Kevin's End Aging Challenge

[Thinkanalytic]

I invite all to think about what other things could you possibly do that are better than giving 70 thousand years of healthy life distributed among people?

Now, if you can't think of anything better than that YOU can ACTUALLY do, remember that that is what you WILL IN FACT BE DOING if you manage, somehow to make the discovery of anti-ageing medicine ONE MINUTE before what it would be without your help.

Now, is that an incentive or what!

[Anicrit]

Is the challange still open? Thank you and all the people that are comitted to our cause so far.

[mrmetmlb]

The Methusalah Foundation should use the World Community Grid to advance research. What takes years to do only take months because of the computing power that grid has by using tons of people's PC's to do research.

[mrmetmlb]

The longer people live, the smarter they get, also, with more people there is more of a chance of someone coming up with revolutionary ideas to solve other problems.

[advancedatheist]

I don't know about that. I know plenty of stupid old people who apparently started out as stupid young people without learning much over the decades. (I had grandparents like that, pretty decent morally but not very successful or competent in life. They never impressed me with their "wisdom.") We don't all turn out like Bertand Russell, Linus Pauling, Ernst Mayr and other smart people who still sound intelligent in their 90's.

[damienwater]

Find a place to keep all of these people and the natural resources to sustain the planet that is on the verge of death as it is, then worry about this.

[kdewalt]

We already have solutions to these problems, we just haven't the will to implement them. Do a search on "overpopulation myth".

Having said that, I do support causes to save the planet. I just think that freeing up trillions of dollars in health costs and lost productivity from the diseases of aging should be used to help solve hunger, poverty, and the environment. Read about "the longevity dividend" for background.

[advancedatheist]

New generations need to get out of the way to make room for immortals.

[damianpoirier]

"New generations need to get out of the way to make room for immortals."

"out of the way" as in "over to the next planetary system", yes i agree totally.

[Orbomobo]

First sterlize all but the fittest people and those currently living today won't have to worry about overpopulation when we are all 5000 years old. Babies are stupid anyway, what have they ever produced for society?

[kdewalt]

Just made a $200 contribution to the Methuselah Foundation for the first 20 video responses. Thanks everyone for supporting the challenge!

[alphador0]

Hi Kevin,

This video is a few months old. Are you still doing this?

[kdewalt]

Absolutely! In fact I just need 1 more video to make it 20 responses (1 existing response is from me).

[lolomcspanky]

Wow, so instead of wasting years of my life on youtube, I could waste decades! Science is so awesome.

But seriously, this is one of those advances that sounds good, but the science is being pursued much more quickly than the repercussions are being examined. Mainly because most people don't take it seriously.

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

centuries, not decades. :)

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

Aubrey de Grey fuckin rocks and need more support

[skypie2334]

Excellent work you are doing. The video from News To View tells it all.

[Finiras]

Would this mean that humen stay alive forever naturally (not including unnatural causes)? (because the aging process of the organs is halted) The world would be too crowded in no-time.

[kdewalt]

"alive forever naturally"

No. Unless we also solve murder, accidents, suicide, etc. Nobody is suggesting immortality.

On top of that, there is real evidence that without these therapies the world population will start falling. Look at the UN reports and what is happening in Japan, Germany Russia.

[Finiras]

Naturally=death from aging

Unnaturally=accidents etc

By far most people die from natural causes. There are many countries that are already suffering from large problems with people/square km ratios. A development like this would be pretty disastrous...

[kdewalt]

Finiras,

I respect your opinions but would encourage you to consider searching on "Overpopulation Myth".

As countries develop...

-people move into cities

-women delay childbirth and have fewer children.

-per-capita wealth increases for everyone.

In a few centuries we *may* have an issue with overpopulation as people live decades longer, but the real issue is how we choose to use the resources we have and not the absolute number of people. And we can always inhabit space, mars, etc.

[Finiras]

Okay... I'll bite. How far do you think the research has progressed?

[SENSbulldog]

The lyoSENS ans mitoSENS projecs have had some good results, check out the Methuselah Foundation's recent research update on their web site.

mfoundation dot org

[abram730]

If people that want to live longer they would need to choose to have less or no children. An artificial system or election of reproduction.. Again the degree of this would depend on how far we stretch life and on other technologies that determine a sustainable footprint.

[w0r1dpeace]

Is this challenge still ongoing?

[kdewalt]

yes, definitely. I've spoken to a number of people who plan on posting responses. Hopefully they will find the time to do so soon.

[2hotinaz]

I would be 'for' this if all it did were eliminate the deadly diseases such as cancer so many suffer from, and also eliminate the wrinkles and 'uglification' of our bodies. I don't think I would want to live forever, I would simply like to be assured I wouldn't die of something dreadful and painful and it would be a great bonus if we could look as fresh and new at 80 as we did at 25. I do resent the aging process itself. But, at some point someone newer; better, will require the resources I use.

[kdewalt]

"I would be 'for' this if "

You have outlined the SENS plan exactly. Nobody is suggesting we will "live forever". That would mean a zero probability of dying forever, which is impossible.

