William B. Schwartz

William B. Schwartz is a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, a fellow at the Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics, and the author of Life Without Disease: The Pursuit of Medical Utopia. In the following viewpoint, Schwartz predicts that advances in medical research could increase average human life expectancy to well over 120 years. Because such a development would result in fewer deaths, but no fewer births, he warns that it could result in a population explosion.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does the author say is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population?
2. According to Schwartz, how might scientists be able to prevent programmed cell death?
3. What does the author believe is the most likely near- term response...