Close Menu
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

The Backbone Pro Is A Decent Upgrade To Arguably The Best Mobile Controller

9 May 2025

LG’s best OLED TV of 2024 is on sale for $1,000 off today

9 May 2025

Here’s How to Claim Up to $100 in Apple’s Siri Settlement

9 May 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Just In
  • The Backbone Pro Is A Decent Upgrade To Arguably The Best Mobile Controller
  • LG’s best OLED TV of 2024 is on sale for $1,000 off today
  • Here’s How to Claim Up to $100 in Apple’s Siri Settlement
  • Ex-Bungie Developers Create TeamLFG, A New PlayStation Studio
  • The best video game remasters of all time
  • Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement Apart
  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Key Features, Accessories Leak Online Ahead of May 13 Launch
  • Mafia: The Old Country Gets New Gameplay Trailer, Developer Diary, And August Launch Date
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release
Subscribe
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
Home » ‘We Are Not Programmed to Die,’ Says Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan
News

‘We Are Not Programmed to Die,’ Says Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan

News RoomBy News Room15 April 20253 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the man of death. Although this does not sound like a good moniker, it is: Ramakrishnan is one of the world’s most eminent scientists in the fields of structural biology and cellular processes related to aging and death. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his discovery of the structure of the ribosome, a crucial cellular machine responsible for gene expression.

In addition to being a leading researcher, Ramakrishnan is also a prolific author. After the enormous success of The Gene Machine, a memoir in which he recounts his human and scientific journey, he published the mighty Why We Die, a book—as its name suggests—dedicated precisely to illustrating the dynamics that regulate aging and which, progressively and inexorably, lead to death.

Ramakrishnan was recently in Italy, in Milan, where he gave a lecture at the second edition of the Milan Longevity Summit, the most important Italian event dedicated to longevity and psycho-physical well-being, organized by BrainCircle Italia. It was an opportunity to meet him and ask him a few questions. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

WIRED: Professor Ramakrishnan, the crucial question in your book is why we die. But exactly what is death?

Venki Ramakrishnan: By death, we mean the irreversible loss of the ability to function as a coherent individual. It is the result of the failure of a critical system or apparatus, for example, heart, brain, lung, or kidney failure. In this sense there is an apparent paradox: When our organism, as a whole, is alive, millions of cells within us are constantly dying, and we do not even realize it. On the other hand, at the time of death, most of the cells in our bodies are still alive, and entire organs are still functioning and can be donated to people in need of transplantation. But at that point the body has lost the ability to function as a whole. In this sense, it is therefore important to distinguish between cell death and death of the individual.

Speaking of death and aging, you say in your most recent book that you “wanted to offer an objective look at our current understanding of the two phenomena.” What was the biggest surprise or most deeply held belief that you had to reconsider while writing and researching this work?

There have been several surprises, actually. One is that death, contrary to what one might think, is not programmed by our genes. Evolution does not care how long we live, but merely selects the ability to pass on our genes, a process known as “fitness” in evolutionary biology. Thus, the traits that are selected are those that help us survive childhood and reproduce. And it is these traits, later in life, that cause aging and decline.

Another curious finding was the fact that aging is not simply due to wear and tear on cells. Wear and tear happens constantly in all living things, yet different species have very different lifespans. Instead, lifespan is the result of a balance between the expenditure of resources needed to keep the organism functioning and repairing it and those needed to make it grow, mature, and keep it healthy until it reproduces and nurtures offspring.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleMotorola Edge 60 Stylus With Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, Built-In Stylus Launched in India
Next Article Start drawing today: get your Simply Draw 7-day free trial

Related Articles

News

LG’s best OLED TV of 2024 is on sale for $1,000 off today

9 May 2025
News

Here’s How to Claim Up to $100 in Apple’s Siri Settlement

9 May 2025
News

The best video game remasters of all time

9 May 2025
News

Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement Apart

9 May 2025
News

Activision is escalating its fight against cheaters in Call of Duty

9 May 2025
News

US Customs and Border Protection Plans to Photograph Everyone Exiting the US by Car

9 May 2025
Demo
Top Articles

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202493 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202482 Views

5 laptops to buy instead of the M4 MacBook Pro

17 November 202457 Views

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News
News

Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement Apart

News Room9 May 2025
Phones

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Key Features, Accessories Leak Online Ahead of May 13 Launch

News Room9 May 2025
Gaming

Mafia: The Old Country Gets New Gameplay Trailer, Developer Diary, And August Launch Date

News Room9 May 2025
Most Popular

The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman

13 January 2025118 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202493 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202482 Views
Our Picks

Ex-Bungie Developers Create TeamLFG, A New PlayStation Studio

9 May 2025

The best video game remasters of all time

9 May 2025

Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement Apart

9 May 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Best in Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.