Science is just the method by which technological advancements are achieved, it doesn’t decide the priorities. That privilege falls to capital, and by extension, capitalists.
First and foremost, priorities are set by reality.
Extending a dog’s lifespan by 60 years would be a very high demand product and could be sold for much more than what smartphones cost. If it was feasible, it would have already been done.
Flying would be a very high demand service and could be sold for much more than what a train ticket costs. If it was feasible, it would have already been done.
- someone 150 years ago
I appreciate you are setting up a sort of platonic ideal of what science is but I think its important to deal with the real people and processes that science is performed by and we would be doing ourselves a disservice if we fail to acknowledge how those people and processes have often worked hand in hand with capitalist and colonial projects. We need to be introspective about how those choices have influenced the science (and the methods!) that’s been done. We, as scientists, engineers and science appreciators need to do this work so we can make different and better choices.
Somewhat related, there is a vaccine for cats in the works meant to prevent feline chronic kidney disease. If successful it could massively increase the lifespan of domestic cats.
That killed my childhood cat. Would be awesome for future kids to not experience what I did.
Kind of seems like losing a pet is an important part of growing up tbh.
Kind of doesn’t.
I dunno accepting death as an inevitability seems important since since we otherwise struggle hard to ignore it in western culture and by extension can create a lot of suffering.
A pet doesn’t need to die for that. If you look around… Death is everywhere!
[Starts singing and dancing a musical number down the street]
Accepting death is an important part of growing up, but no animal deserves to die just to be a goddamn teachable moment
If successful it could
Wanna bet what capitalism is going to say about that?
That would be amazing. They can already live so long. To think, you might be able to have a cat with you for most of your adult life.
This makes me very happy, thank you for sharing!
I’m literally having my 19 year old cat put down tomorrow due to kidney disease and I very much wish for him to feel young and healthy again. It sucks.
Sorry for your loss mate
Unpopular opinion: There are already way too many domestic cats and they are responsible for the extinction of various species, mostly birds. They are amongst the most problematic invasive species in the world. Its probably not a good idea to increase their lifespan…
Popular opinion: I love cats
One of my family cats is currently at the end of her life due to kidney disease. It really sucks, glad they’re doing something about it. Now if only they could do the same for dogs.
Who stop at 60? Immortal dogs!
This is your father’s dog. An elegant puppy for a more civilised age. Take care of it, you and your descendents, for it will outlive you all.
Oh wait, now I realised that’s basically r2d2
I think I prefer that my dog dies before I do. Being a King Charles spaniel it’ll probably just sit by my rotting corpse until it dies from hunger.
Aw, poor little guy. But that’s why you have children - they grow up and the family dog inherits them.
Oh wait, now I realised that’s basically r2d2
Is that a bad thing?
Just wait till it pukes up a lightsaber at you
R2, stop licking the lightsabers, you’ll get a hairball!
R2! Hold still while I give you this oil bath! Oh no, he’s run off to the desert again to find Old Ben.
“Captain! All the other droids died, but this little one fixed the ship and saved us!” “Be careful in the future though, it says 8 out of 9 lives left.”
R2D2 is a cat.
They already made it possible to clone your dog, just do that! Same shit
Call him Theseus
Some scientists actually are working on this. I haven’t read this article in particular, but it was near the top of a search.
tl;dr is that there may soon be a drug available which can extend the lives of large dogs.
“That’ll be $293,763.”
Amazing! I can’t wait until that’s reality.
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They sure are!
But humans (there is a dig line too actually) are complicated, furst treatments are out aleeady (works not very well, on only on 2 of the 7 base topics IIRC).
Next 10 years will be interesting.
I just want a phone with 24 hour screen-on time. Is that so much to ask for in the day and age of self driving cars?
Why? I have no reason for my phone screen to be on while it’s in my pocket
AOD is a thing yk
I know, my phone has this feature and I think it’s pointless. Why do I need my screen to be on if I’m not using my phone?
So that you have a clock on your desk
My AOD doesn’t show notifications if that’s related to what you’re thinking
Sorry, I’m sure there are other features that you like for this, but just the ones in this thread; long life, always on display, shows the time, sits on a desk, no notifications. That’s a clock. Like, a clock clock. Put a clock on your desk.
