Physical immortality of man. Is human immortality possible? Scientific research. Nanotechnology - the path to immortality

Science does not stand still and every year scientists have more and more chances not only to cure people from serious diseases, but also to prolong life healthy person for tens or even hundreds of years.

We already know several ways to extend life by 10-15 years, and with the high speed of technology development, this figure may increase, as reported by Anews in its selection of interesting facts about longevity.

Immortality is already within us

We all know that any organism consists of cells that gradually die off throughout life. In 1971, Russian biologist Alexei Olovnikov figured out how cells die: their lives are measured by telomeres located at the ends of chromosomes, which shorten as the cell divides. The shorter they are, the older the cell and closer to death.

But are there immortal cells? Actually, yes. These are well-known stem cells, as well as cells involved in sexual reproduction. Their immortality is explained by the fact that they contain an unusual enzyme - telomerase, which constantly lengthens telomeres, preventing the cell from dying.

Cancer is not a fool

When scientists figured out what prevents cells from dying, they asked themselves: how can they make telomerase work in all cells of the body? It would seem that everything is simple: you need to add this enzyme to all cells of the body for its immortality, but nature insisted on its own.

In addition to germ cells and stem cells, cancer cells that can divide endlessly also turned out to be immortal. Accordingly, if you try to immortalize ordinary cells by inserting the telomerase gene into them, they will begin to divide furiously, degenerating into cancer, which will kill a person. So far, scientists have not found a way to gain immortality and not get cancer.

Born after 1980

Biotechnology, and science in general, is developing rapidly. Experts believe that humanity will enter the era of “biological immortality” around the end of the century. And if we take into account the development of technology in the next 15-25 years, then many will find its beginning already in the 2050s.

There are already developments that can add 10-15 years to a person. Among them are senolytics - the newest drugs that allow you to selectively cleanse the body of old and dead cells and thereby prevent cancer and diseases associated with aging, as well as CRISPR/Cas9 - a genome editing system.

Every year science develops, and scientists hope that over time the possibility of increasing life expectancy will increase, so that people born after 1980 can catch the latest developments in biotechnology.

Hologram of you

Another idea that is gaining popularity is transhumanism, according to which the brain of a particular person can be “digitized” and put into a super-powerful supercomputer. This idea is supported both in the West and here, for example, by billionaire Dmitry Itskov, who plans to upload his brain into a holographic body in 2045 and thus become immortal.

Such a fantastic idea, of course, was immediately subject to serious criticism, as it has a number of problems. For example, there is still no system capable of converting the billions of nerve cells that make up our brain into digital data.

Considering the speed of development of computer technology, this will probably be possible to accomplish in a few decades, but... only with a dead brain and, most likely, in parts, neurophysiologists say.

Another problem that Itskov and his followers, of whom there are already more than 40 thousand, may face is the actual correspondence between the human mind and the digital one. Even if scientists succeed in transferring the brain into a computer, will that holographic “person” be you? Or will you die anyway, and some digital organism created in your image will begin to function under your name?

Is immortality the end of humanity?

There is also one interesting suggestion that immortality could turn into a serious problem for humanity. If the "elixir of immortality" is ever truly invented, it will most likely become the most expensive commodity in the history of life.

Initially, immortality will be available only to the rich, and when the technology enters into mass production and the middle strata of the population can purchase it, society will already be divided into classes and then the expression “mere mortal” will take on a literal meaning.

In the era of immortality, the problem of overpopulation will become acute: the reserves and resources of the Earth will simply be depleted, many state systems, for example, pensions or prisons, will become unnecessary. Will humanity be able to cope with such problems?

It turns out that yes, eternal life is possible, but are we ready for it? Can you have such a privilege and, by the way, is it a privilege at all?

At all times, people were sure that they were given too little earthly life. This became the reason for an intensive search for methods that would help prolong life or even make a person immortal. Sometimes these methods were terrible and cruel, and it even came to cannibalism and sacrifice...

There is quite a lot of evidence in historical documents that such methods were used quite often. So, in particular, in the ancient Indian epic “Mahabharata” we are talking about the sap of some unknown tree, which could extend life by 10 thousand years. The ancient Greek chronicles spoke of the existence of a tree of life, which restored youth to a person.

Medieval alchemists in their works described research that was aimed at finding the so-called “philosopher’s stone”, which was capable of turning ordinary metals into real gold, and in addition, cured all diseases and bestowed immortality (a golden drink was allegedly prepared from it ). In the epics that existed in Rus', one can quite often find chanting of “living water,” which had the ability to resurrect a person from the dead.

In addition, the legend of the Holy Grail, that is, the Cup, which was carved from a solid emerald and had magical properties, is of great interest. According to one theory, the Grail emitted a magical glow and was capable of granting those who protected it immortality and eternal youth. The phrase Holy Grail itself has several interpretations: it is “royal blood” (that is, the blood of Jesus Christ), and “church chant,” and “a large vessel in which water and wine were mixed.”

Be that as it may, to this day neither the “philosopher’s stone”, nor the “tree of life”, nor the “living water”, nor the “Holy Grail” have been found. However, this does not stop enthusiasts, and the search for a miracle potion that grants immortality continues.

