[Fredgoblu]

Interesting table, Lexinom.

Does nobody die of old age any more?!?!

Here's a question for you: How many of those accidents, how much of that heart disease, now many of those cancers are only now an issue because we live longer than we did 100 years ago? Or to twist it just a little more...in how many of these cases is old age the cause, and the disease (and death) just the effect...the consequence of living longer?

I'd wager to say that 100 years ago, skin cancer was virtually non-existent. Today, living to 80 instead of 45, we're exposed to nearly double the dose of radiation in our lives...and we're much more susceptible.

Hmmmm?

[Lexinom]

Each human being alive would develop cancer eventually if s/he lived long enough. Enough "errors" creep into cellular replication that the probilities increasingly approach 100% the more one ages that the particular genes responsible for shutting down cell replication will become damaged, resulting in out-of-control growth, aka malignancy.

You make some very sharp points about the diseases we face today resulting from longer life spans. Cancer is but one example. And not only are we living longer, we are living more sedately and eating more processed foods. Milk, cheese, meat, and eggs eaten 100 years ago are replaced with myriads of every kind of boxed and canned food. That must play a role as well.