We have cured many of the diseases which led to people dying before their time. We now have to deal with the degenerative conditions associated with old age. In his last lecture, Tom Kirkwood tackles head-on the hopes and fears many people have about pushing back the frontiers of survival. He raises important questions about possible cures for disabling conditions like Alzheimer's.
Some scientific discoveries raise new issues.
But the pace of change is increasing. The challenges ahead will require us to set new targets and adopt new attitudes towards old age. The idea that science should postpone disabling conditions has become a mantra. We are on the threshold of deep discoveries about human ageing. We need to plan for increased numbers of considerably older people.