Living past 100
The very, very old are different from you and me, but it has more to do with what’s inside them than with the number of wrinkles or the probability of having a Facebook account. A study published last week in the journal Science found that people who live to three-digit ages in relatively good health have at least some of 150 different genetic markers linked to extreme longevity.
The Boston University scientists who reported the markers don’t know exactly how they work, and their research has since come under attack by geneticists who criticize the methodology. But whether or not this particular study withstands scrutiny, the search for old-age genes will continue. And that raises a question beyond science: How much about our futures do we really want to know?
People have long yearned to know how long they’ll be around. An old European legend holds that if you hear a cuckoo, you can ask it how long you will live and then count your remaining years by the number of times the bird cuckoos. The BU scientists’ idea was to create a free online test on the website of the New England Centenarian Study for people who want to look into their own futures, although the main purpose would be to add to the store of research information. But the word “free” is relative; in order to take the test, people would have to provide a copy of their complete genome, which can cost thousands of dollars.
Still, even if you happen to have your complete genome lying around the house, the decision wouldn’t be easy. If the genetic oracle concluded that you were among the lucky few, what would you do? Would you be imprudent enough to take up smoking, figuring your genes would take care of you, or be smart enough to finally start putting the full legal amount into your 401(k)? If you lacked the genes, you might figure you didn’t have a chance anyway, and so might as well take up race-car driving.
The Greek tragedies are rife with characters who ran into trouble trying to avoid their destinies — Oedipus, anyone? — but that was long before we knew so much about how environment and lifestyle affect longevity. Even as science unravels the mysteries of life, we’re lucky to have some mystery left. What we need to know, more than what our genetic markers say about our chances, is to exercise, buckle our seat belts and remember that no matter how many years are left to us, the number is finite — and never so distant that we should neglect to appreciate today.
