Can Man Conquer Death?

Do you know who lived longest in the world? As per the records available to us, it is Jean Louise Calment of France. She lived 122 years. She was born on Feb21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997). The American, Carry white, comes second  and she lived for 116 years. She was born on  Nov.18 1874 and died on Feb.14, 1991. It is generally believed that man’s maximum life span is 120-125 years. Each one –however mighty he might be- has to say final adieu around that age.

But the average life-span is hovering around 80 in the advanced nations 

Man had been dreaming to overcome death from the time he became capable of thinking. But death still haunts man and he has not been able to extend his life span by any appreciable stretch.    How to conquer death, how to delay ageing? Man has always been after these.  Food control, exercise, the conquest of bacteria and viruses et all haves not helped him to push death any further. Well, they have helped him live youthfully even in advanced ages. But man’s life-span hover around where it was:  he still cannot live beyond  120-125 years.   

According to Aubrey de Grey, a British researcher, man is on the verge of conquering death. He believes that a man who will live 1000 years has already been born. Dr. Ray Kurzweil thinks  that man can  live forever. Whatever man conceived and believed he has achieved. And he has been consistently dreaming to conquer death. Who knows there might come a time when man will die when he wants to. 

Ben Abba, an American, claims in the net to have met a man 2800 years old! He has been living around the Mediterranean sea. He speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus and has photographed himself with  Marie Curie.  A wild imagination? Can man live beyond 125 years? Researchers believe that  if  Calorie Control is effected from very young days the whole process of ageing can be slowed down and man will be able to live beyond 150. But will man be able to conquer death? 

Anti-aging pills can be used to halt the production of free radicals that cause to increase damage within the body as we age. Researchers are also considering whether compounds like resveratrol (found in red wine) could be effective in pill form. It might have the ability to interfere with the aging process. Some scientists think that telomerase, an enzyme that mends protective coverings on cells, is the answer. Others hope, human growth hormone might do wonders.

Ray Kurzweil claims that by 2045 humans will become one with machines. Flesh and blood aren't ideal materials for longevity, so we'll turn to a bit more durable stuff.  Some futurists envision a time when computer will serve as backup for our brain and silicone parts will replace our frail limbs.

 

Aubrey de Grey says if you can just last 25 years more, your lives could last 1,000 years or more. “Our human genomes will be modified to include the genetic material of microorganisms that live in the soil, enabling us to break down the junk proteins that our cells amass over time and which they can't digest on their own. People will have the option of looking and feeling the way they did at 20 for the rest of their lives, or opt for an older look if they get bored. Of course, everyone will be required to go in for age rejuvenation therapy once every decade or so, but that will be a small price to pay for near-immortality.”

Fixing the ageing problem is the mission of Silicon Valley, where billions is pouring into biotech firms working to ‘hack the code’ of life. Mankind is working on its age-old dream of tapping the fountain of youth, to reverse engineer the biology that controls lifespan and devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Man is trying hard to help himself. No God has ever done it. Man with his singular efforts controlled diseases and plagues. But he has never been able to stop the ageing process. If he succeeds in it, we will have another death of the Christian God.