Cracking the Aging Code: The New Science of Growing Old—and What it Means for Staying Young

Mitteldorf (Ctr. for Connected Learning, Northwestern Univ.) and Sagan (Cosmic Apprentice; Death and Sex) assert that aging, which is preprogrammed at the cellular level, provides ecosystems with stability and survival. They detail aging's molecular mechanisms and origins in protozoans, from which multicellular life descends. The authors also demonstrate the shortcomings of other aging theories. Their theory that aging results in population stability is plausible but needs more research. However, Mitteldorf and Sagan do not explain how aging works alongside coevolution and infant mortality or its place in ecosystems with boom-bust cycles. And the authors never tackle the arguments against life extension nor seriously consider competing funding priorities or extended lifetimes with depleted savings. They anticipate unlocking cellular telomerase to reverse senescence without mentioning that cells regulate this enzyme's production with multiple triggers because it runs amok in tumors. Maxine Weinstein and Meredith Lane's Sociality, Hierarchy, Health is a current, scholarly alternative; Sonia Arrison's 100 Plus tackles longevity, while David Stipp's The Youth Pill covers life extension.