The Enlightenment of Eternal Life

"Human life is finite. Everyone experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death, but does anyone know why we do?"

On the podium, the professor, nearing seventy, spoke slowly, his voice echoing through the spacious lecture hall via the sound system.

"As we all know, the basic unit of life is the cell. Every one of us here today originated from the division of a single fertilized egg cell."

"One becomes two, two become four, four become eight..."

Below the podium, Chen Chen propped his chin with his hand, idly spinning a ballpoint pen and staring blankly at the projection screen.

"Cells also age and undergo apoptosis. New cells constantly replace the dying ones, and this is the secret to our continuous growth."

"However, this division is not infinite."

"In 1965, Professor Hayflick of Stanford University discovered that human cells cannot replicate themselves more than 57 times. Every cell dies after 56 replications."

"It's as if there's a counter inside the cell, determining when it stops dividing and when a person begins to age..."

"Theoretically, human cells can divide a maximum of 56 times. Calculating through the cell division cycle, a person's maximum lifespan should be around 120 years. This theory is called..."

"Clack!"

Just as he was engrossed, Chen Chen's finger slipped, sending his ballpoint pen flying and falling under the desk.

Chen Chen immediately bent down, reaching for the floor.

"Huh?"

As his head dipped below the desk drawer, his eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of a dark, shadowy light.

Don't ask why light can be black; in that instant of bending down, Chen Chen truly saw a dark light.

He instinctively looked closer.

It was a long, slender object, entirely black, lodged beneath the desk drawer and fitted into a hidden groove.

So, after picking up his pen, Chen Chen stretched his arm out again and fiddled with that spot.

With a slight push, a click was heard, and the black object was successfully dislodged.

"You, the student under the desk, please answer—"

Just then, the professor's voice suddenly came from the podium.

"Pfft!"

A burst of muffled laughter came from his dormmates behind him.

Chen Chen quickly emerged from under the desk, his face flushed with embarrassment.

He glanced at the still-smiling professor, then looked down at his textbook before stammering, "The, the Hayflick Limit?"

"Please sit down."

The professor gestured with his hand, allowing Chen Chen to sit.

The lecture continued.

"At the ends of DNA are structures called 'Telomeres.' These play a crucial role in cell division."

"They are responsible for maintaining chromosome integrity. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten. When telomeres become too short to protect the gene structure, the cell inhibits growth, stops replicating, and enters senescence."

"This is the Hayflick Limit."

As he spoke, the professor turned and quickly wrote "Hayflick Limit" on the blackboard.

Chen Chen, having sat down, breathed a sigh of relief. While the professor's back was turned, he quickly examined the object in his hand.

Emmmm...

One look was enough to kill Chen Chen's interest.

It turned out that the black thing was nothing more than a USB drive.

Unlike typical USB drives, this one was much longer, about twelve to thirteen centimeters, resembling a carbon rod.

Only the USB interface revealed its true nature.

Beyond that, the entire drive was a seamless, jet-black entity, lacking even a brand name or memory capacity indicator.

However, considering its cool design, Chen Chen eventually pocketed the USB drive, intending to examine it back in his dorm.

At this point, the professor continued his lecture: "With current technological levels, cells cannot overcome the Hayflick Limit, but we can find ways around this problem..."

Saying this, the professor wrote five more words on the blackboard:

Eternal Hela.

"You must be wondering, if there was a way to prevent telomeres from wearing down, could our cells achieve Eternal Life?"

"The answer is, yes!"

With excitement, the professor added "Hela Cell Line" beneath "Eternal Hela."

"The Hela Cell Line is a cell strain isolated in 1951 from human cervical cancer tissue. Its contributor was Henrietta Lacks."

"Researchers discovered that the cells collected from Lacks not only didn't die but showed signs of growth, doubling in number every 24 hours."

"Later, it was found that the reason these cells were immortal was due to the RT Tumor Virus that causes cervical cancer. The virus's genes could alter the 'switch' for normal cell lifespan, thus making the cells live forever and proliferate indefinitely."

"In the years that followed, Hela cells were supplied to research institutions across the Federation. They helped scientists achieve cell cloning, were used to investigate the effects of nuclear radiation on the human body, and even traveled on rockets into space to study cell proliferation in a weightless state..."

"According to data from medical and biological databases, as of this year, there are over 65,000 papers related to Hela cells, and the amount of cultured Hela cells exceeds 50 million tons..."

"Thus, the common knowledge known to everyone in later generations arose—cancer cell lines are 'immortal.' As long as they have a suitable culture environment, they can divide indefinitely."

At this point, many students in the audience began to spontaneously applaud, a tribute to the contributor.

"Of course, if we humans were to use this 'switch,' it would be a path to death!"

The professor changed the subject, quieting the applause.

"After all, if the division cycle of cells in our bodies is disrupted and they don't age on schedule, they will transform into malignant tumors, threatening our lives!"

"We humans constantly advance on the path of pursuing truth. As early as the clan society period, the average human lifespan was less than 20 years. By the Middle Ages, it had progressed to 40 years..."

"With the advent of science, human civilization entered a period of rapid development. In just a few decades, the average lifespan in the Earth Federation has approached 80 years!"

"But is this enough?"

"Even if humanity develops to its extreme, it will only reach the 120 years mentioned by the Hayflick Limit, far from achieving Eternal Life. What should we do?"

After a pause, the professor continued.

"Thus, a turning point arrived..."

"In 2002, this 'switch' was finally found. Cambridge University professor John Sulston and two others discovered a genetic regulatory mechanism called 'Programmed Cell Death'."

The professor once again wrote "Programmed Cell Death" on the blackboard and drew a heavy circle around it.

With a snap, the chalk broke due to the excessive force of his finger.

"This discovery shocked the entire medical community because it identified cell death as a physiological, active form of 'suicide,' like a program preordained by fate!"

The professor spread his hands. "In other words, what we thought was natural aging might actually be a genetic defect! If we can repair this defect, there is hope of overcoming aging and achieving Eternal Life!"

A gasp swept through the audience.

As if a brand new door had been opened, Chen Chen's pupils constricted, and he repeated the two magical words under his breath, audible only to himself.

"Eternal Life?"

"Eternal Life..."

"Therefore, as students majoring in biological sciences, you are the generation with the greatest hope of repairing genetic defects."

The professor smiled with anticipation. "Or, you could say, you are the generation closest to Eternal Life in human history!"

The lecture was now nearing its end.

The silver-haired professor took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and concluded with a mixture of anticipation and sigh:

"I must say, regarding the vast sea of truth, we humans still know nothing. Perhaps even the seemingly unattainable dream of Eternal Life is merely the first step in the pursuit of truth..."

"But no matter what, the future belongs to you..."

"Alright, class dismissed!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap...

Enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.