In other words, people will still die of accidents, murder, etc.

"But, at some point someone newer; better, will require the resources I use."

Worldwide resources have very much to do with how we allocate and use them and little to do with the aggregate amount. Plenty of space, air, sunlight, and food.

[2hotinaz]

Then the first step would have to be to insure a kinder, gentler, world. Too many people refuse to share any resources they have, and the more they do have, the less they want to 'share'. This, combined with all the racial and religious hatred insures that resources will never be allocated according to need. This in turn assures that more and more people who might escape death by disease will still die an ugly death by...starvation? Torture? War? The cart is before the horse here.

[kdewalt]

All good points. But I don't think of it as "either/or". We need to solve hunger, suffering, end religious strife, etc. The list is endless. It just happens that the diseases of aging result in the most widespread suffering.

Reversing the damage of aging would also free up TRILLIONS of dollars in resources and productivity. So more resources to solve other problems.

But I respect your opinions and right to support other causes. No shortage of needs...

[timmyblaze]

I'm not quite sure I'd want to "live" forever....

Truthfully, I'd much rather dream for eternity than have to get up everyday and deal with all of you...

No offense.

[sknieling]

The thing is that you wouldn't dream. If you are dead your existence is over. There is no afterlife/dream/heaven/hell or such like.

Of course everybody know some (or maybe many) people with which you don't want to deal for all eternity (e.g. politicians ^^), but due to such fools you would rather die so that you are dead and they can live on? I don't belief that.

[timmyblaze]

Well, believe it.

You can't actually say for a fact what happens when you're no longer in your body, so to believe existence of all forms ends is absurd. I wasn't here in 1982, so I must have been somewhere if I showed up here....

[sinkambala]

what do you mean by "when you are in your body"?? i am assuming you believe in a soul?

if you do that means you believe in an after life. which also proves that you are a retard!

[timmyblaze]

I am retarded for believing I, not me as in my body, but me as some other form of life, with a different brain and what not, was living before 1982? You think we just stop existing for good? What would be the point to this life then? My theory is less "retarded" than whatever the hell you are believing.

[sinkambala]

this guy believes in reincarnation, lol.

so you could be a scientologist or a hindu, both of which are even more retarded.

[Finiras]

"You think we just stop existing for good?" Uh.. do you have a valid reason to think we would? (your imagination/folklore aren't valid reasons)

[inkstersco]

"Natural" is a tiger chewing on your neck.

"Natural", quite often, sucks.

~Iain

[Aether77]

Aging is part of life, you eliminate it and who knows what terror you will unleash upon the world?

Possibly a terrorist leader, hidden away in an underground bunker, co-ordinating attacks FOREVER?

On the plus side though, space travel could benefit from this.

[RedJoeTramp]

Yeh imagine Osama living forever.

There's something for all you to think about.

[RedJoeTramp]

Oh my. Why the hell would anyone want to cure aging, or cease it?

That would mean more people in prisons.

The society being under more strain of supporting more people.

And would you really want an "evil person" to never die of aging? Besides surely if we can find a way to stop aging, that would mean it could be reversed and used to speed up the rate of aging.

[kdewalt]

Why? Because all human suffering is tragic.

No doubt people in 1900 could have become alarmed at the thought of dropping infant mortality rates from 20-30% to 0.5% in the developed world in the span of 100 years. But it happened and probably created additional problems.

We have dealt with those problems and nobody is proposing to start killing babies by reversing the trend.

Overpopulation is a myth, and many developed countries will need healthy old people to avoid a population shortage

[RedJoeTramp]

Ok you didn't even address my points.

And I'm all for infant mortality rates to drop. But we must all die sometime, and with the world seemingly relying on more technology, there is less of a need for a work force ((Which was one of the benefits of previous generations low infant mortality))

And what countries need old people to avoid a population shortage? And the whole killing babies point is moot. Killing is un-natural. So is not aging

[kdewalt]

Unfortunately YouTube comments are a bad medium for a discussion since I cannot post hyperlinks. If you are truly interested in the issues around curing aging I suggest you read the arguments by those more eloquent than I. Try doing a search on:

-"Overpopulation Myth".

-"Why End Aging"

There is also a good debate in cato-unbound between Aubrey de Grey and some others.

[RedJoeTramp]

Well it's nice to have a casual debate with someone who doesn't resort to using immature mud slinging tactics

[kdewalt]

Ditto. Unfortunately it is hard for some people to have civil debate on YouTube.

These are challenging issues for our society. The world is going to change so rapidly in the next 20 years and most people are unprepared to deal with the rise of artificial intelligence, extreme longevity, and our migration to a man-machine society.

Of course I'm very optimistic about the future; others are not and I respect their views.

[amperro]

Aging is natural. So are cancer, diabetes, and bacterial infection. It used to be natural for 1 out of 5 women to die from childbirth. Natural does not equal good.

"We must all die sometime" Yes, but when exactly is "sometime"?

[themilitantatheist]

Bah, I only found your video today... I was expecting many more responses to this video.

[ShaiNishry]

Great job Kevin! I will make a video comment as soon as I can!

