In human females, menopause occurs after a period of steadily increasing probability of defective reproduction (the chances of a woman bearing a Down’s Syndrome baby, for example, increases sharply after age thirty-five). The shutdown of reproduction in humans does not mean the end of life, however. Evolutionary factors which may have resulted in this extended […]
A Rolls-Royce lasts far longer than a Volkswagen bug, but its cost per mile is far higher than that of the bug, too. To engineer self-repair capabilities and to use long-lived components is generally more expensive than to use shorter-lived, disposable units. This is why deep space probes such as Viking, Pioneer, and Voyager are […]
There are many virtues to growing old. [long pause] I am just trying to think what they are. —Somerset Maugham at the age of eighty As much as we may wish otherwise, old age is an unpleasant and unattractive affliction. Some people, it is true, have been active and productive into very old age—among them […]
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. —Alan Lakein, How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life No one can make you do anything about the quality or quantity of your life span—except you. Your actions can be as simple as avoiding the […]
Scientists, as-well as the lay public, have differing views of the problems of aging. Most scientists specializing in gerontology study old people and their behavior. Only about 10 percent of American gerontologists funded by the government are engaged in research on biological aging processes. This proportion represents a fundamental division in this science. Funds used […]
“I mean,” she [Alice] said, “that one can’t help growing older.” “One can’t, perhaps,” said Humpty Dumpty, “but two can. With proper assistance, you might have left off at seven.” —Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Although conceptions of aging differ among lay persons and even among scientists, we all know that aging accelerates as time […]