It seems that every day I read about someone who thinks they can cheat death and live forever.
Last weekend’s New York Times Sunday magazine was dedicated to aging. There are some interesting articles in it.
This article from msn.com caught my eye:
Can You Freeze the Aging Process?
It seems that there are some young and middle-aged people who think that they can dramatically extend their lifespans by freezing and storing their blood and skin cells. Some of them are obsessed with the idea of living longer at relatively young ages.
I don’t doubt that it might be a good idea in the future to stock supplies of your own tissue. I’m sure they will be able to repair and rejuvenate some of the parts of the body and possibly extend lifespan. We probably should thank people who are fanatical about trying to live longer since they may discover some useful treatments that will help everyone.
I can’t help but wondering whether all this will improve the quality of life. Won’t you miss out on everyday pleasures and happiness if you are focused on an almost impossible goal all the time?
I would advise those who are desperately trying to extend their lives past 100 years to take a deep breath and accept the fact of mortality. Once you do that and if you live in the moment, that race against the clock slows down and you start to experience the true wonder and mystery of life on this planet.
Anyway, I wish the stem cell bankers the best of luck. I figure in the next few years the next best thing will be announced and we will have a new anti-aging fad to enjoy reading about.