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Can humans break the 125-year lifespan limit? How will future technology change the length of life?
Since ancient times, extending life span has been a goal that humans have been pursuing. In the ever-advancing fields of technology and medicine, many researchers and "life extensionists" believe that future scientific breakthroughs may allow humans to live well beyond the currently accepted biological limit of 125 years. Their predictions are based on a variety of future technologies, including tissue regeneration, stem cell technology, gene therapy and a series of scientific developments that may lead to "full recovery" or the continuation of life in a healthy young state.
"The current development of medicine and technology may provide us with the dawn of immortality."
But the potential of new technologies has not only raised expectations, but also brought many ethical controversies. Many bioethicists have expressed concerns about these technologies that may come true, fearing that humans will ignore the inherent value of life in the pursuit of immortality.
Current lifespan status
The current average life span of humans is about 70 to 80 years, but according to reports, the longest life span in history was 122 years and 164 days, created by Jeanne Calment. During the aging process, the molecules, cells and tissues of the human body will accumulate damage. These damages include genetic instability, telomere shortening, etc. Among them, free radicals caused by oxidative damage are also considered to be one of the key causes of aging.
"The scientific community is working hard to find ways to extend human lifespan, and the results may change our understanding of life."
Scientific research on extending life
In recent years, various life-extending scientific research projects have been launched one after another, such as the American Society of Anti-Aging Medicine and the Methuselah Foundation, which are committed to providing financial support for anti-aging research. In 2013, Google also announced the establishment of Calico to focus on scientific research on biological aging. With the rapid development of science and technology, many studies have found that gene editing or other technologies can extend the lifespan of certain model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans and yeast.
Potential technologies of the future
In the future, as nanotechnology develops, the use of medical nanomachines may allow us to directly repair damage within cells. Science fiction writer Raymond Kurzweil predicts in his book that by 2030, advanced medical nanomachines will be able to completely repair the effects of aging. Meanwhile, synthetic biology and gene-editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, have the potential to revolutionize the way we fight aging.
"Through gene editing technology, we can redesign the potential of life."
Moral shackles that prolong life
However, regarding the ideal of extending lifespan, ethical controversies cannot be ignored. Many experts have reservations about whether life-extension technologies can truly improve the quality of human life. People may face distribution problems of survival resources, and the extended life span may not be able to escape the widening gap between rich and poor and potential threats to social order. Whether it is worth investing a lot of resources in such research is still a question worthy of further discussion.
Challenges faced and future prospects
At present, anti-aging drugs and technologies are still in the research stage, and each research faces extremely high legal regulatory standards and market demand. The government generally does not recognize aging as a preventable disease, which makes it more difficult to promote the legalization and marketization of anti-aging drugs. Furthermore, anti-aging drug candidates must undergo ongoing regulatory scrutiny, similar to what the FDA stated in 2023: "No drugs have been proven to slow or reverse the aging process."
Faced with these challenges and pressures, can human society break today's lifespan limits? How will future scientific research and technology reshape our outlook on life, death, and lifestyle?
