Such changes have the potential to improve the life and health of most human beings. This science, however, is seen by many as enormously dangerous. Indeed, a significant portion of our population believes that any research in this direction is misguided. Discussions of what is genuinely scientifically desirable are rarely well presented in the popular media. Aging is clearly a complex, multifactorial process.
Individuals age differently.
Genetically identical animals, reared in controlled environments, also exhibit very different mortality. In this issue of Generations, we have a chapter that addresses this important question. We have also attempted to highlight areas of aging research that we believe offer the greatest promise for improving the healthspan of the elderly. The population of aging individuals continues to grow in our society, and we have included chapters that address the policy and ethical issues that result from this growth. Since aging is so complicated, scientists have attempted to design simpler model systems with which to pursue such studies.