December 4, 2012

"The woman who was listed as the world’s oldest person has died in a Georgia nursing home at age 116."

Besse Cooper.

What's going on here? The oldest person in the world... only 116? What is this ceiling about? Why can't we break through? No one in the whole world busting through 120? It's so... real.

31 comments:

Synova said...

After the flood God limited our days.

joeschmo1of3 said...

The oldest person with a verified age died at 122. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people

mccullough said...

I can't imagine 58 being middle aged

Palladian said...

What is this ceiling about? Why can't we break through?

The Hayflick Limit?

Carol said...

I've had to hang around nursing homes a lot due to family and friends, and right now the world is quite kind to the elderly. Yeah, really, in my experience not bad at all, at least here in MT. The residents have their problems but the personnel are great.

Probably won't be so in the future.

Shouting Thomas said...

Since my wife died, I've been following and contributing to the work of the Methuselah Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to increasing the human life span.

Living to 120 isn't such a great idea, if that brings with it senility, ossification and immobility.

The Methuselah Foundation is currently offering a prize for the first research team who successfully construct and transplant a whole new organ made from a patient's own cells.

I recently worked on the clinical trial for an Alzheimer's drug. The trial failed. A big disappointment.

Most people are in pretty dreadful shape by the time they reach their 80s. No point in living much longer than that, so far as I can see, unless the issues of health, mental acuity and mobility can be improved. Of course, I might change my mind when I reach the age of 80.

I don't see myself having more than 10 to 15 years of worthwhile life remaining. That's OK.

Humperdink said...

They don't make 'em like they used to. Probably a poor diet. And too much coffee and 24 oz sodas.

edutcher said...

Wait till ObamaTax kicks in.

People will be lucky to make it to 62.

yoSAMite said...

Genesis 6:3 - “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

Fr Martin Fox said...

I am, well, amused when the media breathlessly announces the death of the oldest person in the world.

What? Did it take them by surprise?

Synova said...

Shouting Thomas, my grandmother lived to 102 and she was pretty good until about 100. She was mobile and socialized with her sisters and friends and kept up with her nearly 100 grand and great-grand children. Her last two years weren't good but I'd have hated for someone to have decided not to try any more because she was 80 and had no time left.

I agree, however, that it's not just the not-dying that's important. It's actually a fairly common fairy tale thing... Wish for eternal life and have it granted you only to find out you forgot to wish for eternal youth.

Oops.

Luther said...

I'm 65. Trying to drink enough that I'll check out around 72 or so. If I were wealthy it might be different. But I'm not.

As, when I can't read, can't safely drive a car, and am only left with the stare into the bleak white corner, I'd just as soon be gone. Life is precious, but not that precious.

Methadras said...

Telomerase therapy is going to get better and better. Its cancer fighting potential is being investigated now as well as how it can keep cells continually dividing.

However, with a population growth problem that infests the 8th world, the ethicists might be less inclined to push this type of therapy to the general public.

Chip S. said...

I'm guessing that her least favorite saying was "Only the good die young."

Patrick said...

I read an article a few years back about aging. It said that many of those who make it to 100 can see about 115, but very very few people make it past 115. At that point, they really didn't know why, but 115 is really hard to get past.

edutcher said...

It's not life we want to attenuate, but youth.

Chip S. said...

@edutcher, I'd prefer that neither of those were attenuated. YMMV.

Lydia said...

“With her hair fixed it looked like she was ready to go,” [her son] said.

Gotta think about that.

Rob said...

Being identified as the oldest person in the world is like being on the cover of SI: it's an effing jinx. They die within months. Stay under the radar, geriatridudes and dudettes.

edutcher said...

I hear ya.

I have no desire to be 19 again, either

Chip S. said...

edu, are you sure attenuate is the word you meant to use?

Chip S. said...

b/c, as for me, I'd be happy to go back to being 19 if I could keep my current level of game.

edutcher said...

For some reason, i was thinking lengthen.

Chip S. said...

I can never keep "nonplussed" straight.

Synova said...

The only thing wrong with 19 was the lack of experience necessary to appreciate being 19.

You can be young and stupid or wise and... less than limber... with a sore neck...

Shouting Thomas said...

To quote Bob Seeger...

I wish I didn't know now
What I didn't know back then!

bagoh20 said...

I suspect she saw an episode of Jersey Shore and just gave up.

bagoh20 said...

The thing about the human lifespan is that it is not nearly long enough to get really good at anything, and I want to be good at a lot of stuff, so far, nothing.

Chip S. said...

I'm like Obama. I get bored too easily to get to be good at anything.

Peter said...

Henrietta Lacks died when she was 31, but her cells will live forever.

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