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Now that I’m starting my new series, Theories of Aging, I thought I would end the Killing Death Series. As you can see in the image above, I’ve discussed how, and if, all the manners of death on Alaska’s death certificate could be eliminated. The last manner of death is “could not be determined.” There are certain events we expect will happen, but we can’t determine what the outcomes might be. They might have small impacts, or large ones.

Just a few potential causes of death follow:

• Some of our worst enemies are the smallest. We think we’ve conquered bacteria with antibiotics, but bacteria could start to resist antibiotics.
• What about new viruses like SARS, MERS, and Avian Influenza?
• Is anyone in power today willing to use nuclear weapons? (Science fiction from the cold war still feels relevant sometimes.)
• What about climate change?
• I grew up in Salt Lake City near a fault zone and they always told us “the big one” was on it’s way. While we’re getting better at predicting earthquakes, Utah hasn’t had one in a while. How prepared are we? Other natural disasters are equally difficult to predict and survive.

To close the series, I think it’s impossible to end all death. It would be impossible to eliminate all accidents, murders, suicides, and natural disasters. Yet some natural causes of death might be overcome, maybe even all of them.  That’s why the Killing Death Series gives way to the Theories of Aging series. Many diseases and causes of death are linked to aging, and since my novel is about people who rejuvenate and have the possibility of living forever, my research has taken me deep into studies about aging . Stay tuned and we’ll go there next.