My Dear Dew,
There is no one on these boards who I have more respect for than you, but I going to have to disagree with you on this one.
Free radical formation secondary to UV through Cosmic radiation may be important as far as the skin with regards to actinic keratosis, Basal Cell Ca, fine line wrinkling, pigment distribution, etc. I also agree radiation does have some deeper effects on the body and am a firm believer in sun screen and antioxidents. Unfortunately living in a relatively low sunlight environment will not slow down the deeper effects of aging which are more important in terms of appearence.
The model of aging in cosmetic surgery is undergoing a paradyne shift at present. In the past we viewed facial aging as largely a result of descent related to gravity. Our procedures "facelifts" "browlifts" reflected our thinking. Our newer model is based on the idea of deflation. Youthful appearence is characterised by fullness and firmness. As the face ages it is like a balloon which loses air. The folds which develop naturally obey the laws of gravity, but the "descent" is secondary to the "deflation". The deflation is primarily due to loss of bulk in the mesenchymal tissues,ie the fat, muscle and connective tissue. This loss of bulk also results in a decrease in firmness and thickness. The decreased thickness can expose more of the underlying facial skeleton which is also characteristic of aging appearence.
Finally (sorry) If you doubt telemeres are more important than UV light in aging, Please check out Progeria.
I don't have time for the second part of your post right now,the aging vs entropy part, but it also is an interesting point which I promise to reply to.
I remain in the spirit of respect, enlightenment, and fun
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