Reply To: Toshiba's "Micro Nuclear Reactor" – it's not fusion, but it's here now
The Focus Fusion Society › Forums › Focus Fusion Cafe › Immortality › Reply To: Toshiba's "Micro Nuclear Reactor" – it's not fusion, but it's here now
de wrote: A little more on the Methuselah Foundation (and related SENS Foundation)…Aubrey de Grey identified seven components of aging, which they’re tackling in various ways.
For example, excess junk accumulates inside and between cells, which the body can’t get rid of. But it decomposes in soil, so they’re surveying soil microbes looking for enzymes they can use to clean that stuff up.
Mitochondrial DNA takes a lot of oxidative damange, so they’re looking at using gene therapy to insert the mitochondrial genes into the nucleus, where they’ll be protected.
Cross-linking between sugars and proteins happens over time and makes everything stiffen up, so they’re looking for ways to dissolve those links.
His basic idea: fixing aging is like restoring an old car. You don’t have to figure out in detail why it rusts, you just need to apply rust cleaner and maybe replace some parts.
There’s a book de Grey wrote which goes into the science in great detail. He’s actually not a big fan of the telomere approach, but there are other people pursuing that pretty vigorously. Regenerative medicine with stem cells is another approach with a lot of promise that’s not really part of SENS.
Yes! I’ve watched that video. Absolutely fascinating! I’ll try to get links to that video and some other material as soon as I get some free time.
Since I won’t be alive 100 years from now why should I care about (insert virtually any item here). Nothing promotes good stewardship like self interest.