Do We Have to Get Old and Die?

Thanks also to our Patreon patrons:
- Today I Found Out
- Jeff Straathof
- Maarten Bremer
- Mark
- BurmansHealthShop
- Alberto Bortoni
- Avi Yashchin
- Valentin
- Nicholas Buckendorf
- Antoine Coeur

___________________________________________

Want to learn more about the topic in this week’s video? Here are some key words/phrases to get your googling started:
– negligible senescence: not showing signs of age-related progression
– biological immortality: having a mortality rate that does not increase with increasing age

________________________

MinuteEarth provides an energetic and entertaining view of trends in earth’s environment – in just a few minutes!

Created by Henry Reich
________________________

Also, say hello on:
________________________

References:

Image Credits: Nake Mole Rat - Buffenstein/Barshop Institute/UTHSCSA

Naked Mole Rat - Roman Klementschitz, Wien

Chipmunk - Gilles Gonthier

Capybara - Karoly Lorentey

[FrostedSapling]

Whoa whoa whoa, naked mole rats are immune to cancer? I want to hear more about this

[callmegary]

all im getting out of this is to be be immortal you have to be ugly.

[desilovepsandhu]

Average lifespan of a common rat: 1 year
Average lifespan of a naked mole rat: 28-30 years

HOLY CRAP.

[TheApple]

For me, I don't necessarily want to live forever but I extend my lifetime by at least 250 years.

[lightsidemaster]

Staying 30 or 40 for the rest of your life?
Sounds fucking incredible, get your asses moving scientists! xD

[QNETofficial]

It really does make you think & wonder, doesn't it?

[JakeDiToro]

"Personally, I've been hearing all my life about the Serious Philosophical Issues posed by life extension, and my attitude has always been that I'm willing to grapple with those issues for as many centuries as it takes."
-- Patrick Nielsen Hayden

[josh]

So basically, if multiple generations of people were to (cautiously) take care of a naked mole rat, it could theoretically live forever? O-O

[justinking]

thats why i'm majoring in genetics, i'm hoping to solve this aging problem :)

[jinxeddrawings]

I used this video in a presentation for 6th grade in our biology unit. Apparently no one had done the topic of aging before. My teacher was impressed with my sources and especially your video, so I got an 100 on the project!

I am now inspired to become an bioengineer, so I can possibly find the cure for cancer and aging all at the same time.

Thanks MinuteEarth!

[masterofevilshadow]

So, how old is the oldest captive naked molerat?

[TheGuardianDevil]

Step 1: Find cure for cancer.
Step 2: Make all cells produce that enzyme.
Step 3: Bye bye ageing.

[rashadus]

Cool. If we figured out how to slow down aging, I think birthrates would need to drop accordingly.

[chrism]

I'd like immortality. The whole "everyone you love will die" thing doesn't bother me in the slightest. Living forever would make me less bitter about the time I've already wasted

[justinhuang]

We don't need to get old and die. We can all die young. :)

[zeppie_]

you know, if you reach lvl 24 with 100 healing skill, you can get a cancer resistance perk
have i been playing too many video games?

[heartfthedragn]

Um... I know it's a stupid question but...why aren't we researching ways to imitate these Tylomere-building enzymes in humans? I would pay big bucks for the possibility to live 200-300 years, even with the risk of cancer.

[AlickzRider]

The Reason it doesn't die is because Death sees it's face and runs away!

[PureInsanity]

Great video as always. Should have added that the enzyme that adds telomere length is called telomerase and our ancestors once had it but it was evolutionary beneficial to lose it.

[TheAlexagius]

This is why we become cyborgs, terminator style.