Medicine: Fivescore, No More

Hopes that medical progress may prolong human life far beyond the 100-year mark are unrealistic. So said New York University’s Dr. Morris Rockstein before the Gerontological Society in Cleveland last week. Despite advances already made, a person of 65 now has only a slightly greater life expectancy than one of the same age had in the past. Also, the fact that few people live much beyond the 100 mark indicates that this is “close to the potential maximum for the majority of human beings.”