Fountain Of Youth Found: 10 Reasons NOT To Live Longer
Posted by: Annika Harris
Filed in:
news
11:30AM, Friday July 10th 2009
Scientists are developing a “fountain of youth” pill from a chemical found in the soil on Easter Island. In testing, animals have lived 38 percent longer than expected as a result of the chemical. The development of an anti-aging pill sounds like a great idea—Juan Ponce de Leon dedicated a great deal of his life looking for the fountain of youth—but this pill will also have major repercussions for society. We wonder whether this pill will improve the life of those living or just delay death. If the body continues to fail, but life continues, people on this medication could experience a whole host of problems as a result of living well-beyond 100. After the jump, why we actually wouldn’t want to live for years beyond the usual time frame.
- Social Security Insurance will have disappeared
- The retirement age will be pushed up to 80
- We’ll be even more in debt
- We’ll have to stay married much longer, creating even more pressure to find the perfect mate
- We’ll have to witness all the horrible events the History Channel chronicles on “Life After People”
- Children will expect to live at home longer
- We might have to wear diapers
- We could lose our eyesight and hearing, and develop dementia
- Heidi Pratt could be just as old and still be on TV
- We would have to attend our 100-year high school reunion
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joyy
wrote on July 10 2009 @ 11:41 am: [report]
Social Security will probably be gone before most of use get to that point. I know we have some, um, more mature readers/commentors for whom that might not be true, but based on what I’ve seen ya’ll dropping hints and even numbers on your age, we probably won’t get a dime of it. I hope you all have 401(k)s and/or IRAs!
Queen Frostine
wrote on July 10 2009 @ 11:50 am: [report]
I think we could throw out half that list.
4. No one is forcing you to stay married, regardless of your age. I’m thinking past 90, the majority of people still married will not be in unsatisfactory relationships. Sex, money, kids, religion and career are all pretty much out of the picture.
6. No one’s expecting you to keep kids at home. If it’s your house, you can kick them out anytime you like after 18. There’s no reason to delay your child’s journey into adulthood just because you expect to live longer.
7. My previous landlady was 94 and didn’t wear diapers. Doesn’t happen to everyone.
8. That’s pretty much standard with aging in general. The age of internet/computer users will probably ALL lose their eyesight much quicker than other generations.
10. Again, optional. I never go to mine.
A hundred years ago, the average global life span was around 40. Now it’s around 70. Technology and medicine have been able to match the pace and improve quality of life. I think it’s fair to assume that it will once again keep pace and increase quality of life issues if we start to live past 100.
flatline
wrote on July 10 2009 @ 03:12 pm: [report]
5. ...but we’d be alive? Kinda puts a damper on the “after people” thing when there are still people there.
Fast Eddie
wrote on July 11 2009 @ 06:06 am: [report]
My mom lived until she was 97 and for all but the last 3-4 years was independent. She got on my nerves, but I did admire her.