Abstract
Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes That Prolong Youth by Lenny Guarente Cold Spring Harbor Press, New York, USA 154 pages, £14 ISBN 0 87969 652 4 ![][1] The realization that all life is finite must have been one of the most disconcerting events during the evolution of human cognition. The invention of comforting ideas of an afterlife in another world, or rebirth in this one, with or without transfiguration, may be a direct consequence of the shocking realization of our inevitable mortality. Myths about fountains of youth, as well as works such as ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ by Oscar Wilde, are tell‐tale signs that we have never fully come to grips with the fact that ageing and death is the fate that befalls even the most beautiful and strongest among us. It is hardly a surprise, therefore, that scientists have turned their inquisitive minds to understanding, and possibly overcoming, this intriguing biological phenomenon. One such scientist is yeast geneticist Lenny Guarente, who has gathered his recollections of his “quest for genes that prolong youth” into a slim volume. Ageless Quest is a personal account of … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
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