Brave Old World
The Reith Lectures
BBC
4.2 • 770 Ratings
🗓️ 4 April 2001
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tom Kirkwood, Professor of Medicine and head of the Department of Gerontology at the University of Newcastle presents the first of five Reith Lectures investigating new insights from the frontiers of science and the choices and decisions we face in the uncharted territories of a greying world.
In his first lecture, recorded at the Royal Institution, Professor Kirkwood explores the revolution in human longevity. Science, he says, has new things to tell us about the process of ageing. We know now that ageing is neither inevitable nor necessary. We now understand that our cells are not programmed with some unavoidable sell-by date; we are not programmed to die.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is a podcast from the archives of the BBC Reith Lectures. |
| 0:04.4 | This lecture in the series The End of Age, given by Tom Kirkwood, was originally broadcast in 2001. |
| 0:15.5 | Good evening and welcome to the Royal Institution in London. |
| 0:18.8 | Our wreath lecturer for 2001 is Tom Kirkwood, |
| 0:22.6 | Professor of Medicine and Head of Gerontology at Newcastle University. |
| 0:26.8 | His subject is the science of aging. |
| 0:29.6 | His argument that aging is not inevitable. |
| 0:32.8 | Science, he says, can offer us the beginnings of that age-old human dream living forever. But can it? |
| 0:39.3 | And if it can, do we want it after all? To accompany this year's lectures, the BBC has commissioned |
| 0:44.6 | a Gallup poll exploring our attitudes towards ageing. It has to be said we seem to be rather |
| 0:50.0 | confused. Nearly three quarters of us, 74%, don't think scientists should keep trying to |
| 0:56.1 | increase the span of human life. On the other hand, nearly half of us, 45%, would like to live |
| 1:02.1 | to be 100. I wonder what our audience here think. With us, a scientist, doctors, voluntary |
| 1:07.8 | workers, and many others whose work daily touches on these questions. |
| 1:12.2 | Later on, I'll be inviting them to debate the issues raised here tonight. |
| 1:16.6 | First, our lecturer, by no means old himself, he's in his 40s just. |
| 1:22.2 | Tom Kirkwood has been fascinated by the subject of old age ever since he was a young researcher. |
| 1:29.0 | In this series of five lectures, he'll explain the science behind his ideas and the impact they're likely to have |
| 1:34.7 | on our society. He'll be talking to audiences around the UK and in America and will reach an |
| 1:40.3 | international audience via our website. So, ladies and gentlemen, may I ask you to welcome |
| 1:45.8 | the Reith Lecturer 2001, Professor Tom Kirkwood. |
| 2:03.4 | Good evening. |
... |
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