The fountain of youth. Real or Myth?

[enterthemadness]

Anyone here think that this is real? No poll (don't know how to make one nor do I care), I want to hear WHY you think it's real or not. And if it's not, do you hope it was real?

I wish the fountain of youth was real. Alas, only ghosts and shadow people are real. Maybe Bigfoot and loch ness monster and Atlantis...but I...I don't know. If it was real....it would be good and bad. People could never age...stay young...and live forever. The bad is that you could go blind, and the Earth would get over populated rather quickly.

Discuss.

 

[War Lord]

Fountain of Youth is not real. It's not likely that humans will be able to create anthing that can keep humans alive for hundreds of years.

 

[MagicPrime]

Perhaps all the things we heard as children to be legends and myths were actually visitations of outer worldy alien races, who's advanced technology left the primitave man in a state of "future-shock" and to cope they came up with our modern concepts of miracles, magic, and pop-rocks. Mmmmm... alien conspiracy pop-rocks....

 

[Majik1387]

I'm pretty sure the fountain is real. As for if it grants eternal youth, I'm pretty sure not.
The way I see it, all myths and legends start off with some truth. I can believe there's a fountain that people think is special in another sense of being. But I'm not sure about the youth part.

 

[Dredg]

fiction

 

[Caliber]

Its fiction but maybe theres a planet out there that has one.

 

[MagicPrime]

The legend has to be based on somthing.

 

[StarWarsAgent]

The fountain of youth is very real. And it's called Water. So enjoy it while you can.

 

[Outsiderzedge]

The mythical fountain of youth was probably based on some real fountain, but I highly doubt that it had the ability to extend human life.

As for whether a real "fountain of youth" will ever exist, there are two basic mechanisms by which we all age. The first is a wear-and-tear model, explained primarily by the free radical theory of aging, which simply states that we rust out like cars; our molecules increasingly oxidize from oxygen and other substances which generate free radicals. Eventually most of us succumb to age-associated diseases caused by accumulating damage to DNA, proteins, and membranes of which our cells are composed.

But it is the second mechanism which sets the current limit to human longevity of around 120 years. This limit is determined by genetic mechanisms. Our genetic clock consists of repeating sequences of DNA found on the end of each chromosome. These ends get shorter every time a cell in our body divides, and when the ends get short enough, the cells lose the ability to divide further and eventually die.

Both of these processes are completely controllable, both the slowing down of free radical damage to reduce the risk of age-associated disease, and the regrowing of the shortening sequences of DNA so that we may be able to extend our lifespan indefinitely.

Don't hold your breath for it though. Only the wealthy and powerful will have access to this line of medicine. heh heh heh

 

[Erzengel]

The fountain of youth is allegedly located in St. Augustine Florida. It's located at an attraction of the same name "discovered" by Ponce De Leon. The fountain of youth is a well that tourists can drink from. It pretty much tastes like what you can expect from a well, "minerally".

 

[Charlie No-One]

Fountain of Youth's powers are not real, but the Fountain is real.

 

[Darthphere]

Yummers.

 

[Joker]

It's a myth. And it's a good thing it is too, because do you have any idea how overpopulated the planet would be if everyone had access to a fountain that granted eternal life?

 

[Darthphere]

It's a myth. And it's a good thing it is too, because do you have any idea how overpopulated the planet would be if everyone had access to a fountain that granted eternal life?

Or the wars it would start.