Confronting the Boundaries of Human Longevity
By Bruce Carnes, Douglas Grahn
Many people now live beyond their natural lifespans through the intervention of medical technology and improved lifestyles—a form of "manufactured time"
This Article From Issue
January-February 1998
Volume 86, Number 1
Page 52
DOI: 10.1511/1998.17.52
Although historical records indicate that older people have always existed in human societies, survival beyond age 50 for most members of a population was a rare event until the 20th century. Today, 95 percent of all babies born in the developed world live past this age.
American Scientist Comments and Discussion
To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.