Note that some scientific studies have been quite successful in terms of life extension. So, in particular, the Soviet doctor, Professor Alexander Bogdanov, in 1926, conducted experiments on rejuvenation. He made the assumption that if an elderly person is transfused with the blood of a young person, then his youth may return to him. The first test subject was himself, and the first studies he conducted were very successful. He transfused himself with the blood of a geophysics student. 11 completely successful transfusions were carried out, but the next one became fatal - the professor died. An autopsy showed that he had significant kidney damage, liver degeneration and heart enlargement. Thus, another attempt to regain youth ended in failure.

So does it really follow from this that immortality and eternal life are impossible to achieve?

The answer to this question is ambiguous, because despite unsuccessful scientific and medical research, in ordinary life there is completely opposite evidence that eternal life is possible. So, for example, there are places on the planet where people live much longer than in other parts of the world. One of these places is a small settlement in Kabardino Balkaria, which is called Eltyubur. Here, almost one by one, the residents crossed the hundred-year mark. Giving birth to a child at the age of 50 is the norm for this area. According to local residents, the reason for their longevity lies in the water from the mountain spring and the air. But scientists are sure that the reason for the longevity of people in this area lies in something completely different - in genetics. natural selection based on the principle of longevity. Each generation passed on genes to the next that were responsible for long life. According to other researchers, the reason lies in the mountains that surround the village on all sides. According to this theory, mountains are some kind of pyramids that have the ability to change physical properties objects and substances placed in them, thus contributing to the fact that these objects and substances are preserved much longer.

But no matter what theory turns out to be correct, the very fact of the existence of such places is unique.

In addition to such unique regions, there are also people who managed to achieve a kind of immortality. One of these people was the head of Buddhists in Russia, Khambo Lama Itigelov, who in his own way at will left the world. He assumed the lotus position and plunged into meditation, and then completely stopped showing any signs of life. His body was buried by his students, but 75 years later his grave was opened. It was the will of the deceased. When the experts saw the body, they were simply shocked, because the body looked as if the person had died and been buried just a few days ago. Full detailed examinations of the body were carried out, which caused even more shock. The body tissues looked as if they belonged to a completely living person, and with the help of special instruments it was established that his brain was active. This phenomenon in Buddhism is called “Damat”. A person can exist in such a state for many years, and it can be achieved by lowering body temperature to zero and slowing down metabolic processes in the body. Thus, scientists have proven that a decrease in body temperature by just two degrees leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes by more than half. In this case, the body’s resources will be spent less, and life expectancy will therefore increase.

Currently in modern science Active research is being conducted into the possibility of achieving eternal life. Moreover, certain results have already been achieved in this direction. Three areas are recognized as the most promising among these studies: genetics, stem cells and nanotechnology.

In addition, the science of immortality, or immortality (this term was introduced by Doctor of Philosophy Igor Vladimirovich Vishev) also has some areas under consideration, in particular, lowering body temperature, cryonics (freezing as a way to achieve immortality), transplantology, cloning (or so called change of consciousness carrier).

It is worth noting that in Japan, lowering body temperature is considered one of the main ways to achieve spring life. There, experiments were conducted on mice that proved that reducing body temperature by just a few degrees ultimately leads to an increase in life by about 15-20 percent. If body temperature is reduced by one degree, then a person’s lifespan can be increased by 30-40 years.

In addition, according to research, scientists have come to the conclusion that one of the means of rejuvenating the human body is also stem or pluripotent cells. The term itself was introduced in 1908 by A. Maksimov, who, after his experiments, came to the conclusion that throughout a person’s life, undifferentiated substances remain unchanged in his body. universal cells, which are capable of transformation into any tissues and organs. Their formation occurs even at conception, and it is they that provide the basis for the development of the entire human body. Scientists have developed methods for reproducing pluripotent cells in the laboratory, and in addition, they have studied methods for growing various tissues and even organs from them.

These cells have the ability to stimulate cellular regeneration and repair almost all damage in the body. But this does not lead to a complete victory over aging, but can provide only a short-term rejuvenating effect. And the whole problem is that the main role in the aging process belongs to the changes that occur in the genome of each person.

Scientists have also found that in every human body there is a so-called biological clock that measures the time of life. Such clocks are sections of DNA consisting of a repeating sequence of nucleotides that are located at the tops of chromosomes. These sections are called telomeres. Each time a cell divides, they become shorter. When they reach an extremely small size, a mechanism begins to work in the cell, which ultimately leads to apoptosis, that is, programmed death.

Scientists have also found that the human body contains special substance, which can restore the length of telomeres, but the problem is that this substance is in the cells of the fetus, and such experiments are prohibited almost all over the world. In addition, this enzyme is also found in cancerous tumors located in the genitourinary system. Such cells are approved for use in experiments in the United States.

Scientists have established and very interesting fact: In cancer cells there is telomerase, a special enzyme that is responsible for the extension of telomeres. This is why cancer cells have the ability to divide unlimited amount times thanks to the constant restoration of telomeres, and at the same time not to succumb to the aging process. If an imitation of telomorase is introduced into a completely healthy cell, then this cell will also have all the characteristics listed above, but at the same time, it will turn into cancer.

In addition, Chinese scientists have found that cell aging depends on other factors. Thus, in particular, they discovered the “P 16” gene, which is also responsible for the aging process. It is also able to have a certain effect on telomere growth.

Chinese scientists have proven that if the development of this gene is blocked, cells will not age and telomeres will not decrease. But at the moment the problem is that scientists do not yet know how to block genes. It is assumed that such an opportunity will appear with the development of nanotechnology.

