For years people have struggled with the idea of their own mortality. As science and technology find new ways to overcome sicknesses, the lifespan of human beings can increase. Recent studies show that this number may be different than what people once thought. According to The New York Times, human beings are now said to be able to live up to 115 years old. The news has many people wondering what people are able to do to get there.
The news emerged from Dr. Jan Vijg at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The New York Times is reporting that Vijg believes that humans have hit their peak, and after the world’s oldest person died in 1997 at the age of 122, the longest lifespan for humanity had been reached. Vijg, along with his graduate student published their findings on the new lifespan limitations on Wednesday in the journal of nature. People of the scientific community are looking closely at the findings with respect and admiration, while others remain very skeptical.
The New York Times is also reporting that some leading figures in the scientific community who research and study lifespan are combating the issue. James W. Vaupel has called the study a travesty and does not believe humans are approaching their lifespan limit. Vaupel has been looking at patterns for human survival from the 1900s until now and thinks that the limit has not been reached because of how mankind has continued to find new ways to progress and survive. The New York Times is also stating that Vaupel is discrediting these findings because while life expectancy has gone down over the past several years, it has risen in some nations like China.
People will always wonder how long they can expect to live. As circumstances change in the nation and all over the world, the life expectancy for people of the world will always change. For now, mankind must simply enjoy the time they do have.
