Radical Life Extension

By CHARLES M. BLOW, NYT

The United States — and indeed the world — is straining under the weight of an aging population, and that strain is only expected to grow.

Life expectancy at birth in this country at the turn of the 20th century was nearly 50 years. According to the United States Census Bureau, it’s now over 78. And by 2050, it’ll be over 80. Others estimate it could be even higher.

A 2009 report by the MacArthur Research Network on an Aging Society estimated that by 2050 “life expectancy for females will rise to 89.2-93.3 years and to 83.2-85.9 years for males.”

One of the authors of the study, S. Jay Olshansky, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois, Chicago, said at the time: “The economic implications for the U.S. economy are huge. We estimated we would be spending $3.2 to $8.3 trillion more in today’s dollars than currently projected.”

The Census Bureau projects that the number of Americans over 65 will more than double by 2060.

(More here.)