Earlier this month, The New Yorker explored the tech industrys obsession with solving death.CreditPHOTOGRAPH BY GRANT CORNETT FOR THE NEW YORKER
Earlier this month,The New Yorkerpublished Silicon Valleys Quest to Live Forever, which explored the tech industrys obsession with solving death. On Facebook and Twitter, we asked readers to submit questions they had after reading the article. (Questions have been edited for clarity.)
Do you think wealth will determine access to super-long lifespans? @smsBigBear
At first, yes.Poor people usuallyhave more immediate concerns than worrying about where to get the best, most invigorating fractionated blood plasma. But wealth also determined access to the first personal computers (fifty-five thousand dollars in 1948), the first cellphones (thirty-nine hundred and ninety-five dollars in 1993)and the first Teslas (a hundred and nine thousand dollars in 2008).It may seem fundamentally unfair that billionaires will get the first fruits of Silicon Valleys longevity research. Another way to look at it, however, is that theyre subsidizing treatments that, if they succeed, will rapidly get much cheaper and become widely available.
I was wondering why some of the very intelligent people you interviewed have so much faith that the human body and/or mind can persist for hundreds of years, or even forever. I found it hard to identify anything humans have ever made or tinkered with that has lasted much longer than a few decades. Isnt creating some hardware or software that lasts for hundreds of years a precondition to achieving eternal manmade existence?Neelroop Parikshak
Great point. It does seemlikely that the first android body your consciousness gets transferred to might turn out to bethe eight-track tape of consciousness repositories: buggy, cumbersome, and doomed to rapid replacement. If we cant figure outanenduring, unhackable storage mechanism for data, how can we hope to find a permanent resting place for the vastly more complex and multifarious connectome wiring our brains?
Whats the most complex organism that has successfully been cryogenically frozen and reanimated (e.g., using methods like those of Alcor Life Extension Foundation)? Peter W. Knox
Scientists havereanimated a tardigrade (a hardy .02-inch-long micro-animal known as a water bear or a pudgy wudgy) after thirty years in the deep freeze. But the tardigrade wasnt dead to begin with. Last year, the researchers who successfully froze a rabbit brain, preserving its synapses intact, won the prestigious Small Mammal Brain Preservation Prize. Just kidding. (I mean, there really is such a prize,worth$26,735,and they really did win it, but I wouldnt say that its all that prestigious outside of the fiercely competitive small-mammal-brain-preservation community.) Also, to prove that the brains connectivity had been preserved intact, the team had to slice the brain open to check. Bottom line:cryogenicfreezingis not a surefire Plan B.
In your opinion, what is driving this need among billionaires and celebrities to live forever? Is it narcissism? Something else? Anonymous
There may be a little narcissism in there, as well as somedenial that lifewhich is pretty good if youre a Silicon Valley billionairehas a terminus. But the main driver, I think, and the one that interested me most, was the deeply human impulse to ram through any boundary. Obviously, the ultimate boundary to our hopes and ambitionsand to everything else in the human experienceis death. A phrase I heard a lot was, If we solve this problem, we can solve all the other problems later.
The rest is here:
Your Questions About Silicon Valley's Quest to Live Forever, Answered - The New Yorker
- About Us - Life Extension - December 19th, 2016 [December 19th, 2016]
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- Volm Companies' Matt Alexander Talks Light-Blocker Half-N-Half Bags - And Now U Know - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Plymouth warship HMS Argyll sets sail again after 20-month refit - Plymouth Herald - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 'Orphan Black' Final Season Premiere Date Set at BBC America - Yahoo TV (blog) - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Radical Life Extension Is Already Here, But We're Doing it ... - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Biotechnology xpert Jamie Metzl addresses realities of genetics revolution, Feb. 9 - Vail Daily News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- ATS Automation Tooling Systems' (ATSAF) CEO Anthony Caputo on Q3 2016 Results - Earnings Call Transcript - Seeking Alpha - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Weslaco ISD Students Re-Stripe Crosswalk to Promote School Zone Safety - RGVProud - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- There is No Limit to Human Life Extension - Futurism - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Weaving the practice of self-compassion into your life - Michigan State University Extension - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Italian company competes for $16B US Air Force jet trainer contract - Dayton Daily News - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Human Life Could Be Extended Indefinitely, Study Suggests - EconoTimes - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- DARPA hits snag in GEO satellite service plan - Network World - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- My Mother is 100. She Does't Need Andrew Weil's 'Healthy Aging' You do - The Good Men Project - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Orbital ATK Sues DARPA Over Satellite-Repairing Robots | Inverse - Inverse - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Double-blind, randomized crossover study of intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate - PR Newswire (press release) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- SRS's Melter 2 to be replaced | News | northaugustastar.com - The Star - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- The Next Pseudoscience Health Craze Is All About Genetics - Gizmodo - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- These Serious Marathoners Lived 19 Years Longer Than Average - Runner's World - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Why Do People Want to Live So Long, Anyway? - TIME - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- How Silicon Valley Is Trying to Hack Its Way Into a Longer Life - TIME - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Major South African coal extension project on cards South32 - Creamer Media's Mining Weekly - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- When Screening for Disease, Risk is as Important to Consider as ... - University of Virginia - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- John Killebrew: Honoring a life of service - Delta Farm Press - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- No