Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Cell biology gives clues to why we age and lobsters don't.
Key Points:
- If you were born within the last few decades in the developed world, your life expectancy is about eighty years!
- Aging happens not just on the outside but on the inside – at the cellular level. When our cells stop dividing, we begin to experience the symptoms of aging. This is regulated by telomeres.
- The danger is that cancer cells have very long telomeres and can divide almost indefinitely. The problem is that cancer cells are mutated and dangerous so you don’t want them to divide indefinitely.
Quote This:
Life expectancy is a statistical phenomenon. You could still be hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow. -Ray Kurzweil
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What do you notice happening to the people in your life (parents, grandparents, neighbors) who are aging?
- What would you say are the good parts about aging? The bad?
- What sort of medical or technological advances do you think would increase the life expectancies of people living today?
- If you could live forever, would you? Why or why not?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
