Early Predictor of Lifespan Found in DNA

[Jim__]

Sorry that this story is from Faux News, it's in the Google News Science page:

...

They found that the best predictor of long life was in the DNA taken when the finches were just 25 days old.

“The study we did is different from other studies in that we were able to follow individuals from early in life until death,” professor Pat Monaghan, who led the research team told FoxNews.com. “In other studies like this, we’ve only been able to get info on survival over relatively short time periods or by researching individuals of different ages.”

The secret lies in the length of an individual’s telomeres – pieces of DNA located at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres serve a similar purpose to plastic caps at the end of shoelaces, protecting the chromosome from losing information over the course of a person’s life.

“Each time a cell divides, some DNA can be lost at the end of the chromosome,” Monaghan said. “The cap is worn down without affecting the integrity of the chromosome itself. But each time a cell divides, some of this protective cap is lost. Eventually, it’s eroding or fraying away until no cap is left. Then genetic structure in the cell is lost, so that cell may die or malfunction.”

more... ( http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/10/early-predictor-lifespan-found-in-dna/#ixzz1j5DMq2ol )

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. In Time

In a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Here, Will Salas finds himself accused of murder and on the run with a hostage - a connection that becomes an important part of the way against the system.

That one point - money is life - is key to In Time's premise, and it's the cost of entry to watch what amounts to Bonnie and Clyde meets Logan's Run. In this non-future, everyone ages to 25 and then begins paying their dues in seconds off their remaining life, a form of population birth control. The good news is that they will be young and beautiful for the rest of your days; the bad news is that only the rich can afford to be immortal.

http://www.examiner.com/sci-fi-movie-in-national/in-time-timely-review

[Javaman]

2. "the bad news is that only the rich can afford to be immortal."

Who will pick up the dog poop and take out the trash?

special exception made for sanitation workers.

[DetlefK]

3. not necessarily

The average life-span of a human is ~ 80 years.

Would you take the deal, picking up dog poop for the rest of your life, if you you can spend those 55 years of the rest of your life in the body of a healthy 25-year-old?
No need to color your hair, to use cosmetic surgery or botox, to take Viagra... And all you have to do is pick up dog shit. For the rest of your life.

[Javaman]

4. People will suddenly stop generating garbage?

and when vanity runs society, (more than now), there will still be people who will pick up the trash?

In a world were everyone will look "beautiful", "ugly" will be the new shiek.

[DetlefK]

5. No, you misunderstood me. The Immortal's pay the garbage-men with longevity.

There will always be somebody, willing to work for a slightly smaller wage.