Please excuse me if I am out of line, but I have to speak up. I am
considering all of the arguments I have heard about age and aging and
death being one process. This is, however, not true. Age has nothing to
do, intrinsically, with aging. There are some minor physiological signs
that will occur, causing someone to appear "aged", but one can be as
active at 90 as 30 depending on the
physical condition of the subject. No one has ever died of old age. This
is ludicrous to consider. There is no anatomical precedent to death of
old age. Study the carp - they can be kept in captivity for years, kept
and well fed and will not die! The oldest in captivity was 71 years old,
and showed no untoward signs of deteoration. Man need not die - at least
not simply because he has lived a long while; the gerontoligists will
accede to this fact. They will not define themselves out of a job, but
make their current profession one of true endeavour.
*Not* meant to disrespect anyone...
In article <uNiYvAWHBh107h at chambers.ak.planet.co.nz>,
steve at chambers.ak.planet.co.nz (Steve Chambers) wrote:
> I'm just reviewing "How and Why We Age" by Leonard Hayflick. In
> Chapter 4 he argues that:
>> diseases associated with old age are NOT part of the normal aging
> process ... diseases, unlike aging, are not normal.
>> later he says:
>> The cause of death in old people is a mysterious "black box."
> Usually some standard cause of death is chosen from an approved
> list in order to comply with legal requirements.
>> Please forgive my impudence, I know LH is one of the giants of
> gerontology, but this comment seems like a desperate attempt to stitch
> up a paradigm of aging that is falling apart at the seams.
>> I see his problem. If the diseases of age are not aging then one can
> only conclude that (without this mysterious black box) nobody ever dies
> of old age!
>> LH and those of similar thinking are in danger of defining themselves out
> of a job.
>> Who amongst you shall be their champion?
>> Steve
>> --
> ________________________
> (I_lurk,_therefore_I_am!_\ ,,, Steve Chambers
> (o o) steve at chambers.ak.planet.co.nz> ----------------------oOO--(_)--OOo-----------------------------
