Startups in Silicon Valley are busy developing anti-aging technology, even immortality. For example, a startup called Altos Labs, whose investor is one of the richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos, wants to rejuvenate human cells with technology. Can this ambition be achieved?
Old age seems to be believed to be a disease and can be cured. "Aging is a medical problem. It's very serious and it affects everyone. But in principle, we can solve (this problem)," said Dr Aubrey de Gray, founder of the SENS Research Foundation.
The potential to ward off old age keeps funds flowing in from Silicon Valley's wealthy who want to live long. Apart from Bezos, Google has had Calico for a long time, a company that also wants to 'treat' aging.
Dr Gray also predicted that the longevity business would later become the largest industry in the world. Of course, many are skeptical, where holding old age is a huge challenge, let alone eternal life. However, the development of technology also raises optimism.
Scientists are currently trying to uncover the complex causes of aging in order to slow down, prevent or even reverse the process. For example, Dr Steve Horvart, an expert from the University of California, identified a cell process called methylation in aging.
This methylation pattern plays an important role in determining the age of the animal. "Each species has a maximum age and this methylation is associated with it. The big potential is that we might be able to modify it in our DNA and maybe be able to change the age of our species," said Dr Steve.
"Maybe not just to 122 years, maybe we can extend it to 130 years or 150 years," he added as quoted by us from the ABC.
On the other hand there is David Sinclair, a biologist in Australia, some time ago he made an attempt to change the gene of blind mice and claimed to have succeeded in doing so. "The mouse's eyesight is back," he said.
"There are at least two dozen companies around the world developing drugs that can slow down or in some cases, reverse the aging of organs and maybe one day, the whole body. So this is not outside the realm of biology," he explained.
Recently, funds for anti-aging technology have become more abundant, so the scientists involved have become more optimistic. "This industry, even 5 years ago, basically didn't exist. Today there are hundreds of companies doing this biotechnology work," said Dr Gray.
Of course, many are worried about this development. Is it ethically appropriate that humans live very long? After all, with longevity, they are not necessarily happy.
"The problem with science is that scientists just seem to tell all the good stories, we're going to live forever, we're going to be happy," said Australian sociologist Professor Bryan Turner.
"Unless we have some additional purpose or meaning in life, being here indefinitely may not be a desirable prospect. What are we going to be doing for another 100 or 200 years, watching television or something?" he asked.
But according to Dr Horvart, people can choose what they want and science should help to achieve it. If humans want to live long and feel that they will still be happy, according to him, that is not a problem. It has a mission to extend human life and on the other hand they can still be productive.