Date: April 3, 2023.
Humankind’s ideals have always been aimed at achieving a higher self.
The world would be a better place if we could communicate instantly with anyone, anywhere, without waiting for days for our letters to reach them… Hello Telephones! The world would be a better place if we could capture photos and videos to relive the moments someday in the future instead of writing a daily journal or retrospecting… Hello Cameras! The world would be a better place if we could learn anything we want without going through the hassle of reading multiple books… Hello Internet! The world would be a better place if we could access anything we want immediately in the palm of our hands… Hello Smartphones!
In an attempt to create a “better world”, we have put ourselves in boxes unable to tap into our original, boundless potential. There are times when we drive excitedly into the future, and there are times when the future pulls us forward even when we resist. After a while, we forget that we ever opposed it and take credit for predicting it.
We are developing technologies that assists us, helps us make better and more effective decisions and that allows us to make accurate and significant predictions. As a consequence, we gradually give up our free will to artificial consciousness.
Looking into the future, we envision better technologies, better tools, better systems, better treatments, a better life…
Perhaps it’s time we envision a better human being?
So… do we boycott technology? No. In fact, we must upgrade and become the most capable version of ourselves.
How do we unlock such an ability? Simple… slow down/stop aging (biologically).
We have two types of age:
Chronological age — The answer you give when someone asks “how old are you?”
Biological age — It refers to the age of your cells and tissues; it is also known as physiological age.
It is undeniable that over the years, our lifespans have increased however, our health spans have decreased. The time we waste on our phones, the unhealthy food we consume, the nights we sleep in late, the lack of physical movement, all these are self-destructive cues. These cues fuel our deterioration consuming our health span.
A radical evolution of intelligence is needed in the 21st century, whether it is artificial intelligence or human intelligence. To advance ourselves alongside technologies, we must empower our bodies with decision authority; the decision to slow down / stop our biological age.
A pursuit of perpetual youth can unlock our natural abilities.
Align your wants and needs and eliminate the self- destructive behaviors. When we were born, our purpose was set- to get the most out of our complex and wonderfully built machinery, Our Body. Think of your body as a factory, you build products that contribute to the environment, and you gain profit from it as well (food & shelter). Obviously, you would want the machines installed to run efficiently and effectively while minimizing wear and tear. Besides timely maintenance, you will also run the machine at optimum hours. The investment you have made in this factory is your life and the machines are your organs. You’d do anything to increase its working span aka age.
Just 5 things consistently followed, deeply ingrained into your routine can compound your health span,
1. Healthy Diet
2. Exercise
3. Good sleep
4. Meditation
5. Learning
Aging is determined by lots of things like our genes, what we eat, how we live, and the world around us. Some people age faster than others because of their genes. If we smoke, drink too much, or sit around too much, we could look older than we really are. Eating healthy can help us stay young longer. Our environment matters too — if we’re around too much pollution or UV rays, we might age faster than we want to.
To make smart choices about our health and life, we need to know how aging works in our bodies. So, let’s have some fun and learn about ageing!(author has used fun filled analogies to minimize the jargon.)
Drivers of aging.
Molecular mayhem: Our cells are like tiny factories that produce all kinds of important molecules, but sometimes they get damaged or become clogged, like a traffic jam during rush hour.
1. Telomere trouble: Imagine your DNA is a shoelace and the telomeres are the aglets at the end of the lace. Every time your cells divide, those aglets get shorter until they’re too short to tie the lace anymore. This is like when cells lose their ability to reproduce, but extending those aglets could give cells a new lease on life — just watch out for the cancer shoelaces!
2. DNA damage control: Our DNA is like a book that gets read over and over again, over the time, the pages get ripped or the ink smudges. Most of the time, our cells can fix those problems, but sometimes the mistakes pile up and lead to chaos in the story. Fixing those mistakes could prevent a lot of bad plot twists — like cancer.
3. Protein party poopers: Our cells are like neat freaks who love to keep their house tidy, but as we age, some unwanted guests start showing up and leaving a mess. These guests are like protein aggregates or misplaced proteins that disrupt the balance of the cell. Restoring order to the house can lead to a party that never ends — or at least, rejuvenation that lasts a long time.
4. Epigenetic evolution: The epigenetic factors are like the chef’s notes that tell you how to make the recipe just right. As we age, those notes start to fade or change, leading to culinary disasters. Resetting those notes can help the chef make a perfect dish every time.
Cell circus: Our organs and tissues are like big top tents filled with millions of performers, but as we age, some of them start dropping the balls or missing their cues, causing chaos under the big top.