It is worth noting that nanotechnology is a very promising area scientific research, which can provide people unlimited possibilities. With their help, the creation of nanorobots that would have the same dimensions as biological molecules will become a reality. Scientists suggest that nanorobots, while in the human body, will have the ability to repair cell damage. They will not only stimulate cell regeneration, but also remove so-called waste products, that is, harmful products formed during the metabolic process, neutralize free radicals that have a detrimental effect on the body, and also block or turn on certain genes. In this way, the human body will improve and eventually gain immortality. However, this is all a matter of the distant future. At present, there is only one way to preserve the body until science reaches the level to correct changes in the body that are associated with aging and various diseases. This method is cryonics, that is, freezing to a temperature of -196 degrees (this is the temperature of liquid nitrogen). It is assumed that in this way the body will be protected from decomposition until such time as science becomes perfect.

Thus, we can say that research in the field of achieving immortality is being carried out very actively, and perhaps scientists will soon find a way to provide people with eternal life.

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Is human physical immortality possible?

Gilbert Chesterton owns lines about the fragility of our existence, filled with an inspired poetic sound: “I felt and feel that life is bright like a diamond, but fragile like window glass, and when the heavens were compared to crystal, I shuddered - as if God would not break the world to pieces. But remember, something that breaks is not doomed to destruction. Hit the glass - it will not live for a second, take care of it - it will live for centuries."

Dreams of eternal life (in the physical sense) have tormented people since time immemorial *. The invention of the elixir of immortality was carried out by scientists of antiquity and alchemists of the Middle Ages, physicians and healers, kings and commoners. Sometimes attempts to achieve immortality or at least rejuvenate led to the opposite result. Chinese Emperor Xuanzong (8th century) died after taking the elixir of immortality. In Ancient China, it was believed that Taoist monks possessed the secret of such a drug**. During the Renaissance, there were cases of death of old people who transfused themselves with the blood of young men. In the book by A. Gorbovsky and Yu. Semenov " Closed pages stories" provides a number of funny old recipes on making the elixir of immortality, starting with the advice to crush a toad that lived 10 thousand years, and ending with this recommendation from an ancient Persian manuscript: “You need to take a man, red-haired and freckled, and feed him with fruits until he is 30 years old, then put him in a stone vessel with honey and other compounds, enclose this vessel in hoops and seal it hermetically. After 120 years, his body will turn into a mummy." The contents of the vessel were to be taken according to certain rules, which guaranteed at least an extension of life.

However, ancient chronicles provide food not only for irony. There is evidence (albeit of varying degrees of reliability) about the ancients achieving successful results in prolonging life. An ancient legend says that the Greek priest and poet Epimenides managed to extend his life to 300 years. Pliny the Elder writes about a certain Illyrian who managed to live up to 500 years. According to the chronicles, Bishop Allen de Lispe, being a very old man, took a mysterious potion in 1218 and extended his life by 60 years. They say that the Chinese Li Cunyun (1680-1933) smoked the sky for 254 years, and survived 23 wives during this time. The twenty-fourth became his widow.

In our country for a long time promoted the record of Shirali Muslimov from the village of Barvazu (Azerbaijan, Lenkoran region), who allegedly lived for 168 years - from 1805 to 1973. Modern examples of long life are not so impressive, but they are still optimistic, because they suggest that our estimate of the species life expectancy of humans may not be accurate and that we die so early not because of genes, but because adverse effects of the external environment, one’s own negligence and similar factors***.
According to most gerontologists, the current limit for human life expectancy is 120 years, and the Guinness Book of Records claims that there is not a single reliable case of celebrating the 121st birthday.
Information about the life expectancy of some famous centenarians of past centuries, according to experts, is explained by the fact that father and son or relatives who bore the same name or title were mistaken for one person. The longest documented life of 120 years and 137 days was lived by the Japanese Shigechiyo Izumi. He died of pneumonia on February 21, 1986.

The number of centenarians in highly developed countries is growing at a good pace. For example, in the United States, in just four years (from 1974 to 1978), the number of people who had reached the age of one hundred increased from 8,317 to 11,992. On July 1, 1989, there were already 61 thousand people living in the United States who had crossed the centenary mark. Gerontologists predict that one in twenty thousand Americans alive today will live to be 100, and one in 2,500 will live to be 95. Since 1900 average duration life in the United States increased by 26 years. Mountain villages in different countries have long been famous for their longevity. People living in the central regions of Sri Lanka, in the Andes regions, and in the Caucasus are breaking life expectancy records. In 1979, 241 people over the age of 90 lived in Abkhazia - 2.58 percent of the total population. But the highest concentration of centenarians (people who are over 100 years old) is in the small mountain village of Bama in southern China. Here in the Guangxi region, there are 58 centenarians for every 220 people. The percentage of 80- and 90-year-old people is very high. They are busy with peasant labor and at their age they feel very cheerful.

Thus, the peasant woman Luo Masen turned 130 years old in 1990, but she plans, according to her, to live until 200. Lann Boping is 19 years younger than her. For the last 61 years of his life, he has been actively smoking and drinking a glass of strong rice wine twice a day (this is about diet). This wine is considered by some to be the elixir of longevity. It is produced at a local factory in the amount of 300 thousand bottles per year and is intended only for local residents. The composition of the wine infusion is very complex, because it includes about forty different herbs and plants, dried snakes and lizards, and - close your eyes! - dried dog and deer genitals (penises). However, in the village of Bama there are long-livers who have never tried this drink in their lives.
The problem of longevity (and, in the future, immortality) is now being dealt with by entire institutions. But the domestic press periodically contains reports about single enthusiasts trying to prolong a person’s life as long as possible. Biologist Suren Arakelyan is convinced, for example, that rejuvenating the body today is a completely achievable task and it is already possible to plan to overcome the 120-year mark for most people. In the future, the figure of 300 - 500 years seems quite plausible to Arakelyan. On what does he base his conclusions? On the theory of physiologically beneficial fasting (PBF).

