the new science of growing old---and what it means for staying young Mitteldorf, Josh creator author. Sagan, Dorion 1959- author. text bibliography nyu 2016 2016 First edition. monographic eng

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viii, 326 pages : illustration ; 24 cm " A revolutionary examination of why we age, what it means for our health, and how we just might be able to fight it. In Cracking the Aging Code, theoretical biologist Josh Mitteldorf and award-winning writer and ecological philosopher Dorion Sagan reveal that evolution and aging are even more complex and breathtaking than we originally thought. Using meticulous multidisciplinary science, as well as reviewing the history of our understanding about evolution, this book makes the case that aging is not something that "just happens," nor is it the result of wear and tear or a genetic inevitability. Rather, aging has a fascinating evolutionary purpose: to stabilize populations and ecosystems, which are ever-threatened by cyclic swings that can lead to extinction. When a population grows too fast it can put itself at risk of a wholesale wipeout. Aging has evolved to help us adjust our growth in a sustainable fashion as well as prevent an ecological crisis from starvation, predation, pollution, or infection. This dynamic new understanding of aging is provocative, entertaining, and pioneering, and will challenge the way we understand aging, death, and just what makes us human. "-- Josh Mitteldorf and Dorion Sagan. Includes bibliographical references and index. Aging Physiological aspects SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology / Molecular Biology QP86 .M585 2016 612.6/7 SCI027000 SCI049000 9781250061706 (hardback) 2016001602 DLC 160324 20220407152614.0 19029767 eng