--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once DNA acquires the ability to persist…" description: "\"Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. Essentially, our bodies are designed to last long enough to reproduce..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/s-jay-olshansky-11747_ability_once-dna-acquires-the-ability-to-persist_1267106.jpg" --- # Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the… ![“Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. Essentially, our bodies are designed to last long enough to reproduce.” quote by S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/s-jay-olshansky-11747_ability_once-dna-acquires-the-ability-to-persist_1267106.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/s-jay-olshansky-11747_ability_once-dna-acquires-the-ability-to-persist_1267106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/s-jay-olshansky-11747_ability_once-dna-acquires-the-ability-to-persist_1267106.jpg) > “Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. Essentially, our bodies are designed to last long enough to reproduce.” [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If DNA becomes immortal, bodies become expendable, highlighting evolution’s focus on reproduction over longevity. **In simple terms:** Immortal DNA makes bodies disposable. Key Takeaway Consider the ethical limits of life‑extension. Themes ethics biology longevity evolution Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - medical research - policy making - personal health decisions Key Concepts genetics bioethics Questions to Reflect On - Should we pursue indefinite lifespan? - What societal impacts could arise? A Different Perspective Technological limits may prevent true DNA immortality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Acquires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquires/) [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) ## Related quotes > [The miser acquires, yet fears to use his gains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-miser-acquires-yet-fears-to-use-his-gains/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [In truth, he who is not content with what he has would not be content with whatever he acquires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-parthasarathy/in-truth-he-who-is-not-content-with-what-he-has-would-not-be-content/) [Swami Parthasarathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-parthasarathy/) > [Salesforce acquires companies - it has snapped up 55 since 2006 - that are either more innovative or that have pioneered market segments that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/salesforce-acquires-companies-it-has-snapped-up-55-since-2006-that/) [Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/) > [Whatever is spoken of acquires a certain existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/whatever-is-spoken-of-acquires-a-certain-existence/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Labor is one of the processes by which A acquires property for B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/labor-is-one-of-the-processes-by-which-a-acquires-property-for-b/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Having culture means we are the only animal that acquires the rules of its daily living from the accumulated knowledge of our ancestors, rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pagel/having-culture-means-we-are-the-only-animal-that-acquires-the-rules/) [Mark Pagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pagel/) > [The oldest pitcher acquires confidence in his ballclub - he doesn't try to do it all himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/the-oldest-pitcher-acquires-confidence-in-his-ballclub-he-doesn-t-try/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [Organic compounds exist in which a hydrogen atom, joined to the carbon, acquires acid properties as a result of the proximity of certain functional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-grignard/organic-compounds-exist-in-which-a-hydrogen-atom-joined-to-the-carbon/) [Victor Grignard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-grignard/) > [Writing for me is quite a plastic form, a kind of mental sculpture, although that sounds weird. 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You cannot reproduce Lula; and you will always have to count him in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-haddad/lula-is-off-the-charts-you-cannot-reproduce-lula-and-you-will-always/) [Fernando Haddad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-haddad/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The right to live does not connote the right of each man to reproduce his kind ... As we lessen the stringency of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pearson/the-right-to-live-does-not-connote-the-right-of-each-man-to-reproduce/) [Karl Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pearson/) > [“To reproduce your life is to convert it into tangible products for the benefit of humanity. To reproduce your life is to impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/to-reproduce-your-life-is-to-convert-it-into-tangible-products-for/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) ## More by S. Jay Olshansky > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [What we know for sure from our work and from others' is that mice have a life span of 1,000 days, dogs have 5,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/what-we-know-for-sure-from-our-work-and-from-others-is-that-mice-have/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The modern rise of Alzheimer's Disease in the twentieth century is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of success. Success in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-modern-rise-of-alzheimer-s-disease-in-the-twentieth-century-is/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As soon as a handful of scientists come up with an intervention shown to influence aging in other species, they begin selling it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-soon-as-a-handful-of-scientists-come-up-with-an-intervention-shown/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/reducing-caloric-intake-is-the-only-proven-method-of-extending-life/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-m-not-sure-the-least-educated-members-of-the-population-are-missing/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [People pushing the idea that everyone can live to be 100 are perpetuating a myth that goes all the way back to the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/people-pushing-the-idea-that-everyone-can-live-to-be-100-are/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I have little doubt that gerontologists will eventually find a way to avoid, or more likely, delay, the unpleasantries of extended life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-have-little-doubt-that-gerontologists-will-eventually-find-a-way-to/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Lifespan extension has never really been a goal of aging science, nor should it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/lifespan-extension-has-never-really-been-a-goal-of-aging-science-nor/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Death is a zero sum game for which there is no cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/death-is-a-zero-sum-game-for-which-there-is-no-cure/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The Faustian trade of the 20th century was, we got 30 years of additional life, but in return we got heart disease, cancer, stroke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-faustian-trade-of-the-20th-century-was-we-got-30-years-of/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As long as humans have existed, we have always desired to live longer. Every society, every religion, every culture. Of course, they all failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-long-as-humans-have-existed-we-have-always-desired-to-live-longer/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Do we really want to continue to push out the envelope of survival only to see other things crop up that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/do-we-really-want-to-continue-to-push-out-the-envelope-of-survival/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) [Explore all 58 S. Jay Olshansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. 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