He began his experiments with old Japanese chickens, prescribing them a seven-day PPG with the simultaneous administration of an anti-stress drug. Old, outdated chickens have been transformed: they have grown new feathers, their comb has disappeared, their voice has become almost chicken-like, their voice has sharply risen. physical activity. Arakelyan then transferred the experiments to cows and pigs. The result is that the life expectancy of a cow with a monthly rest once a year with the use of FPG increases 3 times! The mechanism of this phenomenon, as the scientist believes, is as follows: during physiologically useful fasting, the body “seems to be on major renovation. Sodium leaves the cells, and potassium enters in its place from the intercellular space. Just replacing one chemical element to another, and similar. But sodium salts - remember the salting process - contribute to the preservation of organic substances. With normal nutrition, all waste products are preserved in cells. Including toxins - the main cause of aging... To remove toxins - to prevent aging. That is why regular PPG is a reasonable prevention of a “living machine”. Arakelyan has been trying his method on himself since 1965 (he was born in 1926). In 1983, giving an interview to the Trud newspaper, the scientist said that he had previously suffered from chronic gastritis and stomach ulcers, but now he was not only cured, but did not even suffer from a mild cold. Arakelyan fasts on the first, second and third of every month, one week - once every three months, two weeks - once every six months and a month - once a year. At the same time, he drinks only water with the addition of an anti-stress drug, plus some cleansing physiological procedures. For everyday nutrition, the scientist recommends two meals a day, consisting of 50 grams of raisins or two raw carrots, or one orange, apple, or 100 grams of fresh cabbage, or 50 grams of peas, beans, lentils, or 100 grams of raw wheat grains , buckwheat (pearl barley). At his age, Arakelyan feels great and easily plays with a weight.

Similar studies were carried out by employees of the Institute of Physiology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Using a special diet, they “rejuvenated” two-year-old rats to a state characteristic of three months of age. English biologist Cleve Mackay achieved a 1.5-fold increase in the life of mice using two fasting days a week, and reducing their diet by a third allowed them to double their life. The winner proposes a special diet and the use of certain vitamins to prolong life Nobel Prize Linus Pauling.
In 1988, the magazine "Yunost" published an article about the drug invented by gerontologists T. L. Najaryan and V. B. Mamaev. Their goal is to ensure that the aging process occurs in the body not at 35-50, but at 60-80 years. “Unlike traditional gerontology,” says T. L. Najarian, “which views aging as a continuous process that occurs monotonously throughout human life, the school of academician N. M. Emmanuel, to which we belong, adheres to a different concept. Studying the structure of polymers, scientists have identified signs of aging in them, in some ways very similar to those that occur in living organisms. Let's take ordinary polyvinyl film. The time comes, and it becomes cloudy, loses its flexibility, various cracks form on it. For this there is features of old age. In humans, in our opinion, similar signs are diseases. Having studied enormous clinical material, we come to the conclusion that the frequency of diseases, for example, of the circulatory system in people approximately corresponds to the level of their mortality. And leading diseases, primarily cardiovascular vascular, oncological, are precisely diseases of aging. That is, old age is realized through diseases. The starting point from which we proceed is that people die not from old age, but from diseases: from myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer. And it is the diseases together that make up the pathology of aging.”

The Laboratory of Quantitative Gerontology of the Central Clinical Hospital of the USSR Academy of Sciences, headed by T. L. Najarian, has developed a test system with which a computer can determine and measure the pathology of aging in the body. Thanks to this, scientists can predict the onset of various stages of the disease and even calculate how many years a person has left to live. But the lifespan, according to Najarian, can be extended with the help of antioxidants - “substances that prevent harmful oxidative processes in the body... And of these, dibunol attracted special attention from specialists... The method of its production is quite simple and cheap. It is stored for a long time. And suddenly doctors began to notice that dibunol has a positive effect, in particular, on the human circulatory system. Increases the elasticity of blood vessels. Myocardial resistance to stress loads. Is an anticarcinogen, has an antitumor effect. Antioxidants, and in particular dibunol, began to be successfully used in the treatment of myocardial infarction , cancer Bladder, stomach ulcers, various burns and even periodontal disease. All this taken together strengthens the belief that antioxidants can serve as highly effective geroprotectors - substances that slow down aging. This assumption was fully confirmed in animal experiments."

T. L. Najarian complains, however, that the current practice of introducing medical drugs is unlikely to allow dibunol **** to be recognized as a geroprotector earlier than in 25 years.

Some Western researchers (for example, the Italian Claudio Franceschi) also draw an analogy between aging and cancer, considering them two sides of the same coin. But they do not shift the blame for cancerous tumors to the “programmed” aging of human cells. The problem, in their opinion, is the effectiveness of the cellular defense system.
Typically, a tumor develops because the activity of certain genes, so-called oncogenes, which control cell reproduction, is disrupted, said Ettore Bergamini, associate professor of general pathology and director of Research Center for Aging at the University of Pisa. And aging is affected by all other DNA fragments. If a harmful activator damages genes not involved in the control of cell division, it causes distortions in the DNA code that accumulate over time and contribute to aging.

