The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives (Exponential Technology Series)

by Peter H. Diamandis

Genomic Instability: DNA doesn’t always replicate according to plan. Typically, these errors in gene expression get caught and corrected, but not always. Over time, these misfires build up, causing our body to wear down—meaning genetic instability leads to genetic damage leads to a limit on lifespan. Think of it as a broken copy machine, except, instead of producing unreadable pages, our broken genetic copier produces diseases like cancer, muscular dystrophy, and ALS. Telomere Attrition: At the heart of a cell, DNA is packed into threadlike structures called chromosomes. Chromosomes are capped by telomeres, or short snippets of DNA repeated thousands of times. These repetitions act as barriers—like bumpers on a car—designed to protect the core of the chromosome. But as DNA replicates, telomeres get shorter. At a critical shortness threshold, the cell stops dividing, and we become much more susceptible to disease. Epigenetic Alterations: Nature impacts nurture. Over the course of a lifetime, factors in our environment can change how our genes express, sometimes for the worse. Exposure to carcinogens in the environment can silence the gene that suppresses tumors, for example. These cells start to grow uncontrollably and cancer is the result. Loss of Proteostasis: Inside a cell, proteins run the show. They transport materials, send signals, switch processes on and off, and provide structural support. But proteins become less effective over time, so the body recycles them. Unf...