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The Secrets of Aging: Why We Must Die!
Discover Venki Ramakrishnan's fascinating insights into aging, death and life extension in his new book.
The Secrets of Aging: Why We Must Die!
Venki Ramakrishnan's new book "Why We Die" addresses the fundamental questions of the life cycle and illuminates the biological, molecular and social aspects of aging and dying. The Nobel Prize winner, who was honored in 2009 for his research on ribosomes, aims his work at readers interested in molecular biology and biochemistry as well as in the complex issues of aging and the end of life. Ramakrishnan, born in India in 1952, was admitted to the British Order of Merit in 2022.
In his 352-page book, which was published by Klett-Cotta and costs 28 euros (ISBN: 978-3-608-98492-7), Ramakrishnan describes the human life cycle from fertilization to death. He explains which molecular biological processes take place in the body and examines the question of why people have to die. In addition, differences in the lifespan of different species are examined and the connection between fertility and lifespan is explained. The author uses vivid metaphors to illustrate complex topics and compares cellular processes with everyday life in a metropolis. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of RNA as a working copy of genes.
Social issues and life extension
The book also raises social questions, such as the impact of potential immortality on society and the challenge of intergenerational justice in the face of increasing life expectancy. Ramakrishnan also gives readers tips for extending life, such as limiting calorie intake to the necessary minimum and regular exercise to support the cells' powerhouses, the mitochondria. As an example, he cites Jeanne Calment, the oldest woman in the world who died in 1997 at the age of 122.
For more information about the book and the concepts Ramakrishnan covers, visit coverage by MDR and additional details from Deutschlandfunk be resorted to.