But still, many scientists are inclined to the idea that our death is not the result of wear and tear of the body, but is “programmed” at the genetic level. More precisely, it is not death that is programmed, but the aging of the organism, which, in turn, leads to its death. The experiments of L. Hayflick are widely known, who proved that “critical” cells (brain, heart, nervous system) divide approximately 50 times and then die irrevocably. Moreover, the number of divisions is, as it were, written in the cell nucleus containing DNA. So if the nucleus of one cell, which has divided, for example, 40 times, is transplanted into a young cell (which has divided 5-10 times), then this young cell will carry out another 10 divisions and die.

Hayflick's experiments seem very convincing, but Albert Rosenfeld in the journal Geo (Hamburg) writes that the “Hayflick limit” did not make the right impression on other researchers. “What happens to isolated cells in artificial laboratory conditions,” says American endocrinologist W. D. Denkla, “has nothing to do with how the whole organism ages, and even with how experimental cells would age in the body itself.” which ultimately is their natural environment... If we consider the main causes of death, they can be reduced to the failure of one of the two most important physiological systems - either the cardiovascular or the immune."

Denkla substantiated the theory that aging is controlled by a “hormonal clock” located in the human brain. The researcher worked with old and young animals, some of which had their pituitary gland removed. In addition, he exposed experimental animals to the action of thyroxine, a hormone produced by the thyroid gland and which has a decisive influence on the activity of the body's cardiovascular and immune systems, the failure of which is the main cause of mortality in highly developed countries.

In old animals with the pituitary gland removed and treated with thyroxine, Denkla achieved an amazing rejuvenation effect, which was manifested in the functioning of the cardiovascular and immune systems and even externally, for example, in increased hair growth. These rats not only looked “younger”, but their biochemical and physiological examination data were consistent with much younger animals...

Research results indicated that the cause of aging in rats lies in the pituitary gland. If this gland is removed, the aging process is stopped and even appears to be reversible. Denkla suggests that upon reaching puberty, the pituitary gland begins to secrete a certain hormone that causes aging. He called this hypothetical hormone DECO (short for “deccreasing oxygen consumption,” one of the signs of an aging cell). Some people have already started talking about the “hormone of old age” and the “hormone of death.” But if the “hormonal clock” hypothesis is correct, then what causes aging and cell death in Highflick’s experiments, when the role of centralized hormonal control is completely excluded? Oddly enough, Denkla could answer this question with the results of his own work. Having discovered during his research that the intensity of metabolic processes in experimental animals is controlled by the thyroid gland, he simultaneously discovered that a small part of the metabolism seemed to occur independently of the thyroid gland. Denkla called this the “genetic share of metabolism.”
Thus, we are dealing with a dual control mechanism. What the “border guards” (hormones) don’t find, the “customs officers” (genes) will take away. Well, the fact that these services “work” in interaction with each other is self-evident. Another metaphor can be used - the “genetic clock” turns on the bomb fuse (aging of the body *****), protecting the “hormonal clock”.
However, even here everything is not so simple, because in addition to the experiments of Hayflick and Denkl, there are numerous experiments and theories of other scientists. The Swiss doctor P. Nigans proposed injecting serum from the tissues of newborn fallow deer into the body to rejuvenate the body. Scientists from the 2nd Moscow medical institute managed to double the life of experimental mice with the help of royal jelly from bees. American Robert A. Wilson, working on the problem of restoring youth to women, proposed a technique combining a special diet with injections of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The Swedes are trying to do the same with the help of the hormone thymosin. Suppression of “free radicals” - fragments of molecules with a high electrical potential - with the help of antioxidants is the basis of their experiments by scientists from many countries. There are experiments on rejuvenation by transplanting embryonic tissue (brain). I will also mention attempts to reduce our body temperature. The lower the temperature, the slower all physiological processes go. According to some researchers, reducing body temperature by just 2 degrees Celsius will allow us to push the boundaries of species lifespan to two centuries. And a reduction of 4 degrees will give a generally fantastic result - 700 years of life! At the same time, the quality of life (performance, sensations, etc.) will remain the same.

Domestic researcher A. Kostenko is convinced that aging is based on the accumulation of hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3OH, the “mineral of death” formed during the life of the body, just as scale forms in a teapot. Apatite is the main inorganic component of deposits on the walls of blood vessels, the main component of solid formations in the human body.

“The point of view “we grow old because we accumulate something,” as well as the competing theory of the “death gene,” writes Kostenko, “cannot on their own explain the probability of death at a given age. Why do the chances of surviving another year Is a 110-year-old no worse than a 100-year-old? According to Kostenko, chronic diseases of the body that lead to its death are caused by the body’s attempt to wash away the “mineral of death.” Since apatite is practically insoluble in a neutral environment, the body has to fight it with the help of self-acidification, which is achieved through... diseases. “Cancer tumors secrete lactic acid. In case of immune disorders, the destruction of apatite is facilitated by tissue breakdown products. And so on and so forth. Hence the unpleasant compensation, such as: less cholesterol in the blood, a healthier heart - a greater likelihood of cancer, and vice versa. This means “that if, for example, cancer is defeated, average life expectancy will not increase - other diseases will take the place of cancer.”

