Aging is a paradox. A squirrel can live for up to 20 years, while the rat only for 2, and we do not know why. Birds and bats live very long for their body sizes. The termite queen can live for many decades, while the worker termite is short-lived while having the same genome. Naked mole rats are barely age at all, while some carnivorous marsupials and Pacific salmons die very soon after reproduction, and we don't know why either.

Aging is a routine part of our existence but it does not have a scientific definition. We know that bad things happen to organisms as they age, but what exactly happens and why, remains obscure. If we ask different experts what aging is, they will give us different answers. The consensus around this question is missing. In this seminar, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the mainstream models explaining the evolution of aging. Peter will present his alternative model, which suggests that aging evolved as an adaptive mechanism to control the spread of infectious diseases.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84240186900