Multics

> Searching for articles with the keyword "hormesis" (a word I first learned in the latest book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, who is not a person with medical training or experience) on the Science-Based Medicine website is instructive.

No it's not! 3 out of the 7 links relate to homeopathy, which the article explicitly states is problematic:

'Association with the problematic science of homeopathy. In the early 20th Century, people who promoted homeopathic medicine were prominent supporters of the concepts of hormesis.'

Your stance is based on an argumentum ab auctoritate. How about constructing an argument, rather than spewing meta-trash talk?

> a word I first learned in the latest book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, who is not a person with medical training or experience

Ergo, hormesis does not exist? Non sequitur.

> The concept of "hormesis" is not well thought out enough or well validated enough with careful measurements to be your guide to your personal health practices. There is better health advice in some of the earlier comments here.

The only prescription of the article was to eat less & exercise more!

> Thank you to the several commenters who have already politely pointed out factual and logical mistakes in this submission.

Agreed. It's called 'discussion'.

> "Essentially there are two rules here: don't post or upvote crap links, and don't be rude or dumb in comment threads."

I don't see how this quote is relevant.

The new location is updated on TPB Wikipedia page — for others' future reference!

Interesting looking book[0]!

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Death

Diseases of ageing include cancers. Healthy ageing == dramatically reduced incidences of cancer.

You should check out longecity.org, if the subject interests you, zo1.

Edit: In particular, the forum! http://www.longecity.org/forum/

New ‘lab-on-a-chip’ could revolutionize early diagnosis of cancer[0]

[0] http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-lab-on-a-chip-could-revolution...

If people donate nothing towards ameliorating diseases of ageing[0], then what's to be expected?

People die. People get sick. Everyone you, and I, know is probably going to suffer and perish.

The poor soul in the blog post sounds like he got struck down in his prime; but rest assured, your time is coming in a matter of decades.

Accept death/disease or do something about it; but don't be shocked when it happens! Statistically, it's going to happen in increasing rates as you, your family, your friends, and everyone you know gets older.

Being blindsided by death is odd. A cognitive bias?: 'It won't happen to me'. But, quite frankly, it most probably will!

[0] http://www.sens.org/

Cool ad hominem, bro.

I agree! Current drugs aren't very effective, and there is a lot of room for upside in future therapies.

There's obviously potential downside, but for people with serious illnesses there's potential upside.

For example: If you've got a disease that's going to kill you and unlikely helped by current medication/therapies, then dying a bit early is a small downside, not dying for however many more decades, on the other hand, is a huge upside.

In this case, the upside/downside is asymmetrical in favour of the upside! It would be logical to take 'under-tested, possibly lethal, drugs'.