Kostenko sees a way out of the impasse in artificial acidification of the body (for example, with the help of carbon dioxide), citing the experiments of physiologist I. I. Golodov, doctor K. P. Buteyko, and experiments conducted by him himself together with other researchers. "... I periodically subjected mice over a year old to acidic washing in an environment enriched with CO2. The condition of their eyes and fur improved; compared to the control group, there was a clear improvement in the condition of their DNA, proven by analysis, that is, the number of defects accumulating with "The increase in average life expectancy has reached 131 percent, and four mice have been living for five years, which corresponds to approximately 220 human years." Kostenko also conducts experiments on himself, claiming that he has been cured of old diseases, looks much younger, has improved his physical performance, etc. Well, improved health and prolongation of life are good. But many people, not heeding the example of King Solomon, long for eternal life...
Moscow biochemist Nikolai Isaev is one of those idealists who hopes to defeat death during his lifetime. Giving an interview to journalist S. Kashyitsky, the scientist first of all pointed to a maple tree with swollen buds planted in a tub: “This tree is immortal.” - Why? - the journalist was surprised. - I see that the tree is growing in a tub, not on the street, obviously in greenhouse conditions ******. - Do not confuse maple with ficus, palm or other evergreen. A deciduous tree in the middle zone sheds its leaves in the fall, no matter what ideal conditions we create for it. I call this maple a loopy one. This means that age returns to the same level every three weeks. When the buds grow a little, but are not yet ripe, I pluck them out, every single one. Thus, I artificially prevent the plant from entering the yellowing phase of the leaves. The tree deceived in this way starts all over again - buds appear again. Twenty days later - removal again. And so on endlessly... A similar experience continued abroad for a hundred years. Agave mexicanis, which usually lives for ten years, has last year life cut off the generative shoot. A year later it grew back. It was pruned again... The 10th year of the plant's life lasted a century.
Isaev claims that there is a complete analogy between plants and animals in this regard. As evidence, he cites paleontological data - at the border of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, as a result of some reasons (possibly a radiation impact), species life expectancy jumped sharply - in plants and animals at the same time. There is also an experiment performed on a rat. Her menopausal period, usually several days, was artificially extended to 40 days. Twice a day the rat received a drug that did not allow it to go through menopause, thanks to which it retained its biological age; time seemed to stop for its body. Isaev regrets that the experimenters did not continue this work until two years, so that the rat would overcome its species age limit. When asked how he imagines the realization of immortality for humans, the scientist replied:

The analogy with plants and animals remains. The principle is the same: you need to artificially suppress in the body those products that “turn on” the next age phase. These products are known to biochemists. There are three of them. For two of them, inhibitors are known, substances that chemically bind the products of interest to us and transfer them to an inactive state. It remains to find the “brake” for the third product. The task is real.
- Well, is it really that simple? - the journalist did not let up. - Maybe then it’s time to sign up for immortality? By the way, if you write it down, what will you do with me?

The first thing that comes to mind is injections. But, of course, giving injections every 8-12 hours, with each of the three substances separately, is a terrible hassle. So, perhaps, in a month I’ll get tired of living - what kind of immortality is that? I think biologists and doctors will help apply the methods of Zhen-Jiu therapy to inhibit products - “switches” of age. It is known that in China and Japan, many centenarians used moxibustion with wormwood cigars, breaking all records for average life expectancy. Their experience will be useful to everyone entering the era of immortality.

Isaev says that many biologists became interested in his theory, and in particular the oldest Soviet geneticist, Academician N.P. Dubinin. However, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences rejected Isaev’s proposal to finance testing of his theory on animals. Of course, at first glance, amateurism and quixoticism clearly stick out here. Is it possible to suddenly stop the genetic clock in our body in such a primitive way? Moreover, these watches, according to a number of scientists, have a “safety net”.

However, many scientists are making attempts to influence the genetic program of the body, and often not without success. I. Vishev recalls a number of them in the book “The Problem of Personal Immortality”: “...encouraging results have been obtained, convincingly indicating the mobility of species’ life limits and the possibility of extending the period of youth. B. A. Kaurov, for example, notes that life expectancy bee drones dying immediately after fertilization of females, if isolated from females, increases 8-10 times compared to the species norm; immature salmon with removed gonads live several times longer than normal individuals; if an annual plant is protected from flowering, then its lifespan can be increased to several years; if the adjacent bodies of house crickets are removed, they live twice as long as the others, and after death they retain the morphofunctional features of a number of organs inherent in the young stage of imagonal life. And the point here, by the way, is not in the named methods ", which are obviously inapplicable to humans and can only cause a smile, but in the very fact of the extreme mobility of species boundaries."

Today, the species limit of human life is defined differently by different scientists - from 86-88 to 115-120 years. Some even cite fantastic figures of 150-160 years. The actual average life expectancy is, of course, lower. In the USSR in 1984-1985 it was 64 for men and 73 for women. The following statistics are interesting: 190 famous people Antiquity lived an average of 71.9 years, and the 489 European celebrities who died between 1901 and 1910 lived an average of a year less.
Extending the life span by 5, 10, 50, 500 years only delays the moment of death. Is physical immortality achievable in principle? Can we trick the body's cells into dividing not 40-60 times, but endlessly? ******* Perhaps overcoming physical death is possible in the future. Having managed to change the genetic program, it is possible to achieve eternal renewal of cellular matter (including the brain) while preserving the information field (soul) in it. If we take a different path - transplanting the brain into a new body (synthetic or donor, grown by cloning), then it is important that consciousness is not interrupted for a moment. Otherwise, the “new” person (body, shell) will truly be new (i.e., different), despite the previous consciousness. Thus, we will receive a copy, and not a restored original.
From the point of view of physics, for immortality it is necessary to create a system that gives out to the external environment no more energy than it receives (and even more precisely: maintains absolutely equal exchange in the “object - environment” system). In fact, we are trying to create a biological version of the perpetuum mobile. But is such a dynamic equilibrium possible? And what information volume should a system have so that, existing only within itself, it does not perish? So far, all scientific and socio-historical experience suggests that a non-developing system is doomed. Consequently, for permanent existence we need to accumulate information and energy.

