26
Biological Immortality
movies will never successfully control aging and immortality,
we do not need to find such potions. Modern automobiles
have thousands of parts, precisely tooled to perform their
function. The attainment of an early, benign immortality will
be no less complex in terms of medical intervention. But there
are now good reasons for thinking that it is fundamentally
possible.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to L.D. Mueller, J.P. Phelan, and C.L. Rauser
for their comments on an earlier draft.
References
1) Rose, MR; 1991: Evolutionary Biology of Aging; Oxford
University Press; pg.17
2) Martinez, DE; Mortality patterns suggest a lack of senes-
cence in Hydra in: Experimental Gerontology (1998, Vol.
33); pg. 217
3) Bell, G; Evolutionary and nonevolutionary theories
of senescence in: American Naturalist (1984, Vol. 124);
pg.600
4) Greenwood, M & Irwin, JO; Biostatistics of Senility in:
Human Biology (1939, Vol. 11); pg.1
5) Gavrilov, LA, & Gavrilova, NS; The Biology of Lifespan: A
Quantitative Approach (1991); Harwood