The fervent interest, across time and culture, to locate a fountain of youth reflects a common dream to travel back to an earlier version of ourselves—one with more quickness of action or thought. As a younger person, I could see the appeal. In my twenties the only thing I associated with aging was disease. I was hip to this connection before much of my cohort, thanks to the early acquisition of a variety of illnesses, which put me on a path that I’ve been on for many years to try and unwind my bodily woes.
In my quest for better health, I stumbled upon the current incarnation of the search for the fountain. Contrary to the approaches taken by early explorers, armed with maps and myths, 21st-century seekers traded telescopes for microscopes, turning the search inward. Making sense of our complex chemistry, scientists have traced out multiple routes that lead to the uncoupling of aging from age—with potentially profound consequences.
For the rest of this essay, see Bloom Magazine