Since our bodies are transitory, this task is entrusted not to individual individuals, but to the entire community of people. Note that, despite numerous wars and epidemics, the energy supply of humanity and the amount of information processed is increasing in geometric progression. Over the past 50 years, we have produced more energy than in the entire previous history of civilization. According to some expert estimates, if the rate of energy acquisition does not decrease, then in 300-400 years we will colonize the planets solar system, in a thousand years we will populate the nearest star systems. Naturally, such power will also make it possible to solve the problem of human physical immortality. True, then the question will arise about the limit of saturation of the brain with information (here again the analogy with a computer arises). Will the “hard drive” of our brain be large enough to hold information acquired over hundreds and thousands of years of existence? Or will he have to make a selection by erasing old, unnecessary records? However, hundreds, if not thousands, of similar questions will arise. Solving them now is like carrying water in a sieve. So let's better deal not with the future, but with the past.
* According to legend, King Solomon was so wise that he refused to take the elixir of immortality, not wanting to live longer than the people close to him.

** Obviously, this belief was born due to the fact that Zhai Daoling (34-156), the founder of Taoist philosophy, at the age of 60, with the help of an elixir he made, managed to rejuvenate himself and live to 122 years.

*** However, modern research by geneticists still makes this hope illusory. Thus, the lifespan of laboratory animals of the same species (but different lines), kept in absolutely identical conditions, can differ by almost 2 times, which indicates the genetic determinism of their lifespan. As another piece of evidence, geneticists cite the fact that there is a relatively small difference in life expectancy between identical twins, even if fate gives them different living conditions.

**** Other substances are also offered as geroprotectors. According to M. M. Vilenchik, a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, “in order to strengthen the body’s resistance to aging and related diseases... in the future, it is likely that a complex of substances will be used that enhance reparation (“repair” of DNA) and have antioxidant properties. Probably, this protective complex will include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, selenium, and the enzyme superoxodismutase."

***** Perhaps V.V. Frolkis, professor at the Institute of Gerontology of the Academy of Medical Sciences, put it more precisely when he said that “it is not aging that is genetically determined, but the structure of metabolism in the body.”

****** It happened in winter.

******* Since the time of A. Weisman, there has been a debate about whether protozoa are immortal (we are talking about the absence of a programmed process of destruction in them). If this is so, then under certain conditions multicellular organisms could acquire the same quality. However, there are many arguments in favor of this. That death (the presence of a mechanism of cell destruction determined by nature) is one of the basic laws of the organization of life at any level.

So does it really follow from this that immortality and eternal life are impossible to achieve?

The answer to this question is ambiguous, because despite unsuccessful scientific and medical research, in ordinary life there is completely opposite evidence that eternal life is possible. So, for example, there are places on the planet where people live much longer than in other parts of the world. One of these places is a small settlement in Kabardino Balkaria, which is called Eltyubur. Here, almost one by one, the residents crossed the hundred-year mark. Giving birth to a child at the age of 50 is the norm for this area. According to local residents, the reason for their longevity lies in the water from the mountain spring and the air. But scientists are confident that the reason for the longevity of people in this area lies in something completely different - in genetic natural selection, based on the principle of longevity. Each generation passed on genes to the next that were responsible for long life. According to other researchers, the reason lies in the mountains that surround the village on all sides. According to this theory, mountains are some kind of pyramids that have the ability to change the physical properties of objects and substances placed in them, thus contributing to the fact that these objects and substances are preserved much longer.

But no matter what theory turns out to be correct, the very fact of the existence of such places is unique.

The body tissues looked as if they belonged to a completely living person, and with the help of special instruments it was established that his brain was active. This phenomenon in Buddhism is called “Damat”. A person can exist in such a state for many years, and it can be achieved by lowering body temperature to zero and slowing down metabolic processes in the body. Thus, scientists have proven that a decrease in body temperature by just two degrees leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes by more than half. In this case, the body’s resources will be spent less, and life expectancy will therefore increase.

Currently, modern science is actively researching the possibility of achieving eternal life. Moreover, certain results have already been achieved in this direction. Three areas are recognized as the most promising among these studies: genetics, stem cells and nanotechnology.

In addition, according to research, scientists have come to the conclusion that one of the means of rejuvenating the human body is also stem or pluripotent cells. The term itself was introduced in 1908 by A. Maksimov, who, after his experiments, came to the conclusion that throughout a person’s life, undifferentiated universal cells remain unchanged in his body, which are capable of transformation into any tissues and organs. Their formation occurs even at conception, and it is they that provide the basis for the development of the entire human body. Scientists have developed methods for reproducing pluripotent cells in the laboratory, and in addition, they have studied methods for growing various tissues and even organs from them.

