Sophisticated methods of detecting diseases early are being developed. The mechanisms by which other diseases do damage are becoming better understood. Human understanding of genetics is leading to cures and treatments for a myriad of previously incurable diseases. In short, it is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism, something the body shouldn't typically have to deal with its natural make up. Disease ĭisease is theoretically surmountable by technology. There is also a huge body of knowledge indicating that change is characterized by the loss of molecular fidelity. Eliminating aging would require finding a solution to each of these causes, a program de Grey calls engineered negligible senescence. Such issues can be resolved with the solutions provided in research to any end providing such alternate theories at present that require unification.Īubrey de Grey, a leading researcher in the field, defines aging as 'a collection of cumulative changes to the molecular and cellular structure of an adult organism, which result in essential metabolic processes, but which also, once they progress far enough, increasingly disrupt metabolism, resulting in pathology and death.' The current causes of aging in humans are cell loss (without replacement), DNA damage, oncogenic nuclear mutations and epimutations, cell senescence, mitochondrial mutations, lysosomal aggregates, extracellular aggregates, random extracellular cross-linking, immune system decline, and endocrine changes. There are three main causes of death: natural aging, disease, and injury. Modern scientific trends, such as cryonics, digital immortality, breakthroughs in rejuvenation, or predictions of an impending technological singularity, to achieve genuine human physical immortality, must still overcome all causes of death to succeed: Pursuit of physical immortality before the advent of modern science included alchemists, who sought to create the Philosopher's Stone, and various cultures' legends such as the Fountain of Youth or the Peaches of Immortality inspiring attempts at discovering an elixir of life. It can mean the unending existence of a person from a physical source other than organic life, such as a computer.

Physical immortality is a state of life that allows a person to avoid death and maintain conscious thought. Similar beliefs that physical immortality is possible are held by Rastafarians or Rebirthers. In Mesopotamian and Greek religion, the gods also made certain men and women physically immortal, whereas in Christianity, many believe that all true believers will be resurrected to physical immortality. In traditions such as ancient Egyptian beliefs, Mesopotamian beliefs and ancient Greek beliefs, the immortal gods consequently were considered to have physical bodies. Immortality in religion refers usually to either the belief in physical immortality or a more spiritual afterlife. In religious contexts, immortality is often stated to be one of the promises of divinities to human beings who perform virtue or follow divine law. What form an unending human life would take, or whether an immaterial soul exists and possesses immortality, has been a major point of focus of religion, as well as the subject of speculation and debate. Whether the process of internal immortality is delivered within the upcoming years depends chiefly on research (and in neuron research in the case of internal immortality through an immortalized cell line) in the former view and perhaps is an awaited goal in the latter case. The absence of aging would provide humans with biological immortality, but not invulnerability to death by disease or injury. Other advocates believe that life extension is a more achievable goal in the short term, with immortality awaiting further research breakthroughs. Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immortality may be achievable in the first few decades of the 21st century with the help of certain technologies such as mind uploading ( digital immortality). Some species possess biological immortality. Immortality is the concept of eternal life. The Fountain of Eternal Life in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, is described as symbolizing 'Man rising above death, reaching upward to God and toward Peace.' JSTOR ( June 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

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