The Fight To End Aging Gains Legitimacy, Funding 569
oddwick11 writes "Aubrey de Grey and other leading scientists and thinkers in stem cell research and regenerative medicine will gather in Los Angeles at UCLA for Aging 2008 to explain how their work can combat human aging, and the sociological implications of developing rejuvenation therapies. From an article today in WIRED Magazine 'Now, though, some scientists are beginning to view his approach — looking at aging as a disease and bringing in more disciplines into gerontology — as worthwhile, even if they still look askance at his claims of permanent reversible aging within a lifespan. The Methuselah Foundation now has an annual research funding budget of several million dollars, de Grey says, and it's beginning to show lab results that he thinks will turn scientists' heads.'" The conference is free, though registration is required; L.A. area readers who can attend are encouraged to post their thoughts. Update: 06/27 05:18 GMT by T : Dr. de Grey notes that you can also simply show up and register on-site. Look forward to a Slashdot interview with de Grey in the near future.
Re:What a Great Idea, Not (Score:3, Informative)
If you'll remember back to your high school biology class, most of the items Glug listed are what are widely accepted in the scientific community as density dependent limiting factors. Meaning that as a population increases, so do wars, plague, famine, etc. Global warming is debatable as a density dependent limiting factor, but you could make a strong case for it.
Re:Methuselah's Children, etc. (Score:3, Informative)
Pain is terribly distracting, from minor itching
I'm sorry, but pain and itch have notable difference and recent finding indicates this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itch [wikipedia.org]
Re:No no (Score:2, Informative)
You should if you are curious about a very interesting point of view orbiting around those issues.
I won't spoil it, but it's worth it and it should take no more than one or two days to read.
Re:Hope (Score:2, Informative)
I live in LA. I was a little suprised when I moved here five years ago to discover that the normals outnumber the wierdos by a dramatic margin.
Except for the huge variety of ethnic food of all varieties, the ridiculous amount of very high quality live theater going on every night, the excellent surfing and scuba diving, the easy access to mountains (15 minutes), ocean (10 minutes), and desert (90 minutes), I might think that I was just in any old town in the USA.
Then there is the true and enduring blight called Hollywood right up the road. *shudder* Thank goodness for me it's actually difficult to get to Hollywood from where I live (Santa Monica).