The Evolution of Aging

Is aging, as most people think, a fundamental, totally unalterable, fact of life? Or is aging actually similar to a universal, but potentially highly treatable, genetic disease? Darwin's dilemma, a little known quirk of the theory of evolution, has for more than 140 years led scientists toward considering aging as inescapable, but recent discoveries and new theoretical work indicate that major medical intervention in the aging process may in fact be possible in the relatively near future. The author takes us on a fascinating tour of the evolution of aging theories from Darwin to the present and includes descriptions of various discoveries and biological oddities that strongly suggest that aging is a treatable condition. The most serious obstacle to the development of anti-aging medicine may be public opinion. A former NASA "rocket scientist," the author provides an outsider's viewpoint, understandable writing, and penetrating logical analysis to the often arcane and tradition-bound world of aging theory.