I was born in 1964. I tell you this because the other day I happened to see a 1964 Mustang in mint-condition. Perhaps because I had just gone out for a long-run and was feeling my age afterwards, I found myself wishing my body could be maintained at the same level as the ‘64 Mustang.
Well, I invite you to read this fascinating article on how much progress is being made in the field of tissue engineering because such a vision of “body” maintenance may soon be possible. Today, researchers are making new bladders and within a few years it is expected that it will be possible to grow new kidneys, livers, arteries and eventually even new hearts.
I don’t dismiss the societal, moral or ethical considerations of this technology but, as a professional futurist, I envision a day in the near future when many of us will be able to exchange body parts as easily as auto mechanics are today able to replace engine parts on a ‘64 Mustang—and keep that baby humming well down the road and into the future.
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