Home > News > Jack Uldrich: Life goes on -- really goes on -- and that's costly
June 21st, 2008
Jack Uldrich: Life goes on -- really goes on -- and that's costly
Abstract:
It was reported recently that U.S. life expectancy has topped 78 years. More interestingly, life expectancy -- which has been increasing by about two or three months a year -- jumped an impressive four months in 2007. This startling increase caused one demographer to note that it was "an unusually rapid improvement."
If one tracks, as I do, the progress in such fields as biotechnology, genomics, stem-cell research and nanotechnology, it is hard to envision -- barring a calamity that kills hundreds of thousands -- how life expectancy will do anything but continue to increase at "unusually rapid" rates as the number of deaths from a variety of diseases -- including heart disease, diabetes and flu -- continues to decrease.
This raises a series of vexing public-policy issues, not the least of which are the long-term sustainability of the Social Security and Medicare programs. Even without taking into consideration this past year's increase in life expectancy, the programs are already under a great deal of long-term financial stress. According to the trustees who oversee both programs, Medicare is expected to become financially insolvent in 2019 and Social Security will be exhausted by 2041.
Source:
startribune.com
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
News and information
Sensors innovations for smart lithium-based batteries: advancements, opportunities, and potential challenges August 8th, 2025
Deciphering local microstrain-induced optimization of asymmetric Fe single atomic sites for efficient oxygen reduction August 8th, 2025
Lab to industry: InSe wafer-scale breakthrough for future electronics August 8th, 2025
Possible Futures
ICFO researchers overcome long-standing bottleneck in single photon detection with twisted 2D materials August 8th, 2025
New molecular technology targets tumors and simultaneously silences two ‘undruggable’ cancer genes August 8th, 2025
Simple algorithm paired with standard imaging tool could predict failure in lithium metal batteries August 8th, 2025
First real-time observation of two-dimensional melting process: Researchers at Mainz University unveil new insights into magnetic vortex structures August 8th, 2025
Announcements
Sensors innovations for smart lithium-based batteries: advancements, opportunities, and potential challenges August 8th, 2025
Deciphering local microstrain-induced optimization of asymmetric Fe single atomic sites for efficient oxygen reduction August 8th, 2025
Japan launches fully domestically produced quantum computer: Expo visitors to experience quantum computing firsthand August 8th, 2025
ICFO researchers overcome long-standing bottleneck in single photon detection with twisted 2D materials August 8th, 2025
Life Extension/Cryonics
Ageing can drive progress: Population ageing is likely to boost medicine, nanotechnology and robotics, but increase political risks July 27th, 2016
Multicolor super resolution imaging: A method to monitor dynamic protein binding at subsecond timescales June 19th, 2016
Preventing protein unfolding: Polymers can reinforce proteins under mechanical forces February 27th, 2016
Lifeboat Foundation launches 3 books December 16th, 2015
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||