IN GREEK mythology, who fell in love with Eos, goddess of the dawn. Eos begged Zeus to grant her lover eternal life. Perfidious Zeus made Tithonus immortal, but did not grant him eternal youth. As Tithonus aged, he became increasingly debilitated and demented, eventually driving Eos to distraction with his constant babbling.
Tithonus’s fate now threatens us all. We can look forward to an ever-increasing lifespan, but at the cost of progressive enfeeblement, ill health and dementia.
Until about 200 years ago, the average human lifespan was about 30 years. People died young, and they…
