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"The Habs masters and pupils all combined to provide me an experience rich in hope, honour, and the pursuit of excellence." |
Zainul (Bobby) Abedeen, Macfarlane Telesystems Ltd. |
Dr Aubrey de Grey visits Habs
On the 19th January, HABS Science Society was privileged to be addressed by Dr Aubrey de Grey, a leading figure in the field of gerontology, the study of ageing. Dr de Grey has made public appearances on TV, radio and at many events around the world. He is the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation, which aims to offer solutions to ageing, resulting, in theory in indefinite life spans. Of course, he made clear that he would never be able to offer ‘immortality’, as aging is only one cause of death, albeit the largest one.
He elucidated the weaknesses in traditional approaches to extending life and suggested that periodic repair of accumulated ‘damage’, which he defined as the undesirable side effects of metabolism, was the only realistic way to accomplish his goal. He has divided the different causes of age-related diseases into seven categories and has proposed strategies for overcoming each of these seven major problems. Dr de Grey focused on the problem of the accumulation of ‘junk’ inside cells and presented credible evidence for being able to prevent such aggregations by addition of enzymes to the cell which could break down these harmful byproducts.
Dr. de Grey stated that he believes the first person to live to 1000 years old is alive today and is only 20 years younger than the first 150 year old, thanks to his idea termed “longevity escape velocity”. The audience was given a chance to ask questions and some raised the issue of how sustainable of a world devoid of ageing would be. Dr. de Grey acknowledged that there would be significant problems but had little doubt that they would not be overcome through technological advances.
HABS Science Society continues to organise an unparalleled line up of fascinating speakers. The next lecture will be given by Professor David Nutt.