Scientists have also found that the human body contains a special substance that can restore the length of telomeres, but the problem is that this substance is located in the cells of the fetus, and such experiments are prohibited almost all over the world. In addition, this enzyme is also found in cancerous tumors located in the genitourinary system. Such cells are approved for use in experiments in the United States.

Scientists have also established a very interesting fact: in cancer cells there is telomerase, a special enzyme that is responsible for the growth of telomeres. This is why cancer cells have the ability to divide an unlimited number of times due to the constant restoration of telomeres, and at the same time do not succumb to the aging process. If an imitation of telomorase is introduced into a completely healthy cell, then this cell will also have all the characteristics listed above, but at the same time, it will turn into cancer.

It is worth noting that nanotechnology is a very promising area of scientific research that can provide people with unlimited opportunities. With their help, the creation of nanorobots that would have the same dimensions as biological molecules will become a reality. Scientists suggest that nanorobots, while in the human body, will have the ability to repair cell damage. They will not only stimulate cell regeneration, but also remove so-called waste products, that is, harmful products formed during the metabolic process, neutralize free radicals that have a detrimental effect on the body, and also block or turn on certain genes.

In this way, the human body will improve and eventually gain immortality. However, this is all a matter of the distant future. At present, there is only one way to preserve the body until science reaches the level of correcting changes in the body that are associated with aging and various diseases. This method is cryonics, that is, freezing to a temperature of -196 degrees (this is the temperature of liquid nitrogen). It is assumed that in this way the body will be protected from decomposition until such time as science becomes perfect.

Thus, we can say that research in the field of achieving immortality is being carried out very actively, and perhaps, soon, scientists will find a way to provide people with eternal life.

The science

We go through life accepting that we will eventually die. Therefore, immortality remains for us an unattainable illusion from the very beginning of human existence as a species.

From childhood we realize that life is valuable because it is fragile and can easily end. And we perceive dreams of immortality and the desire for it as futile attempts.

Those who over the centuries have devoted themselves to the quest for immortality, only achieved disappointment. Many have literally denied themselves their lives in order to achieve the illusory eternal life.

But what if immortality is not an illusion? Thanks to the latest advances in genetics, we are just beginning to realize that life without death is not such a fantasy.

Life without death

Why do we age and how to stop it?

Throughout our lives, cell division occurs, as a result of which dead cells are replaced, which allows us to maintain our health and vitality.

In the cell nucleus there are special structures that are storage of hereditary information, known to us as chromosomes. The chromosomes themselves are a complex complex that forms a substance called chromatin.

All you need to know to understand the gist of this article is that chromatin contains a DNA molecule with encoded information that determines many of the characteristics of the human body.

When cells divide, a section of chromosome is formed that temporarily connects them. It is called the centromere. Each half of the duplicated chromosomes is called a chromatid.

At the end of each chromatid there are telomeres - this is, in fact, ends of chromosomes, thanks to which, according to scientists, a person will be able to gain such a gift as immortality.

Telomeres are one of the most important parts of the entire structure. Telomeres, located at the ends of chromatids, prevent the breakdown of cells during their division. However, this raises another problem.

When cell division occurs, telomeres themselves undergo breakdown. In the human body there is no way to create new telomeres Therefore, over time, normal chromosome replication is disrupted. This is called aging.

Scientists have known about this factor for quite some time. There are other factors that are responsible for the aging process of the body, but telomeres are the most important of them.

Life extension

The quest for immortality in living nature

Lobsters continue to grow until they die. However, due to diseases and predators, lobsters will never be able to live forever. The turtle's organs (that is, everything that makes up their body as a whole) are also almost not subject to wear and tear.

Like lobsters, turtles are theoretically capable of living forever. For this it is necessary to completely eliminate such factors as diseases; and these animals should also be placed in an environment completely free of predators.

There are other representatives of the animal world that demonstrate an amazing ability to regenerate. And if such opportunities were available to a person, he would be able to live forever.

But why aren't we immortal? The answer is hidden in our genetic code. Once humanity learns to make certain changes to it - and then we will achieve the desired immortality.

However, animal organisms are one thing, and people are completely different. However, a very small group of people around the world have developed a rare genetic condition that slows down aging.

There is no doubt that biological immortality is not an illusion or a fiction. Science knows that there is a possibility of eternal life because these people do not grow or even age.

Scientists, as you might expect, are showing great interest in this phenomenon. One case involves a man from the United States of America who, at 29 years old, has the body of a prepubescent child.

There is also the case of a 31-year-old woman from Brazil whose body is similar to that of a little girl. However, in both cases this "aging failure" associated with other genetic disorders and diseases.

Eternal life is not a myth. How close is science to the goal?

Scientific minds have spent entire lives studying this issue. And science has indeed managed to extend the lives of many organisms (including people), successfully fighting diseases that were previously incurable.

But man's real breakthrough on the path to immortality will occur, perhaps, when we are able to defeat obesity, Let's deal with heart disease and finally deal with cancer.

However, science and people are not satisfied with life extension alone. Science and man want much more - immortality. It was this desire that made it possible to identify certain genes that are responsible for the aging processes of the body in the animal world.

Moreover, as it turned out, similar genes are responsible for the aging process in both animals and humans. There's not much left - see in practice is that the gene theory of aging also works in humans.

Unfortunately, this requires learning to “turn off” the corresponding genes and “turn on” them. However, scientists are confident that progress cannot be stopped, and therefore the moment will come when people will be able to do this too.