Last century we found treatments for cancer, developed antibiotics, expanded medical imaging systems, and made heart interventions commonplace. This century can we slow the aging process? Investors say, "yes!" Their financial capital is nourishing a confluence that includes new medical breakthroughs and ardent radical life extension advocates. Now, the elimination of or slowing of aging looks like a realistic goal in the next 10 years. Thinkers have been imagining this moment for some time as you'll learn reading the history of the anti-aging research movement. People are already debating the ethics of longevity but what really happens if we find the keys to aging and end the process of growing old? Most importantly, how will it impact you?

Image at left depicting causes of cell senescence is courtesy of the Journal of Cell Biology. The image can be enlarged at its source. 

As we trailblaze a new way to age our access to health information and medicine is lengthening our liives. It's improving our quality of life in later years.  Wrinkles and illnesses, however, are still part of the journey.  Not surprisingly, then, advancing medicine fuels a renewed search for the fountain of youth.  Revenues for the anti aging industry (research, products, services) are are pushing toward $200 billion annually  by 2021.  For perspective, our collective spending to defend against wrinkles and aging is greater than what we spend annually defending the U.S. through funding for the FBI and CIA! Maybe you think this suggests that our priorities are questionable or maybe you've spent money to look younger and realize it's value. Either way, ethics controversies surround the use and production of some of the most popular products used to forestall aging and even greater ethical challenges are on our horizon as gerontology and bio science approach the capacity to engineer radically extended lives.