When I speak with people about life extension, eight times out of ten one of the first objections will be that they consider aging and dying a natural process that keeps the balance of the universe and therefore we shall not mess with it.
The issue with this concern is that there are many species that enjoy a much longer lifespan or do not age at all, such as aspen trees, jellyfish, lobsters and hydra. If very long lifespans happen naturally in some species, then it is not unnatural.
There are a few organisms that do not exhibit aging in the same manner as most species. For example, some species of jellyfish, such as the "immortal" jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii), are capable of reverting back to their juvenile form after reaching maturity, allowing them to potentially avoid aging. However, even these species are not truly "immortal," as they can still die from disease, predation, or other causes.
Lobsters do age, but they exhibit very slow aging compared to most species. Unlike mammals, which typically show signs of aging such as decreased fertility and increased risk of disease and death as they get older, lobsters actually continue to grow and reproduce throughout their lives, which can be several decades. Some lobsters have been known to live to be over 100 years old. Additionally, lobsters do not show the same signs of physical decline with age as many other species, as they do not experience a decrease in mobility or an increased risk of disease or death as they grow older.
Aspen trees, also known as Quaking Aspen (populus tremuloides), can live for several hundred years in ideal conditions. Some aspen groves are among the oldest living organisms on earth, with individual trees having been estimated to be over 1,000 years old. The ability of aspens to reproduce through root suckering, where new trees grow from the roots of a parent tree, allows a single genetic individual to persist for a very long time and form large, interconnected stands known as "clonal colonies." This, combined with the relatively rapid growth and relatively low mortality of aspen trees.
Hydras are simple freshwater animals that belong to the phylum Cnidaria, and they can live for a relatively long time compared to many other invertebrates. While the exact lifespan of a hydra can vary based on factors such as temperature, food availability, and predation, some studies in laboratory conditions, with optimal conditions, observe that hydras persist without aging or dying for several years, probably indefinitely.
There are many species that enjoy a much longer lifespan or do not age at all, such as aspen trees, jellyfish, lobsters and hydra.
The longest living animal known is the ocean quahog, a species of clam that can live for more than 500 years. Ocean quahogs can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean and are capable of growing very slowly, with some individuals reaching ages of over 500 years. This remarkable lifespan has been demonstrated through the use of radiocarbon dating, which allows scientists to determine the age of a clam by analyzing the amount of carbon-14 remaining in its shell.
It is worth noting that while ocean quahogs hold the record for the longest lifespan among animals, there are many other species, including some species of whales, sharks, and tortoises, that are also known to live for several centuries.
If the concern is that it would be unnatural for humans only, then we could argue we should not protect ourselves from fires, floods, storms, animals attacks and disease, just to name a few, as all of these are very natural phenomenons. Yet we do and we will continue to.
To make matters even more interesting, immortality is present within our own bodies.
"Immortal" cells refer to cells that have an unlimited ability to divide and grow, unlike normal cells which have a limited number of times they can divide before they stop growing and die. There are some human cells that have been described as "immortal," most notably HeLa cells, which were derived from a cancerous tumor and have been used extensively in medical research.
HeLa cells are known for their ability to continue dividing and growing in culture, even after being removed from the original host. This is thought to be due to specific genetic changes that have occurred in these cells, such as mutations in genes that regulate cell division and death.
It's important to note that while HeLa cells are sometimes referred to as "immortal," they are not actually immortal in the true sense of the word, as they can still die under certain conditions, such as changes in the culture environment or exposure to certain drugs. Nevertheless, the study of HeLa cells and other immortal cell lines has provided important insights into the biology of cancer and the regulation of cell division.
Embryonic stem cells are a type of stem cells derived from a blastocyst, a very early stage of embryonic development. They have the unique ability to differentiate into all types of cells in the body and have the potential to develop into any type of tissue. This makes them useful for medical research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. They have the ability to divide and renew themselves for a long time, which is why they are considered "pluripotent" or capable of becoming any type of cell in the body.
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