Anti-Aging Developments: The Social Burden of Longer Lives

In the first of a three-part series on the science of anti-aging, Ker Than reports for Fox News that "while scientists go back and forth on the feasibility of slowing, halting or even reversing the aging process, ethicists and policymakers have quietly been engaged in a separate debate about whether it is wise to actually do so."

When it comes to the workplace, living longer will mean more time spent working: "Careers will necessarily become longer, and the retirement age will have to be pushed back, not only so individuals can support themselves, but to avoid overtaxing a nation's social security system." In addition, the experts worry that competition for jobs would become fierce and workplace mobility (or lack thereof) could make it harder for younger workers to get ahead.

Source: FOXNews.com "Toward Immortality: The Social Burden of Longer Lives" (May 23, 2006)