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Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

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Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#221

Post by goldfeld »

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #139
julespitt wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't "make it for everyone" before you figure out how to make it in the first place.

Then fund a nonprofit research agency rather than a for-profit productizing company. Lots of countries have public healthcare systems who could administer life-extension treatments universally if they're not locked down and treated as proprietary, for-profit products!

Just like the internet, right? A great philantropic endeavour planned for all. Get real, real research doesn't happen in a vacuum, it happens for profit or some advantage. And then it trickles down not because the research funders pass it on, but because market dynamics eventually make it inevitable. So you'd rather the internet hadn't happened? The industrial revolution too? Well let's just head right back to stone age where everyone gets a chance at cracking each other's skull, that's where it's at.

Sorry if I'm being harsh, but seriously, "make it for everyone"? Who is that even directed at, god? It's not like post-scarcity and immortality will be the work of Larry Page or anyone in isolation who could take it upon themselves to do it altruistically.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#222

Post by eli_gottlieb »

enraged_camel wrote: post #209
eli_gottlieb wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simple: indefinite lifespan for the members of tiny minority Group A will turn them into a ruling elite even if they're not one already. You can't separate the issue of lifespan from social hierarchy.

Okay, let's attach numbers to the scenario. Assume there are 1 million people in Group A and 990 million people in Group B. By voting no, you just condemned 900,000 people in Group A to eventually die, simply because you wanted to prevent them from becoming the ruling elite. Stated differently, you had the power to prevent 900,000 deaths (and in fact many more than that, moving forward), and you chose not to because…

Surely it is better for people to not die - to not cease to exist - even if that means they rise to the top of the social hierarchy?

Not unless they're going to be benevolent rulers, no.

I will not grant people immortal life so that they can make everyone else's lives into a living hell.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#223

Post by arg01 »

enraged_camel wrote: post #209
eli_gottlieb wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simple: indefinite lifespan for the members of tiny minority Group A will turn them into a ruling elite even if they're not one already. You can't separate the issue of lifespan from social hierarchy.

Okay, let's attach numbers to the scenario. Assume there are 1 million people in Group A and 990 million people in Group B. By voting no, you just condemned 900,000 people in Group A to eventually die, simply because you wanted to prevent them from becoming the ruling elite. Stated differently, you had the power to prevent 900,000 deaths (and in fact many more than that, moving forward), and you chose not to because…

There have been several times in human history where the majority have decided it would be best if the 'elite' should have their lifespans shortened. Arguably with positive results.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#226

Post by dragonwriter »

tomw1808 wrote: post #224

Wow, sounds like Monsanto for Nerds.

> Wow, sounds like Monsanto for Nerds.

Its more like Genentech (at least in focal domain) than Monsanto, but "Genentech for Nerds" would be still just be Genentech -- who, incidentally, shares its Chairman with Calico.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#227

Post by kaws »

Wow! This reminds me of a comment I saw on HN, or maybe it was a blog post about either Google's Project Loon, or Google Glass. I can't seem to find a link or the actual author, but they essentially said:

"What I care about is that Google has become a machine that turns advertising dollars into fundamentally groundbreaking new projects like Google Glass, Project Loon, and self-driving cars. They’re not just trying to make money: they’re trying to use that money on far-fetched moon-shot projects with the chance to be genuinely revolutionary. I admire that."

Now they are investing in a new realm where they are "excited about tackling aging and illness." Google's ambition, and vision is inspiring! Hopefully we see some innovation in this sector from this investment.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#228

Post by eli_gottlieb »

goldfeld wrote: post #221
eli_gottlieb wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then fund a nonprofit research agency rather than a for-profit productizing company. Lots of countries have public healthcare systems who could administer life-extension treatments universally if they're not locked down and treated as proprietary, for-profit products!

Just like the internet, right? A great philantropic endeavour planned for all. Get real, real research doesn't happen in a vacuum, it happens for profit or some advantage. And then it trickles down not because the research funders pass it on, but because market dynamics eventually make it inevitable. So you'd rather the internet hadn't happened? The industrial revolution too? Well let's just head right back to stone…

Just like the internet, right? A great philantropic endeavour planned for all.

You mean a government-funded research program that took place in academia and released its results under open licensing, thus allowing a hacker-ethic of free contribution and usage?

Because that's how the internet happened, actually. Do remember that the Mosaic web browser was invented by Tim Burners-Lee at CERN while on public payroll, it was released under free licensing, and the whole infrastructure spread precisely because it was decentralized and open.

The internet versus the App Store is an excellent example of why we want publicly-funded, open-access research initiatives, not private profit-mongering.

Sorry if I'm being harsh, but seriously, "make it for everyone"? Who is that even directed at, god? It's not like post-scarcity and immortality will be the work of Larry Page or anyone in isolation who could take it upon themselves to do it altruistically.

Well, if God is listening, I'd certainly like Him to consider that He should come down and issue a few ethical guidelines before we start stomping all over His Creation trying to overpower Him!

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#229

Post by lukev »

eropple wrote: post #215
lukev wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A world in which anti-aging technology exists is strictly superior to a world in which anti-aging technology does not exist, regardless of who has access to it. Of course, universal access is far better , and we should keep that in mind, but if it takes profit-motivated corporations to bring the technology into existence in the first place, then so be it.

Serious question: what makes such a world inherently better if that's limited only to people in the position to exploit others? Because I personally think that's the likely scenario. Giving the rich the tools to exploit the rest of us even further seems pretty foolish. Likely, even inevitable--but no less foolish.

Inventing effective anti-aging is much, much harder than subverting a power structure (either by pirating the drug formula or by revolution.)

Therefore, if you stipulated that such an invention could only happen if it started off in the hands of the powerful, I would still take that bargain.

Re: Google announces Calico, a new company that will focus on health and well-being

#230

Post by robotresearcher »

bsullivan01 wrote: post #200
clicks wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your snark is unnecessary and very misplaced. This will result in a significant thought paradigm shift in all things health-related, and it's a great thing that a company with as many resources and as high of a profile as Google is looking into this. Google is a company that is making self-driving cars, providing incredibly fast internet to consumers, providing Internet to suffering areas with a new idea (the Loon),…

what Jrockway said https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6407580 But your comments are factually wrong. None of Google's products you mention are new or really that much better (so far.) >> Google is a company that is making self-driving cars So is every major car manufacturer out there. Who's ahead of the game? I don't know because Google gets all the press and fawning from fanboys--like you. ">>providing incredibly…

> Who's ahead of the [self-driving car] game? I don't know because Google gets all the press and fawning from fanboys--like you.

It's Google. They have the right people, the right ideas, the resources, and they started first. Source: I'm a prof in a related field with graduated PhD students at Google.

The Google cars get press because they are really very good.

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