Except, maybe, that as the average population ages we run up against more and more cancer.Almost every factor relevant to longevity has been improving, and it is reasonable to hope that this positive trend will continue.
The article ecib shared about How Americans Die was pretty interesting.as the average population ages we run up against more and more cancer
That's true, but something is going to get you in the end. As more people survive childhood diseases and accidents, age-related illness like cancer will claim a larger share of the 100% of people who (at least for now) succumb to death.
Right. In the past, though, the things that "got us" were mostly exogenous. A hypothetical hermit won't get the flu or tuberculosis but if male has a 50 percent chance of getting cancer. Now, obviously, in 1800 or whenever people probably never thought we'd deal with deadly infections, and we largely have. So you never know. But cancer strikes me as a lot more insidious than previous rampant causes of death. I'm also not sure I agree with Cadell that "the biological clock won't last forever" -- based on various things I've read lately, that seems pretty optimistic.
I don't know exactly when it will happen, but our choices about biological reproduction will change dramatically before 2050.the biological clock won't last forever" -- based on various things I've read lately, that seems pretty optimistic.