ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the anticipated explosion in medical discoveries which is extraordinary that people can envision a future not too far off in which the human species extends its life span by years if not by decades and beyond. It enounters medical and technological breakthroughs—genetic therapy, superdrugs, fetal surgery, cell and molecular repair—that are helping society extend the life span and improve the quality of physical existence. The chapter discusses genetic engineering in humans and human embryos brings the species closer to total control not only over its health, but over its very evolution. It observes medical breakthroughs are not only adding years to life, they are adding life to those years. If the breakthroughs in nanotechnology perform as expected, people will not experience their two century-plus life spans as old people getting older but as young people at their physical peak. There are compelling reasons for society to strive to loosen the biological constraints on the human life span.
