Human Life Expectancy

In his book, The Age of Spiritual Machines, author Ray Kurzweil imagines a (near) future where increases in the computing capacity of machines lead to remarkable breakthroughs in medical science and life expectancy.

Kurzweil theorizes by 2019, computerized monitors built into our clothes and jewelry will have the ability to diagnose health problems and provide recommendations for treatment. The expected human life span will likely exceed one hundred years, he suggests.

By 2029, Kurzweil thinks advances in our understanding of DNA information-processing will make many diseases and age-related maladies preventable. He expects that artificial nanoengineered bionic organs will replace failing human body parts, and our life span will rise to around 120 years.

Kurzweil believes by the year 2099, there will be no clear distinction between humans and computers, and "life expectancy [will] no longer [be] a viable term in relation to intelligent beings."

Above illustration: Getty Images

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