Immortality Now! (For Mice...) -- Bio, Long
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Michael Yamashita was kind enough to point out the existence of the M-Prize, a fund set aside for an award meant to catalyze longevity research in much the same way that the X-Prize has stimulated the development of commercial spaceflight options. Creating the M-Prize was exactly the kind of resourceful, intelligent strategy I was trying to encourage in my earlier article where I discuss the importance of doing meaningful planning and mustering meaningful resources to accomplish your projects. The M-Prize is the kind of grassroots effort you can accomplish without requiring vast amounts of personal capital or exceptional lobbying skills. Michael's comment is therefore well taken.
His response is also quite appropriate because of its timing. The Washington Post reports that scientists have found a hormone -- and a genetic modification -- that slows aging in mice. Since drugs are more apt to be used to extend human longevity in the near term, the hormone is probably of more immediate interest, but the genetic modification is the sort of thing that might become standard issue to newborns once gene therapy and/or germline modification for enhancement become widespread.
Future Imperative
Michael Yamashita was kind enough to point out the existence of the M-Prize, a fund set aside for an award meant to catalyze longevity research in much the same way that the X-Prize has stimulated the development of commercial spaceflight options. Creating the M-Prize was exactly the kind of resourceful, intelligent strategy I was trying to encourage in my earlier article where I discuss the importance of doing meaningful planning and mustering meaningful resources to accomplish your projects. The M-Prize is the kind of grassroots effort you can accomplish without requiring vast amounts of personal capital or exceptional lobbying skills. Michael's comment is therefore well taken.
His response is also quite appropriate because of its timing. The Washington Post reports that scientists have found a hormone -- and a genetic modification -- that slows aging in mice. Since drugs are more apt to be used to extend human longevity in the near term, the hormone is probably of more immediate interest, but the genetic modification is the sort of thing that might become standard issue to newborns once gene therapy and/or germline modification for enhancement become widespread.
Future Imperative
posted by Ralph Cerchione | Thursday, August 25, 2005
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