S. Jay Olshansky
![S. Jay Olshansky](/assets/img/authors/s-jay-olshansky.jpg)
S. Jay Olshansky
Stuart Jay Olshanskyis a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago concentrating on biodemography and gerontology...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth22 February 1954
CountryUnited States of America
ageing bought claiming cures extended field full money pill prophetic slow warning
The field of ageing research is full of characters. We have hucksters claiming that cures for ageing can be bought and sold; prophetic seers, their hands extended for money, warning that immortality is nigh; and would-be Nobelists working methodically in laboratories in search of a pill to slow ageing.
added burden humans
Humans will die like all living things do, but we have the added burden of knowing that we will.
aging disability extend extension frailty goal health itself last longer nor people period public science time unhealthy
The last thing you ever want to do is extend the period of frailty and disability and make people unhealthy for a longer time period. So lifespan extension in and of itself should not be the goal of medicine, nor should it be the goal of public health, nor should it be the goal of aging science.
genesis man
In Genesis 6:3, it says man can live to be 120, but there is no scientific basis for it.
acquires bodies carriers designed dna persist
Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. Essentially, our bodies are designed to last long enough to reproduce.
ageing attack basically designed disease diseases medical model modern process time
The way that we are going after ageing, I think, is a problem. The modern medical model is basically designed to attack one disease at a time. Independent of all other diseases and independent of the basic process of ageing itself.
desired dramatic failed humans life religion society
As long as humans have existed, we have always desired to live longer. Every society, every religion, every culture. Of course, they all failed at dramatic life extension.
massage body way
Find a way to get a full-body massage every day.
attacks begin effects hit notice people
When you hit your 40s, you begin to take notice of the effects of aging because people that you know begin to die of heart attacks and tumors, so we take notice of the effects of aging.
alive birth china either likelihood reliable somebody today
There is a possibility that there is somebody out there alive today over 122, but we'll probably never know it, because in all likelihood they come from either China or India, and they don't have reliable birth records.
claims close contrary extended fulfilling promise spite
The fact is that nothing in gerontology even comes close to fulfilling the promise of dramatically extended lifespan, in spite of bold claims to the contrary that by now should sound familiar.
adopting advances behavioral educated habits harmful life medical members missing population sure technology
I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are adopting harmful behavioral habits that shorten their life.
added age cancer cannot chronic cures decades diseases effect increase lead life miraculous smallpox vast
While eliminating smallpox and curtailing cholera added decades of life to vast populations, cures for the chronic diseases of old age cannot have the same effect on life expectancy. A cure for cancer would be miraculous and welcome, but it would lead to only a three-year increase in life expectancy at birth.
additional century life question return sensory stroke trade
The Faustian trade of the 20th century was, we got 30 years of additional life, but in return we got heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's and sensory impairments. The question is: What Faustian trade are we making now, as we go after heart disease, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's?