| > Wouldn't parasites be a constant factor in the death rate? How do you explain an exponentially rising death rate? I don't think the death gene works that way. It doesn't just turn on and poof! you're dead at the exact time specified. More like a factor that controls average life span, which would result in an exponentially rising death rate. Recent research suggests it's something in the blood. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/04/can-we-revers... > If you have bacteria in your bloodstream you're already in septic shock, infections can't explain, say, heart disease or most types of cancer. Those disorders may be caused by parasites, we simply don't know. But even if they aren't ... they simply wouldn't be a part of the equation. I'm not saying this "death gene" determines lifespan absolutely. It determines it on average. Other shit can still go wrong. Like a lion might eat you. |