Is evolution too smart to cure aging?

Is evolution too smart to cure aging?

Aubrey de Grey (Chairman, Methuselah Foundation) gives expert video advice on: Why should we defy aging?; Are there any organziations who oppose anti-aging treatments?; Why would I want to live longer if I am old and frail? and more...

Some people say, "well, you know, evolution would have eliminated aging if it were possible to do so, therefore, we're kidding ourselves in thinking that we might actually be able to do so." But that's wrong, for two reasons. Evolution certainly is really, really smart - much smarter than us. But, it has fewer tools than us: it only has one trick, which is selection between spontaneous mutations. And, what's even more important is, evolution has different objectives than what we have. Evolution is interested in maintaining genes from one century to the next. But, it can do that either by maintaining the organisms that have the genes from one century to the next, or, by making those organisms have offspring that carry the same genes forward. And, it turns out that from evolution's point of view, it was a lot easier to take this reproductive approach, taking genes forward from one generation to the next. But we, who have a certain amount of appreciation of the value of individual life, are perfectly entitled to adopt a different approach.