If this is valid, it would have application not to just life extension, but to space travel as well.
4 thoughts on “E. Coli And Radiation”
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If this is valid, it would have application not to just life extension, but to space travel as well.
Comments are closed.
Hopefully, (non-ionizing) UV radiation will remain an effective method to sterilize spacecraft surfaces. Notwithstanding, we may need to be concerned about the tendency of bacteria to become more lethal in zero-g, due to changes in bacteria’s gene expression and to the stressing of our immune organs, the spleen and thymus.
So life extension is as simple as zapping Bruce Banner with a massive dose of cosmic rays?
“The bacteria in this study were able to elude death from extreme radiation by dramatically accelerating their DNA repair processes.”
My guess is the primary side effect of this metabolic change is increased demand for calories and assorted nutrients. A gross disadvantage any time the population faces a famine, and advantage only if something else doesn’t kill individuals off before old age. A liability under historic norms, an advantage for 21st century society (provided civilization doesn’t regress into a new dark age.)
Don’t let the left hear about this. Killing off 99% of the population so they can have long hedonistic lives might have too great an appeal.