I think that biotechnology is undervalued.

[Science Student]

Most people pursue financial gain. What if we all sought biological gain? The latter makes more sense to me. We are approaching technology that will allow for us to have control over our own mortalities. Shouldn't this be our highest priority?

 

I have a very wealthy friend who makes a high income in finance. His job is to convince banks to loan wealthy people money interest rates that make my friend and the bank high profits. When I visited him, he took me on his expensive boat. We had a pretty good time, but I think he said that he used up about $1000.00 that day in fuel. Then we went back to his mansion.

 

Only about 15 years ago, we would amuse ourselves with simple games like Monopoly and Risk when money was tight. However, we both agree that we had plenty of fun back then. I couldn't tell him this, but I am sure we had more fun playing cards and board games than being on his boat.

 

My point is simple and probably obvious. Excessive money may or may not make life "better". If it does, I have yet to discover hard evidence for this.

 

One thing that we can all probably agree on is that life is more important than money. Without life money has no value.

 

Money cannot buy life yet, generally. The only thing that can gain life for people is to learn how to increase time alive; and by "time" I mean quality time.

 

We live in a universe that has told us its building blocks. It is not a matter of can we live as long as we want but a matter of how.

 

So what if I asked my friend and every other person like him to go back to school and study biotechnology, which encompasses practically all of the sciences? He will say "no". But how can I make him and people alike to understand that their priorities don't make sense? If we all help advance medicine to the point where we can live as long as we want, we can have boats later.

 

The positive scientific articles and research on reverse aging and cures for diseases are so plentiful that I wouldn't even know where to start selecting them to support my contention for this topic.

 

I can't help but ask again, how can I get this point across to the masses like my friend? I have come to this forum hoping to read some ideas.

[iNow]

So what if I asked my friend and every other person like him to go back to school and study biotechnology, which encompasses practically all of the sciences? He will say "no". But how can I make him and people alike to understand that their priorities don't make sense?

You can't, and who's to say that your priorities are any more important than theirs? Seems a little presumptuous, wouldn't you say?

[CharonY]

I think this topic is in the wrong thread, it is more about societal issues rather than biology. In addition, biotech is but only one branch that deals with issues relating to human health,there are many more out there. A bit ironically, biotech is somewhat more applied (and includes things like fermentation processes and production of pharmaceuticals) and is as such closer to money making than, e.g. fundamental sciences.

Edited January 20, 2014 by CharonY

[Mrs Zeta]

 

The positive scientific articles and research on reverse aging and cures for diseases are so plentiful that I wouldn't even know where to start selecting them to support my contention for this topic.

Biotechnology may well help us cure diseases, but unfortunately it won't help us reverse aging. The cure for aging won't be anything physical and, contrary to what peope say, it won't depend primarily on biotechnology.

[John Cuthber]

Biotechnology may well help us cure diseases, but unfortunately it won't help us reverse aging. The cure for aging won't be anything physical and, contrary to what peope say, it won't depend primarily on biotechnology.

And, can we see the extraordinary evidence that goes with that extraordinary claim please?

 

(Probably in another thread since I think it would be off- topic in this one)

[Ringer]

And, can we see the extraordinary evidence that goes with that extraordinary claim please?

 

(Probably in another thread since I think it would be off- topic in this one)

The cure for aging is death, it's completely natural

[Science Student]

The cure for aging is death, it's completely natural

Fighting for survival is natural too.

[Mrs Zeta]

And, can we see the extraordinary evidence that goes with that extraordinary claim please?

 

(Probably in another thread since I think it would be off- topic in this one)

 

I can answer this here, as it refers to the original posting (although my view opposes it).

 

I wrote a few non-scientific essays discussing this, for example here:

 

http://ieet.org/index.php/ieet/more/kyriazis20121031

 

and here:

https://lifeboat.com/blog/2013/04/the-life-extension-hubris-why-biotechnology-is-unlikely-to-be-the-answer-to-ageing

 

also a more scientific paper discussing the hypothesis that the treatment will be more related to global communication and evolutionay mechanisms, rather than physical treatments: http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.2734

 

Finally, we are formalising the whole thing here:http://benthamscience.com/journal-files/special-issue-details/cas/CAS-SII20140109-01.pdf (due for publication in March 2014). I hope this helps.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Mrs Zeta

[petrushka.googol]

Biotechnology may well help us cure diseases, but unfortunately it won't help us reverse aging. The cure for aging won't be anything physical and, contrary to what people say, it won't depend primarily on biotechnology.

Actually due to laws of physics entropy of a closed loop system like the human body increases and that is why we age. It is a physical process and reversing that completely seems arduous if not impossible.

However by making lifestyle choices like controlling diet, doing aerobic exercise, even reading increases the efficiency of the cardiovascular and nervous systems and can reduce the effects of free radicals and associated precipitated syndromes like Alzheimers, obesity etc.

[Science Student]

Biotechnology may well help us cure diseases, but unfortunately it won't help us reverse aging. The cure for aging won't be anything physical and, contrary to what people say, it won't depend primarily on biotechnology.

Actually due to laws of physics entropy of a closed loop system like the human body increases and that is why we age. It is a physical process and reversing that completely seems arduous if not impossible.

However by making lifestyle choices like controlling diet, doing aerobic exercise, even reading increases the efficiency of the cardiovascular and nervous systems and can reduce the effects of free radicals and associated precipitated syndromes like Alzheimers, obesity etc.

There are no excuses not to accomplish anything that is physically possible.