The article discusses the maintenance of protein synthesis accuracy and its relevance to aging. The author, L. E. Orgel, argues that the accumulation of transcription errors in protein synthesis can lead to a paradoxical error catastrophe, where the error frequency in the protein-synthesizing system increases exponentially over time. This is because each error in the system induces a specific family of errors in the synthesized proteins, leading to a cumulative effect. The initial error frequency depends on the amino acids involved and the environment of the peptide. The article suggests that genetic selection for proteins with low error frequencies and selective scavenging of incorrect proteins might help avoid the error catastrophe. However, these methods may not be sufficient, and a selection based on the accuracy of protein synthesis at the cellular or higher level is necessary. The author proposes experiments to study the effects of specific amino acid analogues on protein synthesis errors in microorganisms and mice, and discusses the role of selection in higher organisms to prevent the error catastrophe. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to understand the mechanisms that maintain protein synthesis accuracy and their potential role in aging.The article discusses the maintenance of protein synthesis accuracy and its relevance to aging. The author, L. E. Orgel, argues that the accumulation of transcription errors in protein synthesis can lead to a paradoxical error catastrophe, where the error frequency in the protein-synthesizing system increases exponentially over time. This is because each error in the system induces a specific family of errors in the synthesized proteins, leading to a cumulative effect. The initial error frequency depends on the amino acids involved and the environment of the peptide. The article suggests that genetic selection for proteins with low error frequencies and selective scavenging of incorrect proteins might help avoid the error catastrophe. However, these methods may not be sufficient, and a selection based on the accuracy of protein synthesis at the cellular or higher level is necessary. The author proposes experiments to study the effects of specific amino acid analogues on protein synthesis errors in microorganisms and mice, and discusses the role of selection in higher organisms to prevent the error catastrophe. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to understand the mechanisms that maintain protein synthesis accuracy and their potential role in aging.