Live 20 more years and you may never die, futurist claims

By Dick Pelletier

     Much decorated entrepreneur and futurist Ray Kurzweil sums up how new technologies might play out over the next two decades with the following futuristic claim: “If you can remain in good health for 20 more years, you may never die.”

     Kurzweil looks at today’s technology trends to piece together a convincing picture of what science hopes to accomplish in the decades ahead. He believes we will eliminate all disease, pain, and forgetfulness; even most unwanted deaths. “If you live well for the next 20 years,” Kurzweil says, “you may be able to live in perfect health for as long as you want.”

     Though accidents, crime, wars, and terrorism could still cause death in this future time, nobody will die from heart disease, cancer, AIDS, malnutrition, or any of today’s illnesses.

     This future is not so surprising considering the current speed of medical innovations. Almost daily, we hear researchers make new discoveries, or begin clinical trials for a new therapy; and during the next 20 years, experts say, healthcare breakthroughs will occur at even faster rates.

     In Nanomedicine, author Robert Freitas talks of developing tiny nanorobots that roam through our bodies, repairing any cell damage they discover. “The hard part is building the first one,” Freitas says. “Although the road ahead may be difficult, in the end, living in perfect health indefinitely will be possible.”

     Freitas compares nanomedicine development to the computer industry. “It took 50 years of market-driven research to bring computers to their present state,” he says. “We will see a similar, but more rapid progression with nanomedicine.”

     “Nanoscience,” Freitas predicts, “could produce bio-robots by 2010. Next will be hybrid robots built from engineered structural DNA, synthetic proteins, and other non-biological materials. Finally, by mid-2020s, we will develop completely artificial devices: nanorobots capable of protecting every cell in the body from disease and injury.”

     “If we define disease as something gone wrong with an otherwise healthy body,” Freitas adds, “then aging; and indeed, ‘natural death’ itself are diseases that occur when the body’s cellular structure cannot repair damages. Nanomedicine will not only allow us to repair these damages, but we can undo damage already inflicted. This means that the young can remain young and the old will become young.”

     In just twenty years, today’s seniors and ‘boomers could be looking in the mirror and honestly wondering, “Who is that gorgeous creature?” Their reflection would reveal a perfectly shaped, healthy body, with natural hair color, wrinkle-free skin, and real teeth. In the future, more people will remain healthy longer as they age and everyone will require less need for healthcare. We may even see centenarians begin new careers.

     However, improving humans beyond what some consider “natural” may evoke controversy. Religions hold that death is inevitable; that living a good life sends believers to an afterlife paradise, and memories of lost loved ones live on in the hearts of descendents.

     But experts say this controversy will not stop efforts to extend human life. Demand from citizens who believe they deserve improved health and longer, happier lives, will drive this “magical future” forward – and it could become reality in time to benefit many alive today.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.