Is Aging an Active Process of Self-destruction?
Most people think of aging as passive – something that happens to your body. Random mutations occur faster than the body can fix them.
Jan 7, 2013
Aging & evolutionary biology
Josh Mitteldorf is best known for promoting the theory that aging is not “wearing out” but rather an evolved program that limits lifespan. The surprising fact that our bodies are genetically programmed to age and to die offers an enormous opportunity for medical intervention. He began blogging about aging on this site in 2012. His guidance for a long life is at AgingAdvice.org. His two books on aging are available at Amazon and elsewhere.
Mitteldorf’s PhD is in astrophysics. Since about 2020, he has taken up a new challenge as curator and critic of science on the fringe, writing about promising science that the science establishment has unjustly neglected.
In other areas of life, Mitteldorf’s two daughters were among the first girls to be adopted from China in the 1980s. He has taught a weekly yoga class for fifty years. He is an avid amateur musician, playing piano in chamber groups, French horn in community orchestras. Follow his other writing at mitteldorf.substack.com, and listen to his poetry on YouTube.
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Most people think of aging as passive – something that happens to your body. Random mutations occur faster than the body can fix them.
Jan 7, 2013
Similarly, there is a mathematical meaning, but no physical meaning to the concept eternity.
Dec 26, 2012
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Dec 17, 2012
The best theory we have for the evolution of aging says that bearing children should shorten your life span.
Dec 9, 2012
There’s a social stigma attached to being fat, a cultural prejudice that is utterly unfair.
Dec 3, 2012
For basic information about healthy living for a long life, see the author’s permanent page at AgingAdvice.org.
Nov 26, 2012
Oxidative damage was the prevailing theory of aging in the 1990s, and anti-oxidants became the preferred prescription for youthfulness.
Nov 19, 2012
I read a few weeks ago about a study where vitamin D supplementation reduced all-cause mortality rates by 6%. How many years would that add to life expectancy?
Nov 10, 2012
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Nov 1, 2012
Two weeks ago, Science Magazine featured a special section on Disease Prevention.
Oct 9, 2012
In an article in today’s Science Times, Amanda Schaffer reviews findings by Chutima Talchai and Dr.
Oct 3, 2012
Individual cells keep track of generations with the length of their chromosome tails.
Sep 29, 2012