Live Forever?

Going back through history and literature, we find numerous examples of mankind attempting to extend longevity to essentially achieve immortality. From Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth to the Elixir of Life, and yes, even the highly prized Sorcerer’s Stone, it seems living longer is a highly prized goal for everyone. Or is it?

The fact that our aging mechanisms are highly dependent on programmed cell death (apoptosis), what’s to say that we can’t manipulate this “programming?” With medicine advancing into previously unknown frontiers, researchers may one day simply have a “pill” to prolong life. In conjunction with other pharmaceutical breakthroughs like better vitamins and diets, the limits of longevity are already being pushed. In a crudely stated sense, once telomerase and the cell cycle markers can be regulated by some therapeutic manner, we’ll routinely see individuals surpassing the status of supercentenarian. (Yes, it’s more complicated than that, but by no means impossible).

So imagine a world in which this was a reality… where you could run over to your pharmacy of choice and purchase your weekly supply of “Stay-Alive-For-Another-Week” pills. Aside from the religious and ethical issues that may arise from such a society, imagine the enormous amounts of money that would be generated by this business. Pretty mind boggling when you compare it to how expensive modern healthcare is. 

And now I ask… how many would actually purchase such a pill? I for one would adamantly reply “no.” If you ask me, it’s so much easier to die than to live. Living entails having to deal with society’s materialistic pursuits, ignorance, lack of respect, and well, ignorance (yes, it was worth mentioning twice). This is something I don’t want to worry about when I’m *supposed* to be dying. I rather die and rest in peace. Sure, I can see why people would want to live for extended periods of time. They could get more done. They could see their great-great-great-grandchildren grow up and become successful. Whatever. But by the same token, an aging body is cancer’s best friend (unless we develop a “cure” for that too).

In my humble opinion, I hope this futuristic Elixir of Life is forever banned from the hands of humanity. We have a population crisis. There are just too many depressed people in the world. Gas prices suck. Perhaps a timely death would be a peaceful reprieve from worldly pressures for all of us (no, I’m not endorsing suicide). I just want to die after teaching the next generation something they would have otherwise not known, saving lives as a physician, and having my life bring joy to others. No elixir or pill will guarantee this for me. Only I will.

Share This Post: