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This all feels like the Ocean's 11 version of biotech The straight laced CEO as foil with an amazing reputation and a ticking biological clock (1) The mad scientist known for mixing human and monkey embryos (2) The beautiful and brilliant husband & wife whiz kid team (3) All funded by the secretive Russian billionaire with questionable fortune originations (4) Grabbing the popcorn (1) https://altoslabs.com/team/execu…
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.
Now, perhaps some day in the future we'll have learned enough about how the brain works to keep it alive simply by continuing to supply blood and emulating/simulating the nervous system to allow the person to continue to exist within a virtual environment (or simply via an ipad on some motorized wheels). Some work has been done on the 'staying alive' front[1] but it's very unlikely this sort of biotech matures to work on Humans within the next 50-100 years.
0: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1040079/life-expectancy-...
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 another less popular view I have is that many of these people have spent all their life focusing on the things of the world and the money and the grind and the etc, etc. Their focus is on the work the money the grind and so they simply want to continue getting a return on their investment without having it get interrupted by something as pesky as death.
After all no matter who you are Stalin or a poor Russian peasant death is the great equalizer and comes for us all eventually, at which point all the grind, all the work, all the money, doesn't make much different when you are lying in the hospital bed taking your last breaths. The only thing you have at that point is to reflect on your life and what you've done. It is a sobering thought.
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.
[0] https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/04/1034364/altos-la...
Isn;t one of the problems that not everyone is a net benefit to society so if they already cause 70 years of disturbance, who would want them living another 70? It;s one thing for an Elon Musk type who has loads to do and never wants to die but I can't really see this happening unless, I guess, it is an option. "Dear Mr Smith, you are getting a bit old and to be honest, you haven't made a great stab at life. However…
"Thank you, sir," said the hostess. "Your city thanks you; your country thanks you; your planet thanks you. But the deepest thanks of all is from all of the future generations."
However, I have not heard of even a 10 year old lab mouse that has the health of a young mouse. Isn’t that a bad sign we can’t even slow aging (beyond fractional amounts) in a mouse?
You can do lots, such as diet and exercise, to live better and longer, but nobody does. We want a magic pill.