why?
2007-02-26 07:53:46 · 5 answers · asked by E.S ZEBULUN 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
What are you asking? Will we live to 1000? Not unless we dramatically change our genetics. Our chomosomes are capped with something called telomeres, which "know" how many times it has divided. Soo even if a chromosome divides to become part of a brand new cell, it remembers the past. It remembers how old it is. There is a finite limit to how many divisions any chromosome can endure, regardless of whether or not it's new or old. If we find a way to circumvent that limitation we may increase life span.
However, scietntists say that our genetics are partly to blame. One theory says that people die because the genes are no longer efficient in fighting against things like cancer and heart disease after a certain age. Another holds that our genes are good, but it's just that we accumulate errors because we're just older. If the first theory is correct, only genetic modification can save us because after we grow old, the genes need to be replaced to fend off against cancer and other diseases. If the second theory is correct, we need to improve lifestyle. That can be done, but it's likely that genetics plays a role. Evolutionists believe that younger peope are better protected because our evolution has selected in favor of keeping young people health to reproduce. Older people dont tend to reproduce as much, so they get fewer evoutionary benefits.
In the end, therefore, by whatever thery you go, only genetic modification can drastically alter our lifespans. Lifestyle and good medicine can improve our lifespans, but scientists estimate to about age 120 as a maximum or so. Beynd 120, we need genetic modification.
2007-02-26 08:14:11 · answer #1 · answered by bloggerdude2005 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ray Kurzweil believes we will attain this in the next 50 years or so. Or at least he believes it will be normal for people to live well beyond 100 years and to eventually attain immortality. Skeptics like Michael Shermer say that humans can't break the upper limit of longevity, which is about 120.
2007-02-26 16:04:42 · answer #2 · answered by Ken 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We'll be lucky to be here in 50,000 years.
2007-02-26 16:05:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No we'll be dead from overpopulation & its problems
2007-02-26 15:58:39 · answer #4 · answered by hobo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No way.
2007-02-26 16:01:20 · answer #5 · answered by vt500ascott 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