Halcyon Identifies

 

Every day average life expectancy rises by six hours, and many babies born today may live to 100+, while experts are hoping to gain further clues about rejuvenation from organisms naturally resistant to ageing and dying.

 

Recent breakthroughs suggest the lifespan of many animals can be radically extended by making minute changes in single genes.

Older people have a much stronger sense of morality than the young, suggests a major study into dishonesty.

The open-source education software developed for the "$100 laptop" can now be loaded onto a $5 USB stick to run ageing PCs and Macs, breathing new lfe into millions of decrepit old machines.

Over the the next 50 years, we are likely to witness an epidemic of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, as the world population ages.

Researchers have uncovered what may be a universal cause of ageing, one that applies to both single cell organisms such as yeast and multicellular organisms, including mammals.

• Ageing/Health - a new drug extracted from a plant used in Chinese medicine has helped immune cells fight HIV and may slow the ageing process in other parts of our bodies.

Problems - 28/01/08

• Ageing/Energy/Health - reversing the effects of ageing, reprogramming genes to prevent diseases and producing clean energy are some of the biggest challenges for the next 50 years, according to a group of leading experts.

Responses - 18/09/07

• Ageing - despite reports that depict millions of elderly people as the victims of abuse or mental illness, it is argued that, overall, getting older is better than it's ever been.

Responses - 06/09/07

• Ageing/Politics - the new "Elders" club set up by Nelson Mandela plans to use its "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to tackle crises governments are unable or unwilling to confront.
• Consumption: a new site offers socially conscious shopping where consumers can "blend their personal values with their purchasing power" to foster positive change around the world".