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Can we live to 150?
Wednesday April 28, 1999 Science in the PubTM returns to Brisbane for National Science Week! Funding through the Science and Technology Awareness Program has allowed us to stage sessions around Australia. In recognition of the Year of the Older Person, tonight’s session will consider some of the issues that might arise through extending life expectancy. Although the science will be serious, there is sure to be lots of fun. On the panel we have Dr Andreas Suhrbier, Senior Research Fellow in the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Ms Colleen Cartwright, Senior research officer in the Healthy Ageing Research Unit at the University of Queensland and our scintillating Science in the Pub compere, Dr Paul Willis, ABC Radio science broadcaster ably assisted by Ms Bernie Hobbs, also from the ABC Science Unit. Andreas Suhrbier was born in East Berlin in 1960, with valuables hidden in the pram the family escaped to the west just before the Berlin wall was erected, and in 1966 the family emigrated to England. He received a BA in Biochemistry from New College, Oxford in 1982 and bought his MA in 1984 for 5 pounds sterling. In 1986, after 3 years growing human foreskin and grinding up cows’ noses he was awarded his PhD from the Medical Oncology Unit, Southampton General Hospital. After four years working on malaria at Imperial College of Science and Technology, London he escaped Thatcherism and ran away to Australia seeking surf. He married a black belt from Rockvagas, Qld. and lives in the bush with two dogs and many fish. After a Wellcome fellowship he was appointed by the Australian Centre for International Health and Nutrition at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, where he is now a senior research fellow. He has become an immunologist/virologist working on Ross River virus, glandular fever, HIV and melanoma, with 55 publications in international brainy type journals. Colleen Cartwright is a senior research officer in the Healthy Ageing Research Unit of the Department of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Queensland. She has extensive experience in working with older people, having developed the first National Better Health ‘60 and Better’ project in Queensland which has now been implemented state-wide. Colleen has been project coordinator on four end-of life decision making studies: three in Queensland and one in the Northern Territory. These studies involved over 1400 health professionals and over 1000 community members in Queensland as well as a large sample of doctors, nurses and community members in the Northern Territory. A great deal of information was collected in the course of these studies about experiences of community members involving the terminal care and death of family members and friends. As a result of these studies Colleen was seconded to the Department of Justice to assist with the development and implementation of the Power of Attorney Act 1998. Documents designed during the studies are the basis of recommended forms in the new legislation. She is now on part time secondment in the office of the Adult Guardian. She is also co-chief investigator on several studies investigating the prevention of falls in older people. Colleen graduated with Honours in Social Work at the University of Queensland in 1989, obtained a master of Public health degree in 1996 and is currently undertaking a PhD part time. In 1984 she completed an Associate Diploma in Arts, majoring in drama. She has been a medical practice manager, senior tutor and drama tutor at The Women’s College, University of Queensland as well as an actor, director and stage manager. And true to tradition, Andreas and Colleen have submitted their Science in the Pub ‘abstracts’ in verse! From Andreas A limerick of genetic longevity A gene that gives humans longevity, is sought with commercial proclivity, but the issue you see, for you and for me, is this gene only alters life’s brevity. The rich folk will purchase it avidly, and bureaucrats argue quite rabidly, but no one can say, at the end of the day, that it will bring a better society. Gene elders the future may dictate, by clinging to past loves and hates. And how will we cope, with the old with no hope? The gene back in the bottle please mate? … and from Colleen Can we live to 150 Years? Modern science and its wonders continues to amaze But can it work its magic on extension of our days? And if it can what lies ahead, what future do we face? Are we the first generation of the new Bionic Race? If you could live one-fifty years, what trade-off would you choose? For each decade, additional, what are you prepared to lose? For me an extra 20 years in possession of my brain Would be worth an inability to travel by bus or train. If events that happen now at 90 years or 95 Are delayed for 50 more years, it could be good to stay alive. But if my children’s children, and their children’s children too, All need birthday cards and presents, whatever will I do? Will we still retire at 60, leaving 90 years ahead? How will we fill our time each day, when we make it out of bed? And who will fund our leisure, or our health care should we ail? What if "John" runs out of money, or our super fund should fail? With a good supply of dollars, and genetic "parts" for sale I’ll buy a brand-new body, if this old one should fail And my 100-year-old partner could be still be going strong With the help of his Viagra, he really can’t go wrong. But if I get tired of living, and I’m bored with being here Will I have the right to ‘end it all", with no hassles and no fear? Or will someone else decide that there’s still worth left in my life And euthanasia’s not an option, it just causes too much strife? So let me make it to 100 in good health, and I may find That I can manage my bifocals but "Oh God" I miss my mind. Then let me make a peaceful exit, just fall off my perch and go I’ll have seen enough of life by then, and used up all my dough. |
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 Science
in the Pub™, © 2000. Stutchbury, R, Burton, M. |
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