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Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

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Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#31

Post by reasonattlm »

pen2l wrote: post #23

There was this interesting article which talks about some scientists suggesting an upper age limit: http://www.nature.com/news/human-age-limit-claim-sparks-deba... There are lots of disagreements and debate about the science of extending the life span, so there is probably not going to be much fruitful results in the near future. For the short term, you could extend your life by: 1) having a low calorie diet, 2) avoi…

This was very much a case of a researcher finding an unnecessarily provocative way of saying that medical technology to date hasn't done much for the processes important in late-stage aging. Which is true. There's only one therapy recently in clinical trials to clear the transthyretin amyloid that appears to be the major cause of death in the oldest people. No other therapy really even touches that form of age-related proteopathy. So the present situation is quite consistent with the appearance of a maximum to human life span, and will continue to be so until such time as the medical research and development community actually start to meaningfully address the forms of damage and waste accumulation that cause high late life mortality.

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#33

Post by Animats »

melling wrote: post #10
ucaetano wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, he's just afraid of dying.

“We don’t expect people to be living to 150 years, even in the wildest version of success,” he said. “But we do expect people to live free of a variety of chronic diseases.”" You didn't read the article, just posting the typical "anti-aging" comment, right? The idea is to be relatively healthy in your old age, not necessarily extend your life by much beyond what the human body can currently live, if it remains free o…

The idea is to be relatively healthy in your old age, not necessarily extend your life by much beyond what the human body can currently live, if it remains free of disease.

That's a futile approach. What's needed is to suppress the biological changes that come with aging. Aging is a timeout, not a wearout. This is clear because there are diseases which accelerate aging, and the same steps happen, but faster.[1]

[1] http://www.sciencealert.com/biologists-discover-key-mechanis...

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#35

Post by skeletor_999 »

meerkats1 wrote: post #8

I would love to get involved with a company like this, however I am only a software engineer with no background in the biological sciences. Is there a feasible path that does not involve going back to school for many years? I am not afraid of learning new things or doing the hard work I'd need to do, I just feel like that route would be highly inefficient. I would really like to contribute towards meaningfully extend…

I'm a grad student studying a field known as bioinformatics. Basically, we come in to do the computer work for the biologists. We are in very high demand, as most biological research today generates huge quantities of data, and most biologists don't have the skills to deal with it.

The good news for someone like you is that I've met a number of people with a lot of experience in the computer side of things but little to no biology knowledge. There are in fact a lot of projects that could benefit from a good programmer/data analyst even if they don't know much biology. A lot of bioinformaticians just pick up the biology they need to know about their project as they go. Grad school would also be another route. A lot of bioinformatics programs are catered to people lacking either the biology or computer side of things. A good student could get into one of these programs without needing to go back and do a separate undergraduate degree.

I hope that helps! It's too bad that you can't pm people through this site, or I'd have no problems answering any questions if you were interested in hearing more. That said, there are a number of friendly online communities, such as the bioinformatics subreddit.

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#36

Post by radiorental »

M_Grey wrote: post #16
ucaetano wrote: post #3

Funny how as billionaires get older, they start backing anti-aging and life-extension initiatives.

Billionaires are not immune to the terrifying realities of life and death, they're just more likely to delude themselves into thinking that like so many rules, they can beat that too. The result is, on the bright side, that sometimes they do some real good by funding research. The downside is that often they blow that money on extremely expensive snake oil.

> real good by funding research

Like the planet need humans to live longer???

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#37

Post by M_Grey »

mc32 wrote: post #28
M_Grey wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Billionaires are not immune to the terrifying realities of life and death, they're just more likely to delude themselves into thinking that like so many rules, they can beat that too. The result is, on the bright side, that sometimes they do some real good by funding research. The downside is that often they blow that money on extremely expensive snake oil.

But Kurzweil has been banging this drum for a long time. He has means but still isn't near being a billionaire. He just believes.

Sure, most people bang some form of this drum, but when they do people chuckle. When someone starts swinging tens of millions of dollars whiling banging the drum though... people pay attention. For some strange reason though, they stop seeing it for what it is... dazzled by the money as they are.

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#38

Post by alphaoverlord »

reasonattlm wrote: post #31
pen2l wrote: post #23

There was this interesting article which talks about some scientists suggesting an upper age limit: http://www.nature.com/news/human-age-limit-claim-sparks-deba... There are lots of disagreements and debate about the science of extending the life span, so there is probably not going to be much fruitful results in the near future. For the short term, you could extend your life by: 1) having a low calorie diet, 2) avoi…

This was very much a case of a researcher finding an unnecessarily provocative way of saying that medical technology to date hasn't done much for the processes important in late-stage aging. Which is true. There's only one therapy recently in clinical trials to clear the transthyretin amyloid that appears to be the major cause of death in the oldest people. No other therapy really even touches that form of age-relate…

TTR amyloid most certainly is not the or even a major cause of death in older adults. While associated with cardiomyopathy and nephropathy and etc, it's not associated with coronary artery disease, stroke, or cancer - the main drivers of mortality (yes, even in the oldest people).

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#39

Post by waleedka »

pen2l wrote: post #23

There was this interesting article which talks about some scientists suggesting an upper age limit: http://www.nature.com/news/human-age-limit-claim-sparks-deba... There are lots of disagreements and debate about the science of extending the life span, so there is probably not going to be much fruitful results in the near future. For the short term, you could extend your life by: 1) having a low calorie diet, 2) avoi…

My understanding of the upper age limit is that it's the "natural" limit (i.e. if you don't take medicine and gene therapies and such). The goal of these new anti-aging therapies is to raise that natural limit.

Re: Anti-Aging Startup Raises $116M With Bezos Backing

#40

Post by ekianjo »

mc32 wrote: post #28
M_Grey wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Billionaires are not immune to the terrifying realities of life and death, they're just more likely to delude themselves into thinking that like so many rules, they can beat that too. The result is, on the bright side, that sometimes they do some real good by funding research. The downside is that often they blow that money on extremely expensive snake oil.

But Kurzweil has been banging this drum for a long time. He has means but still isn't near being a billionaire. He just believes.

Kurzweil actually not just believes but sells his own snake oil.

http://www.rayandterry.com/

Despite there being no evidence of any effect.

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