scientists - drug to live 200 years

[Earl E Retyre]

article in msn says drug may allow us to live 200 years
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/scientists-are-working-on-a-drug-that-lets-you-live-for-200-years/ar-AAZJDns?li=BBnb7Kz
"The drug, taken in pill form reportedly works by eliminating cells that contribute to the ageing process in the human body. Thus, potentially doubling our lifespan."

If this is successful, I wonder how will it affect the number of FIRE posts regarding the 4% rule and when should I take social security?

 

[Time2]

I'm sure some FIRE people would have a problem with their portfolio over an addition 100 years. More people would wait until 70 to collect and SS will have a huge deficit if not sooner, it will later, as the payout will increase as people don't die and stop SS. Also Medicare will go broke as, more knees and hips are replaced along with other senior medical costs. The only fix is if these 70+ people are healthy enough to become productive and go back to work, pay into the system and save more money. (it will be fun to watch the legislators try to raise the FRA to 95).
However, my desire to have the right and ability to end my life, is increased even more, if I'm not healthy, bedridden, and just miserable.
They need to make sure the extra 100 years are healthy years, I don't know if increasing senescence also makes you physically healthier, I think it might. More about senescence. https://siimland.com/how-to-remove-senescent-cells-cell-senescence-and-aging/

 

[njhowie]

If successful, this will have major ramifications on the Social Security system as well as insurance industry.

It would also be interesting in another way - how would this extend our prime working years? Instead of say a normal 30 to 40 year career, maybe normal becomes 50 or 60 years, or possibly longer?

 

[bloom2708]

Now you are saying I have to work until 167?

 

[Car-Guy]

I skimmed the OP's link and didn't see any mention of improving/extending or even maintaining mental health/acuity.

 

[Amethyst]

There's an ancient and horrible Greek myth about a goddess who loved a mortal man so much, she granted him eternal life. Unfortunately, she forgot to give him eternal youth, so he aged continually, yet could not die. Needless to say, he was doomed to an eternity of misery.

I skimmed the OP's link and didn't see any mention of improving/extending or even maintaining mental health/acuity.

 

[athena53]

Not interested.

There's a video on YouTube about what the world would look like if everyone who had ever lived were alive today. As it is, about 10% of people who ever lived are alive today. If they all were, there would be wars and famines due to insufficient resources.

Sometimes it really isn't nice to fool Mother Nature.

 

[Gumby]

There is already a longevity gap between rich and poor. This would only exacerbate it. (You can't possibly believe that it will be available to everyone, can you?)

 

[Dtail]

So there will be an updated discussion about whether to take SS at 150 years ......

 

[Aerides]

Whenever this kind of nonsense makes the news, I'm reminded that even smarter vampire stories know how this plays out.

Oh sure, eternal life and youth sounds great, but the world around you changes. The world you wanted to live in forever is completely different. Already, we have people pining for the "good old days" of a few decades back, and many rate their HS/College years as the best time of their life.

Imagine, 175 year olds, in 2180, sitting around talking about how great the 2020's were...

 

[Car-Guy]

Whenever this kind of nonsense makes the news, I'm reminded that even smarter vampire stories know how this plays out.

Oh sure, eternal life and youth sounds great, but the world around you changes. The world you wanted to live in forever is completely different. Already, we have people pining for the "good old days" of a few decades back, and many rate their HS/College years as the best time of their life.

Imagine, 175 year olds, in 2180, sitting around talking about how great the 2020's were...

+1 Bold by me. The only thing that would be better, if I could go back to those days (as the young man I was) and know what I know today...

 

[CRLLS]

Imagine someone born in 1830 trying to live in today's world. So much has changed during his lifetime. That is what we would be in 2180. No thanks.

 

[NW-Bound]

"The drug, taken in pill form reportedly works by eliminating cells that contribute to the ageing process in the human body. Thus, potentially doubling our lifespan."

The problem is when you are old and 80% of your cells are old, if they get targeted and eliminated, your body would get shrunken down like a raisin.

