From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@www.aeiveos.com)
Date: Sat Dec 18 1999 - 09:59:44 MST
On Sat, 18 Dec 1999, Robert Owen wrote:
>
> ...I do not find this statement a sufficient basis for the
> suggested "provocation of an awkward moment" nor
> any intended disrespect by the writer when he mentions
> Robert's "addressing the panelists as fellow warriors in a
> crusade against anyone who doubts the possibility (or
> wisdom) of vastly increased human longevity."
>
I think probably you had to be there. Since my back was
to the panel, I couldn't judge their reaction. I do however
have a reputation for statements like this. At the Biogerontology
conference in Australia a couple of years ago I really tried to
press the panel on nutrition to committing itself to recommended
vitamin intakes for increasing average lifespan. Needless to say
they were pretty successful in avoiding the question. Generally
scientists don't like it when I make these statements because it
amounts to breaking an unwritten code of not rocking the boat.
Of course, I can afford to make statements such as the one quoted
(it looks more extreme in print than it seemed when I was speaking
it...) because I don't currently have stock holders to answer to.
Calvin on the other hand has got the luddites blockading his driveway
and Judy and Cynthia have to get grants from the NIH.
I have finally read through the NIA strategic plan, and it seems,
slowly the lightbulb is starting to glow... What we need to do
is encourage them to actually use the words "increasing the maximum
human lifespan". Of course there are people, particularly among
the "old guard" that would rather choke on these words than speak
them. I think this may be a conscious or subconscious form of
sour grapes -- "I don't want the lifespan extended because it
won't happen soon enough to do me any good." The only way around
this is for them to understand cryonics and that at least to
some degree involves understanding nanotech & nanomedicine.
It isn't a small educational hurdle.
But the recent work in Nature, from Italy on the p60shc knockout
and a report from a conference in Japan that adding extra copies of
genes that recycle thioredoxin extend lifespan in mice means the
jury is leaning in my favor.
Robert
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:06:07 MST