On 28/3/23 12:44, Jim Vassilakos - jim.vassilakos at gmail.com (via tml
list) wrote:
> Perhaps something brain-related. The brain is the most complex part of
> the body. Presumably, it would be the hardest to fix should things go
> wrong. And go wrong they do, particularly with age. Advancing dementia
> is not terribly uncommon. Some people even suffer from early onset.
> I'm sure there's a joke in there, but actually it's quite serious. So
> with people living longer (120-150, according to Jonathan), one would
> presume large, extended families with the elders often being in a
> state of pronounced mental decline. To some extent this might explain
> the conservatism of Vilani culture, especially if the people in charge
> are all over a century old. Solomani culture would likely mirror the
> Vilani in this regard, as their medical science improves.

If you're positing other medical advancements and broad progress across
treating (to some, nontrivial, extent) _all_ classes of aging damage,
why would that be the case?

Dementia onset/progression would be slowed compared to today -
frinstance, tackling amyloid-related brain issues by removing amyloid
from the spine (beyond the blood-brain barrier), letting amyloid bits
diffuse out across said barrier.

On top of that, aging damage accumulation strongly seems to be
autocatalytic - the more aging damage J Random Poorsod _has_, the
quicker they accumulate more.  Conversely, the less (say, from being
vaccinated against all known cancers as an infant and thus _not
suffering_ any oncogenic damage) aging damage present, the less quickly
more would accumulate.  That would _slow_ progress of dementia,
resulting in later subclinical and clinical onset.

>
> In any case, this would make dementia the most common incurable illness.
>
> How would society deal with this? Massive nursing homes... aka elder
> hotels? Or each extended family having some area for their dementees?

I think I've made my point above about why I don't think it would be as
big or as gnarly a problem as you seem to think.

That given, _which_ society are you talking about?  Arglebargle IX at
TTL16? Bargleargle V at TTL9?  Why would it have to be the same across
one planet?  Frinstance, noble families might have some private area for
their demented geezers, while the hoi polloi have to settle for nursing
homes.

>
> It's not exactly what I was looking for. I was really trying to come
> up with some modern illnesses that would never be cured, but from what
> I'm gathering here, that seems unlikely to be the case. I guess maybe
> there's hope for my friend. I don't know if a marrow transplant is an
> option. So far, he doesn't even feel sick. I mean, he is sick, but
> only in the head. We had breakfast today, and he's doing well.
>
At the very least, I enjoyed the exercise.

That's great to hear about your friend.

Alex