Science News

Life is full of choices, not only for people but also for the cells that we’re made of. Scientists in Manchester are studying a simple life form to uncover the basis of cells’ choices, as Michael Regnier reports.

If humans became immortal, the species would be at a biological disadvantage, says evolutionary biologist Andre Martins of Brazil's University of Sao Paolo. In a computer simulation which pits an immortal species against one which prunes its population, the species that grows old "can drive immortal competitors to extinction," writes Martins. "This counter-intuitive result arises from the pruning caused by the death of elder individuals. When there is change and mutation, each generation is slightly better adapted to the new conditions."

These four core lessons—embrace your difficulties, let your heart be broken, hold no resentments, and dwell in the present moment—represent just some of the wisdom conveyed to us by those who are facing the end of life. When viewed together, these lessons actually describe for us a way of being in the world, a perspective on life that propels us toward wholeness, integrity, creativity, and awareness. At a time when we stand at the edge of disaster, uncertain of our future, it is imperative that we listen to the teachers who have gone before us to brave the unknown. Their message is actually simple: focus only on the things that are most important while there is still time to make a difference. The solutions to the problems we face are already within us. We have only to bring our energy and attention to them. Let the lessons from the dying become our guidebook, our map for the uncharted territory that lies ahead.