1. Loss of tissue stem cells — Picture this: Adult tissues have their own little superheroes called tissue-specific stem cells. They swoop in and save the day by replenishing cells that have been lost due to everyday wear and tear. But as we age, these superheroes start to dwindle in number, lose their power, or produce mutant cells. To save the day, we can either call for backup through cell therapies or give the existing stem cells a power-up to regenerate different tissues.
2. Overactive cell growth signals — In every cell’s life, there comes a time when they need to decide whether to rest or reproduce. But sometimes, certain growth signals like the mTOR pathway get a bit too excited and start to disrupt the balance. Think of it like a cell that drinks too much coffee and starts bouncing off the walls. To calm them down and improve health span and lifespan, we can use a little trick called fasting or specific therapeutics that tone down the caffeine-induced frenzy.
3. Build-up of damaged cells — You know how sometimes, when things get tough, we push through and keep going? Well, some cells do that too, but it’s not always the best idea. When they undergo extensive damage, they’re supposed to call it quits through a process called apoptosis. But sometimes, they decide to be stubborn and hang around, releasing harmful pro-inflammatory signals that damage their surroundings. To improve the function of individual tissues and extend health span, we need to kick these stubborn cells out of the party.
4. Mitochondrial damage — Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, providing energy for all sorts of important functions. But sometimes, they start acting like an old car with a busted engine, spewing out harmful reactive oxygen species and disrupting the balance of important coenzymes. To get them back in tip-top shape, we need to give them a little tune-up and restore their energy function so that they can keep up with the demands of the body.
Tissue trouble: Our bodies are like castles made of many different bricks, but over time, some of those bricks start to crumble or go missing, weakening the whole structure and making it harder to defend against invaders.
1. Build-up of extracellular aggregates — Think of our body like a big house, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) is the foundation that holds everything together. Over time, little pebbles and debris can accumulate and clog up the foundation, making the house less stable. In our body, the pebbles are called amyloids, and they can build up in different organs and cause problems like Alzheimer’s disease. It’s like having a pile of marbles in your shoe: you might still be able to walk, but it’s definitely not comfortable!
2. Non-regenerating adult tissues — Our bodies are amazing machines that can repair themselves when something goes wrong. But, some parts of our body are like stubborn old mules that refuse to cooperate. The heart and brain are two tissues that don’t regenerate well, which means that any damage they sustain over time can accumulate and cause problems. It’s like trying to fix a car engine that’s missing some parts: you might be able to keep it running, but it’s not going to work as well as it used to.
3. Stiffening of extracellular matrix — Picture your body like a circus tent, held up by a bunch of ropes and poles. Now imagine that the ropes start to get stiff and brittle, making it hard for the tent to stay up. That’s kind of like what happens in our body when the extracellular matrix (ECM) gets stiff from age-related changes. It can cause problems in nearby cells and tissues, and even trigger inflammation. It’s like trying to do acrobatics on a tightrope that’s turned into a metal beam: not fun!
4. Chronic inflammation — Inflammation is like a superhero that swoops in to fight off bad guys like infections and injuries. But, like any superhero, it can sometimes get carried away and start causing problems of its own. Chronic inflammation is like a superhero who never takes a break, constantly causing stress in our body that can lead to all sorts of age-related damage. It’s like having a never-ending fireworks show in your body, except the fireworks are actually small explosions of inflammation!
5. Changes in endocrine signaling — Our body is like a big orchestra, with different parts playing different roles to keep everything running smoothly. Endocrine signaling is like the conductor, telling all the different parts what to do and when to do it. But, like any conductor, it can sometimes get mixed up and start playing the wrong notes. Age-related changes in endocrine signaling can cause problems in different parts of our body, kind of like if the conductor suddenly started playing heavy metal at a symphony orchestra!
As we come to the end of this exploration of longevity, we are left with a thought-provoking question: how do we want to live our lives? Do we want to simply exist, going through the motions of daily life, or do we want to thrive and experience all that life has to offer? The choice is ours.
Living a long and healthy life requires effort and intentionality, but the benefits are immeasurable. By investing in our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, we can increase our chances of living a long and fulfilling life. But we must also remember that life is unpredictable, and none of us can control everything that happens to us. So, let us cherish each day and make our existence on this planet, a remarkable one!
Author’s note: Consciousness and free will, the ultimate amalgamation of these concepts is individuality. Individuality is a personal perception rather than a social construct and yet we find ourselves perceiving ourselves and others through their social identity; an alter ego which is different from who they really are. Our true selves are either conserved for those close to us or not revealed at all because we never meet anyone worth exposing our true skin to. Why do we gate-keep our true selves?
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