11–20 of 214 posts
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
There have been several companies formed in the past few years whose premise is researching in industry anti-aging or basic science more generally (Calico, Altos Labs, Arcadia, etc.)... Does anyone understand the underlying economics or motivations? They can't be gambles when they raise $B's, and I'm too cynical to believe these are altruistic endeavors. Certainly there is research that cannot be reasonably expected…
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
Head transplants onto monoclonal human bodies grown in a lab. Gestated in chimeric pigs, genetically or surgically decephalized before birth, electronically innervated and artificially sustained until use in science or medicine.
Bodies are O-, HLA neutral, and do not require immunosuppressants.
Transplant beneficiaries receive a new and healthy thymus and immune system, unaged cardiovascular and pulmonary system.
Not only a fix for aging, this would solve heart disease, organ failure, AIDS (flush existing cells), and most non-brain/non-blood cancers. It's the fabled cure all.
Brain age would still be an issue, but with a renewed cardiovascular and immune system it may be prolonged or even rejuvenated to a degree.
The technologies are here today. We just have to assemble them.
After delivering on the health promises, there's all sorts of optimizations. You could give people the body they wanted. Male, female, short, tall, strong, athletic, skinny, tan, whatever. Even transgenic with all sorts of modifications. No body odor, big muscles, fur, new skin and hair colors... there's practically unlimited potential.
If I ever have a billion dollar exit, I'm doing it.
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
But isn't the whole point that you're using the money to bring on the scientists and give them the resources in order to develop the science?
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
Until I watch Altered Carbon, I think it premise of rich capturing the technology and using it to divide haves from have-nots is pretty realistic.
There have been several companies formed in the past few years whose premise is researching in industry anti-aging or basic science more generally (Calico, Altos Labs, Arcadia, etc.)... Does anyone understand the underlying economics or motivations? They can't be gambles when they raise $B's, and I'm too cynical to believe these are altruistic endeavors. Certainly there is research that cannot be reasonably expected…
But also, while a lot of the headlines are about living longer, the research is largely about treating aging as a disease, or at least a cause of diseases like Alzheimer's, etc. Even if you don't actually extend human lifespan, you keep people healthier much longer, which among other things has enormous economic value (people don't required as much expensive medical treatment and can continue to be productive for longer).
“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” – Max Planck[1] Often paraphrased as "Science progresses one funeral at a time." I don't think we really want immortality or unnatural longevity. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_principle
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
There's nothing Silicon Valley billionaires will throw money at faster than the ability to live longer/forever. Makes sense in a way, but pretty much everyone in the field will tell you that the science is simply not there yet. Calico is similarly funded and has been at it for a decade now, with nothing to show for it.
1. Science isn't there so we shouldn't spend billions yet.
Maybe spending billions can advance the science sufficiently?
2. There is a "there" to get to.
People regularly spend millions in healthcare costs to live a few extra years. What is the "there" that we're imagining? Would someone with >$100B not spend $1B to live 10 more years? You don't need a fountain of youth, just more time in a not-terrible state of health to be worth all this investment and more.
3. There is a there to get to.
This isn't like the discovery of fission. It might take a dozen different interventions to provide another decade of life to an individual, or a disjoint set of a dozen interventions to provide another decade of life to people in general. One discovery probably won't cut it, and that's ok.