17 BIOLOGICAL IMMORTALITY Michael R. Rose, Ph.D. There are no superstitions like the superstitions of the profes- sional biologist. Biology is a sprawling field no single person can master in its entirety. Ask a professor of biology a ques- tion about an area where they have never performed research, and I will guarantee you that their answer will contain a fair admixture of incorrectly recalled material from a long defunct textbook, wild guesses, and pure superstition. Some Professors might remember reviewing that subject for an oral exam held midway through their doctoral program, but it was so long ago that they would feel more comfortable if you let them consult a textbook from their straining shelves. The decay of their knowledge, still more their ignorance of recent research developments, is palpable. There is little likelihood that they will confidently pronounce facts of dubious value. Notsowhereagingandimmortalityareconcerned.Biologists are generally of the opinion that aging is a deep mystery, which no reasonable faculty member should research. “All things age, so it is probably something to do with the laws of thermodynamics, or perhaps protein break- down. Wasn’t there some problem with aging in cells that  that  fellow  Hayburn,  Hayflick,  Haysomething