Should We Be Reaching for Immortality?

Whether by chipping away at the diseases of aging one-by-one, or by altering the fundamental biology of aging, medical research seems to be reaching for one over-arching goal: indefinitely extending the human lifespan. Living a longer, healthy life seems like an unqualified good. So long as life is good, who wouldn’t want to live as long as possible? The question turns out to be more complicated than it sounds. Dr. Tomlinson explains some doubts, from both the individual and societal points of view.
Tom Tomlinson, PhD
Professor
Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences
Department of Philosophy
Michigan State University
Recorded February 13, 2019