You would be dying in horrible pain, instead of naturally and peacefully.


I searched the Web for info on this Dr. Andrew Steele quoted in the OP article, and this is what I found that he said.

Andrew Steele@statto:

I can’t believe stories are still trickling out based on the interview I did with @MailOnline last month! And sadly a lot of them make the mistake this one does, suggesting that I think senolytics will allow us to live to 200…

 

[Freedom56]

Do you really want to live to 200 and look like Yoda?

 

[aaronc879]

There is already a longevity gap between rich and poor. This would only exacerbate it. (You can't possibly believe that it will be available to everyone, can you?)

If it reduces the need for health care then I would assume insurance companies would want to cover it thereby making it available to most people.

 

[Car-Guy]

Do you really want to live to 200 and look like Yoda?

Actually I think he was closer to 900 but I get your point.

 

[Jerry1]

Not interested at all.

 

[aaronc879]

Do you really want to live to 200 and look like Yoda?

I don't care what I look like. I care about my pain level and whether I have enough money to support myself reasonably. I would be willing to die at 70 or 170 depending on those 2 issues.

 

[njhowie]

Imagine someone born in 1830 trying to live in today's world. So much has changed during his lifetime. That is what we would be in 2180. No thanks.

You adapt with evolution. Think of how radically life has changed just since the the 1960's when most of us were around. The best we had were heavy tube TV consoles that weighed 100+ pounds, maybe 25" screen at best, rabbit ear antennas, black and white pictures, amazement at pictures coming back from the moon. Rotary telephones. Everything done by paper and US Mail. Vinyl records and record players. And what do we have today? The equivalent of super computers in our pockets that provide better capability than those old TVs, phones, and record players combined...for a couple hundred dollars that folks flippantly get rid of after a couple years. The demise of paper checks, the demise of the US postal service as most folks use online bill pay or some variation, electronic documentation, the ability to store the entire Library of Congress in a $200 device that you can hold in the palm of your hand. Pictures coming back from space in full color of galaxies billions of light years away.

I'd say that folks would easily grow as the world evolved, even if we lived to be hundreds of years old.

I think a bigger issue would be population growth and if the planet could support it.

 

[njhowie]

As much as folks poo-poo the idea, honestly, if I had the ability to be around for another 50 or 100 years along with my wife and family in relatively good health, I'd jump at it.

 

[ERD50]

So if this actually came to be, it would likely be expensive and only available to the very rich, as some have mentioned.

So would we then see the young "gold digger" with a 200 year old man, and people would shake their heads and say "She's young enough to be his great-great-great-grand-daughter!"?

-ERD50

 

[Time2]

You adapt with evolution.

I'd say that folks would easily grow as the world evolved, even if we lived to be hundreds of years old.

Yes, I know plenty of 70 year olds that are computer and cellphone fluent and don't need the teenage to guide them. May not be as unusual as it was 20 years ago, when I joined a ham club and all the elders were big users of their computers.

 

[Time2]

Imagine someone born in 1830 trying to live in today's world. So much has changed during his lifetime. That is what we would be in 2180. No thanks.

I would love to see the awe of someone brought back from then, or the Wright brothers to see an SR-71 or Einstein to see his predictions come true shown by the Webb pictures, and so many more.

 

[aja8888]

So if this actually came to be, it would likely be expensive and only available to the very rich, as some have mentioned.

So would we then see the young "gold digger" with a 200 year old man, and people would shake their heads and say "She's young enough to be his great-great-great-grand-daughter!"?

-ERD50

I've been keeping this a secret, but I have a pill that will extend your life to 120 years old with no quality loss of bodily functions. It's available for $10,000 a pill and only one dose needed. PM me if you are interested and I will mail you the pill after you transfer the funds to my bank account. 100% guaranteed and safe.

 

[OldShooter]

article in msn says drug may allow us to live 200 years ...

Are these the same guys that did the 100mpg carburetor, the car that ran on water, and cold fusion?