X-Message-Number: 5322 Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 06:31:00 -0800 (PST) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: life extension versus DNA I have always wondered why the life extension movement has not ALREADY succeeded in its aims. Why have not funds sufficient to determine the cause of aging ALREADY been spent? Why has reversible cryopreservation not ALREADY been perfected? In a recent talk with some of my coworkers I was astonished when EVERYONE (except myself) complained about being depressed. Why has not something been done about this ALREADY? Don't people want to live, instead of merely existing? Nothing it seems could be more basic than health and happiness. Yet few seem to have made any significant efforts to acheive this. Why is this so? Here's an answer: The November 1995 issue of Scientific American contained an article entitled "God's Utility Function" by Richard Dawkins. On might think based on the title that this article was an uplifting ode to the fundamental importance of man's place in the cosmos. Richard however does not worship at the altar of irrationality as most people seem to do. Instead he gives a reason why most people seem to ignore their own desire for health and happiness. Quote "Humans have always wondered about the meaning of life. According to the author, life has no higher purpose than to perpetuate the survival of DNA." According to Richard we are, like all animals mere survival machines, engineered by natural selection to propagate DNA. As to why we age he has this sobering reminder: "One way multicellular organisms maximize DNA survival is by wasting little energy on ensuring that organs survive indefinitely." As to why animals such as man tend to be unhappy Richard offers the following comfort: "So long as DNA is passed on, it does not matter who or what gets hurt in the process. Genes don't care about suffering, because they don't care about anything." He ends by saying: "DNA neither cares nor knows. DNA just is. And we dance to its music." This strikes me as being a plausible explanation for why most humans are not rationally selfish enough to care much about their own health and happiness. The dominant motivations for most seems to be primarily to care and nuture their own replacements. It is understandible why most people work hours that are needlessly long. It is understandible why most people seem to be on an emotional rollercoaster till an acceptible spouse has been obtained. It is understandible why most people believe that their unselfish sacrificial behaviour will have its own reward in some hypothetical nonexistent afterlife. The devilish DNA is laughing all long at what fools we mortals must be. Still to give the devil his due I do not think we would have any desires at all, much less a desire for personal health and happiness, without that greedy DNA. So we are not entirely at odds with our biological master. In doing its bidding we also serve ourselves. Humans however seem to be the only species that possesses the capacity to see some of the tricks DNA can pull. One can only ask that such intelligence that exists be utilized to see through the games our biological heritage can play and refuse to particpate where our personal best interests are violated. The idea that health and happiness are desirable is a self reproducing thought with a clear survival advantage. Only in humans does the intelligence exist where a real battle can now be joined with the ultimate master DNA. Let the war begin. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5322