How Far Should Scientists Try to Extend the Human Life Span?

June 17, 2008

British biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey might look like a ZZ Top wannabee, but don’t let the beard deter you from contemplating his novel concept of strategies for engineered negligible senescence. Basically, what he wants to do is re-engineer the human body at the cellular level to prevent — or reverse — the aging process, and extend the human life span by centuries or longer. Here’s a video of de Grey explaining SENS, in his wonderful Masterpiece Theatre-esque accent:

Before you dismiss de Grey as some sort of snake-oil salesman, consider that he’s sufficiently brilliant to have been awarded a doctorate by prestigious Cambridge University without having to take any classes, strictly on the merits of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging, a 1999 book in which he made the case that preventing damage to mitochondrial DNA might stem the usual effects of aging and significantly extend the human life span. Indeed, he’s not only published more than 60 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, but also edits one, the bimonthly Rejuvenation Research. A lot of big-brained Silicon Valley folks take his ideas very seriously; Peter A. Thiel, co-founder and former chief executive officer of PayPal, has donated $3.5 million to de Grey’s Methuselah Foundation, which funds research on anti-aging biomedicine.