"On Secular Trend to Optimal Life Tables" by Thomas K. Neavins
 

Date of Award

4-1971

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science

Abstract

Since man first set foot on this planet, he has searched for ways and means to prolong his stay. From the time of Hippocrates to the present days of scientists, chemists, and biologists, all humanity has been in a sense preoccupied with this goal. Mass epidemics precipitated by such diseases as smallpox, diphtheria, polio, and scarlet fever have to the most extent been virtually eliminated. With these remarkable feats in medical science, there were many who firmly believed that the expected ultimate life span of man would quickly soar above one hundred years. However, it is one of the contentions of this paper that, in spite of these achievements and man's general upgrading, the expected upper limit of human life has increased very little in the past one hundred and twenty years. It is certainly true that people born today have a longer life expectancy than say those born in 1850. However, as we will illustrate, a man aged 70 or 80 today has about the same chance of reaching age 100 or 105 as did his counterpart of one hundred years ago, fifty years ago, twenty years ago, and even ten years ago.

Comments

An Essay Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Science, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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