scientific research, he examines the cutting edge of efforts to extend lifespan by altering our physiology. But might death serve a necessary biological purpose? What are the social and ethical costs of attempting to live forever? Why We Die is a narrative of uncommon insight and beauty from one of our leading public intellectuals.

The Quest for Human Longevity

The Quest for Human Longevity PDF

Author: Lewis D. Solomon

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-12-02

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 1351475592

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"Many scientists today are working to retard the aging process in humans so as to increase both life expectancy and the quality of life. Over the past decade impressive results have been achieved in targeting the mechanisms and pathways of aging. In The Quest for Human Longevity, Lewis D. Solomon considers these scientific studies by exploring the principal biomedical anti-aging techniques. The book also considers cutting edge research on mental enhancements and assesses the scientific doubts of skeptics. The Quest for Human Longevity is also about business. Solomon examines eight corporations pursuing various age-related interventions, profiling their scientific founders and top executives, and examining personnel, intellectual property, and financing for each firm. Academic scientists form the link between research and commerce. Solomon notes that the involvement of university scientists and researchers follows one of two models. The first is a traditional model in which scientists leave academia to work for a corporation or remain in academia and obtain business support for their research. The second is a modern model in which scientists use their intellectual property as a catalyst for acquiring equity interests in the firms they organize. Critics have pointed to the dangers of commercialized science, but Solomon's analysis, on balance, finds that the benefits outweigh the costs and that problems of secrecy and conflicts of interest can be addressed. If scientists succeed in unlocking the secrets of aging and developing drugs or therapies that will allow us to live decades longer, the consequences for society will include profound social, political, economic, and ethical questions. Solomon deals with the public policy aspects of significant life extension and looks at the conflict between those who advocate the acceptance of mortality and the partisans of life. The Quest for Human Longevity will be of interest to policymakers, sociologists, scientists, and studen"

The Scientific Conquest of Death

The Scientific Conquest of Death PDF

Author: Immortality Institute

Publisher: Bruce Klein

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 9875611352

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Nineteen scientists, doctors and philosophers share their perspective on what is arguably the most significant scientific development that humanity has ever faced - the eradication of aging and mortality. This anthology is both a gentle introduction to the multitude of cutting-edge scientific developments, and a thoughtful, multidisciplinary discussion of the ethics, politics and philosophy behind the scientific conquest of aging.

The Future of Aging

The Future of Aging PDF

Author:

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-08-17

Total Pages: 866

ISBN-13: 9048139988

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Just as the health costs of aging threaten to bankrupt developed countries, this book makes the scientific case that a biological "bailout" could be on the way, and that human aging can be different in the future than it is today. Here 40 authors argue how our improving understanding of the biology of aging and selected technologies should enable the successful use of many different and complementary methods for ameliorating aging, and why such interventions are appropriate based on our current historical, anthropological, philosophical, ethical, evolutionary, and biological context. Challenging concepts are presented together with in-depth reviews and paradigm-breaking proposals that collectively illustrate the potential for changing aging as never before. The proposals extend from today to a future many decades from now in which the control of aging may become effectively complete. Examples include sirtuin-modulating pills, new concepts for attacking cardiovascular disease and cancer, mitochondrial rejuvenation, stem cell therapies and regeneration, tissue reconstruction, telomere maintenance, prevention of immunosenescence, extracellular rejuvenation, artificial DNA repair, and full deployment of nanotechnology. The Future of Aging will make you think about aging differently and is a challenge to all of us to open our eyes to the future therapeutic potential of biogerontology.

Science of the Magical

Science of the Magical PDF

Author: Matt Kaplan

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-10-25

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 147677711X

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"From the author of The Science of Monsters, this engaging scientific inquiry provides a definitive look into the elements of mystical places and magical object--from the philosopher's stone, to love potions to the oracles--from ancient history, mythology, and contemporary culture. Can migrations of birds foretell our future? Do phases of the moon hold sway over our lives? Are there sacred springs that cure the ill? What is the best way to brew a love potion? How do we create mutant humans who regenerate like Wolverine? In Science of the Magical, noted science journalist Matt Kaplan plumbs the rich, lively, and surprising history of the magical objects, places, and rituals that infuse ancient and contemporary myth. Like Ken Jennings and Mary Roach, Kaplan serves as a friendly armchair guide to the world of the supernatural. From the strengthening powers of Viking mead, to the super soldiers in movies like Captain America, Kaplan ranges across cultures and time periods to point out that there is often much more to these enduring magical narratives than mere fantasy. Informative and entertaining, Science of the Magical explores our world through the compelling scope of natural and human history and cutting-edge science."--

The new science of ageing

The new science of ageing PDF

Author: Walker, Alan

Publisher: Policy Press

Published: 2014-08-29

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 1447314670

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This unique book represents the first multi-disciplinary examination of ageing, covering everything from basic cell biology, to social participation in later life, to the representations of old age in the arts and literature. A comprehensive introductory text about the latest scientific evidence on ageing, the book draws on the pioneering New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, the UK’s largest research programme in ageing. This programme brought together leading academics from across the arts and humanities, social and biological sciences and fields of engineering and medical research, to study how ageing is changing and the ways in which this process can be made more beneficial to both individuals and society. Comprising individual, local, national and global perspectives, this book will appeal to everyone with an interest in one of the greatest challenges facing the world – our own ageing.

Long for This World

Long for This World PDF

Author: Jonathan Weiner

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2010-06-22

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 0060765364

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In this fast-paced, sure-to-astonish scientific adventure, a Pulitzer Prize-winning popular science writer asks, Has the long-sought secret of eternal youth at last been found?