X-Message-Number: 15738 Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 08:11:43 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: about scientific arguments Hi everyone! A few more comments, mostly about claims that we won't live more than 100. I do not claim here that we WILL live more than 100, but simply that the arguments against that possibility are full of holes. Olshansky, for instance, is not a student of metabolism but a student of the statistics of human birth and death rates. Such information is unlikely to tell us much about a future in which we quite explicitly mess with the genes which affect our lifespan. In general, the arguments of the doctors who argue against trying HGH for longevity, first, rely on unoriginal reasons why such work will fail (yes, HGH must be received by injection. I do not claim here that all proponents of longevity are correct, either). Basically they are saying that as doctors they understand our desires for longevity and our ability to take risks toward them much better than we understand our own desires... and so we should wait until the doctors test every- thing completely. These are hardly very good arguments, either in general or on the subject of how to increase our lifespan. Furthermore, those who make such arguments have lots of diplomas etc to support themselves. I'm sure that Olshansky has awards for his work, etc etc. In one sense I hate to say this, because it bears on ME, too ... I have a PhD too, you know ... but such forms of recognition ultimately mean nothing. When someone gives you an argument against or in favor of something, then the ultimate job of working out the worth of that argument falls on YOU. And that's exactly what these arguments of Olshansky and others against use of HGH boil down to. And how do you settle such arguments in your own mind? Well, you have to be willing to study the arguments of the proponents and opponents, and the evidence they give in their support, and then form your own opinion. You can't escape some need to understand science and scientific arguments, at least on the particular subjects on which you are interested. Best wishes and long long lifespan for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15738