Читать книгу Aging - Harry R. Moody - Страница 114

1 What are the arguments for and against the view that aging in and of itself is actually a disease? Pick one side of this issue and then try listing the points that can rebut the opposing point of view.

2 What do James F. Fries and Lawrence Crapo mean by natural death? What is the relationship between natural death and the natural life span? Should we consider the natural life span to be identical to the maximum life span?

3 Swedish data have turned up the surprising fact that death rates for the oldest-old (85+) have actually been going down. Some scientific studies suggest an ever-increasing life expectancy is quite possible. These findings sound like good news. Do we have any reasons to believe that these findings are not good news? What would be Fries and Crapo’s response to these claims?

4 The Human Genome Project has now produced a complete map of all human chromosomes. Considering the different theories of aging, what are some of the ways in which new genetic knowledge might change how we think about the causes of biological aging? What are the social and ethical implications of that knowledge?

5 Write a science fiction or imaginary scenario of how the United States might look in the year 2030 if dramatic breakthroughs in the genetics of aging occur. In developing this scenario, be sure to state the year you expect the key discoveries or inventions to occur, and describe the likely social consequences of those discoveries or inventions.

6 What is the best scientific evidence in favor of, or against, the compression-of-morbidity thesis? Conduct an online search of current journal articles to consider how various researchers are consider this topic, including changes in rates of disability over time. What questions are left open by this research—for example, what exactly is “disability” as measured across different subgroups? What are the most effective ways to intervene to “compress” morbidity?