Pushed To The Stars?

The advances made in medical care, public health, and understanding nutrition over the latest two centuries have doubled the average human lifespan.  Continued advances in medicine, such as gene therapy, could push the average lifespan well over one hundred active years.  That's good news, of course, but it also has profound social implications.  The economy would be under new strains to provide for a new class of elderly.  Young people may find establishing careers difficult if people work later and later in life.

Dealing with social policy may ultimately create a civilization that looks out into the universe.  Space colonization may be seen as a safety valve, relieving pressure, creating opportunities for the restless, the ambitious, and the adventurous.  Once space colonies are established, interstellar colonization will be the next step.