2023 FUTURE OBSERVATORY
2023 FUTURE OBSERVATORY
Despite the lack of activity in general, some engineering at the cellular level may be undertaken - perhaps even involving manipulation of DNA - to remove those elements which clearly limit human lifespan. As a result, the average lifespan may start to exceed 120 years - with major implications for managing the human life-stages. It will also significantly change the return on investment, in the context of human education for instance, doubling this from a crude ratio of 2:1 (for a working life, say, of forty years after an education of 20 years) to 4:1 (eighty years working life, on much the same period of education). This will make it that much more attractive to invest in education - even of the under-classes; which will have dramatic social impacts as well as economic ones. Of all the medical advances, therefore, this will have the greatest impact on society as a whole - where improved health throughout life may have a greater an impact on the individual.
Some human genetic engineering might be expected, where it removed barriers to extending lifespan - which may, as a result, extend beyond 120 years by the middle of the century. This will have the greatest impact on society.
9 May 2003
Other pages you might like to consider are:
5147 MEDICAL TREATMENT, 5140 LONGEVITY AND HEALTH, 5100 CELL-LEVEL MEDICINE, 5018 CANCER AND VIRUSES, 5046 MEDICINE, 5041 HUMAN GENETIC MANIPULATION, 5018 CANCER AND VIRUSES, 5100 CELL-LEVEL MEDICINE
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