Is death an inevitable biological program or a process we might eventually control?
In short: Alison Woollard examines the fundamental mechanisms of life and ageing. By exploring how cells grow, communicate, and die, this lecture investigates whether developmental biology and genetics could one day allow us to extend human life or even halt the ageing process entirely.
Presented by Alison Woollard from the University of Oxford, this lecture series delves into the transformation of a single cell into a complex organism. It asks why all living things, from simple cells to mammals, are destined to die and what genetic switches control these transitions.
The discussion highlights how developmental biology reveals the shared biological connections between all creatures on Earth. Beyond the science of cellular function, it raises critical ethical questions about the implications of extending human longevity and whether living forever is a desirable goal.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Could I live forever? - Alison Woollard's 2013 Christmas Lectures 3/3
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