limit to how long we could extend our lives, say researchers - EWN - Eyewitness News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Extension: Taking care of the rocks in your life - Lifestyle - The ... - Carthage Press - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Long life expectancy for Leopard [IDEX17D3] - IHS Jane's 360 - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- A UO lab digs into worms in the quest to lengthen human life - AroundtheO - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- L3 MAPPS to Supply Digital Control Computer System Hardware for Bruce Unit 6, Supporting Life Extension and ... - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant... - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Kambalda faces future with no nickel output - The West Australian - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- L3 MAPPS to Supply Digital Control Computer System Hardware for ... - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers (press release)... - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- This Company With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA - Forbes - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Weather Radar in Amarillo Gets Upgrade - Guymondailyherald - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- PACKAGING INNOVATIONS 2017: Anti-microbial absorbent pads ... - WorldPressOnline (press release) - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- A business case for wind farm lifetime extension - Windpower Engineering (press release) - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Mount Tam With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA - ValueWalk - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Derek Carr passionate about Silver and Black: 'I'm a Raider for life' - The Mercury News - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Bruce Power Life Extension Project On Top - Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Derek Carr on Contract Extension: I'm a Raider for life - Just Blog Baby (blog) - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- How this Baltimore company is using AI to make supplements smarter - Technical.ly Brooklyn - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Rio cut takes the shine off Argyle - The West Australian - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Bruce Power Life-Extension Program ranked top infrastructure project of 2017 - southwesternontario.ca - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Metformin And Rapamycin: Signs Of (Extended) Life? How To Monetize? - Seeking Alpha - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Il-76 flown beyond service life before fatal engine explosion - Flightglobal - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Cormorant, Griffon upgrade projects get new lift - Skies Magazine (press release) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Garoppolo wants to play, open to extension - ESPN - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Refixia (nonacog beta pegol; N9-GP) approved - GlobeNewswire (press release) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- New life breathed into decades-old dream of a Cavendish extension ... - Montreal Gazette - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Some JSTARS aircraft could fly into 2034 - Flightglobal - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Cormorant, Griffon upgrade projects get new lift - Vertical Magazine (press release) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- The Ugly: Post #3 on the NNSA's FY2018 Budget Request - All Things Nuclear - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Kincardine Company To Add Jobs To Support Bruce Power - BlackburnNews.com - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Latin American sisters in US 'build bridges' during 'challenging time' - Catholic News Service - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Modernizing Nuclear Deterrents No. 1 Priority, DoD Officials Tell ... - Department of Defense - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- EXTENSION CORNER: It's crucial for producers to know how to manage weeds - Gadsden Times - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Robot Bina48 Makes a Guest Appearance at 'Stitch and Bitch' - Seven Days - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Patriots WR Julian Edelman's father would love his son to be "a Patriot for life" - Pats Pulpit - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- Orphan Black: 3 Major Revelations From the Season 5 Premiere - TV Guide (blog) - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- GARDENING: Harvest tomatoes before the birds do - Odessa American - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- 'Orphan Black' Season 5 Premiere Recap: Life is Tough on and off the Island - BuddyTV (blog) - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
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- DFI Marketing uses new post-harvest technology with melon exports - The Packer - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Elio Motors Given An Extension To Bring Its Three-Wheeled Vehicle ... - Jalopnik - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Rec tax extension moves closer to November ballot - West Life News - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Bioverativ announces FDA acceptance of Investigational New Drug ... - EconoTimes - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Charlie Gard: European Court orders life support extension - BBC News - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Extension Spotlight: Are you ready to preserve the harvest? | Life ... - NRToday.com - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- The Case of the Missing Numbers - All Things Nuclear - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Hacking the human lifespan / Boing Boing - Boing Boing - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- CNO Richardson: Perry Frigates Only Inactive Hulls Navy Considering Returning to Active Fleet; DDG Life Extension ... - USNI News - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- USAF seeks to expand F-16 life-extension program - Quwa - Quwa Defence News & Analysis Group - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Baker proposes $500M life sciences extension - Worcester Business Journal - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Life Extension News | March 2017 Issue | Life Enhancement ... - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Pop-culture-palooza - Mountain View Voice - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Kids experience a day in the life of a scientist - Scottsbluff Star Herald - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]
- A First For Jazz Technical Services - MRO Network - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]