[USB0Kabel]

stop aging? my godness, thats life!!!

[Big8888Daddy]

Well done Kevin!

As I watched this for the first time I thought...omg...this guy should have MUCH money and counted on 10-20 responses a week. But eventually the longevity-response-avalanche I hoped for stayed away. It's a pity.

But all in all a very awesome approach! Thx for that.

PS: I response in 1 or 2 month, when I finally get my cam ^^

best regards

[damianpoirier]

had to respond Love your commitment Kevin. Lets hope more like this is done.

[logicaust]

I wouldn't like to defeat the aging process.

We all have our time tables; in this case cell degeneration. The amount of medical breakthroughs needed to realize this would be extraordinary.

The biggest problems being the brain and the heart. Currently there aren't ways to separate the brain from the body (like we can with the heart, albeit crudely), furthermore supposing that we could defeat aging, can we defeat the other problem: sustaining life in the face of depleting resources?

[Keylimedelight]

someone needs to featuer this and put this man in the poor house.

[amperro]

Science is about shattering conventional wisdom, and the conventional wisdom says that aging is inevitable. I support challenging the conventional wisdom, so I support curing aging.

[WTF1920]

But the way life is right now is pointless! You work your ass off to make your life what it is today...only to have it melt away tomorrow. What a waste.

[WTF1920]

Just imagine being 75 years old and having the same energy levels you had in your 20's, 30's, or 40's. That's not to say you wouldn't die, but you'd be in your prime enjoying your last days. Just picture being able to run a marathon or win a gold metal for powerlifting...on your last day.

[zombiemod]

Have you seen that Indian Marathon runner in his 90's? As he gets older his times get better!!

I am convinced how you look after yourself is key, and that wasting away is not inevitable. It's just a shame that society expects you to slow down as you get older,.

Aging is bloody cruel isn't it?

[RabidApe]

one more!

[kdewalt]

thanks for taking the challenge!

[RabidApe]

thanks for hosting it!

[zombiemod]

No-one is going to live forever, that's impossible - time is infinite, and you will die from an accident/murder eventually. Where there is a beginning there has to be an end.

However, to live an indefinite lifespan, and have looks and youthful vigour all that time, while acruing more knowledge every day - yes, I am all for that.

The average 80 year lifespan, of which you spend the first 25 ignorant and the last wasting away, is not enough.

[w0r1dpeace]

I think I speak for everyone when I say ...

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.

Hasta,

Ben

[zombiemod]

Hey less of the attitude Ben, am I not allowed to have an opinion on a subject?

So you think you'll live forever then?

No matter how long you live time is always longer, you can't outlive the end of time can you?

Or are you one of those people who want to die, one of the God-botherers.

[Ebrech]

And if there was nothing after death... we all know now that all religion always sided with government and always stoped the science developpment ... im all with aubrey hes my Idol

I dont have the funds to be a great scientifics but im all with the idea of living forever,, its not scary.. its what human is meant to be.. creator and destructor at same time... we have to realize we are more than just animals..

[BruceKlein1]

The most caring pursuits are the ones that find fundamental solutions to the causes of human suffering. We should allocate care to starving children, so it's a question of degree. Right now, the degree to which we focus on curing the problem of aging is highly inadequate considering the tremendous benefits to be gained from living longer and healthier lives. Importantly, such benefits will accrue to EVERYONE, including the less fortunate of the world.

[Soulnik]

The biggest barrier between life extension and people is the FDA, by far.

[ThoughtScientist]

LOL. the FDA was created to stem the tide of quack medicines that were killing people before its creation. The true barrier here is cultural attitudes.

[Serrapeptase]

I suggest you google a fascinating article titled

"Truth, Freedom, and the FDA: An Interview with Durk

Pearson and Sandy Shaw." They won a landmark lawsuit

against the FDA, charging the government agency with

unconstitutionally restricting manufacturers from distributing truthful health information that would

save many people's lives. Sadly, the FDA lost its way

years ago. They only care about Big Pharma because

that's where the money is.

[dnamechanic]

Great AubreydegreyFan, Thanks for the video, great job. Onward!

[dnamechanic]

AubreydegreyFan, thanks for your comment about 'curing aging saving more lives'. My comment about the video was directed to Kevin. Again Kevin, very good!

[KRiSTENGiSLEFOSS]

Why not rather give $10 to starving children in third world countries?

[kdewalt]

Both are worthwhile charities. If you start a "End Hunger for Starving Children Challenge" I'll gladly support it.

All suffering is tragic.

[RedJoeTramp]

But age is natural.

People starving because of our selfish and greedy nature isn't

[Aether77]

Brilliant point.

[kdewalt]

What is "natural"?

The average lifespan in prehistoric times was 18. Any interest in going back to that "natural" time? We have always used technology to increase our healthy, productive years. I'm just advocating we take the last step as soon as possible.

Starvation? Also tragic. If you start an "end starving" challenge I will gladly support it. Fortunately we can end aging and hunger.

[RedJoeTramp]

No. In the past an increase in a healthy diet led to longer life spans. I doubt even in the middle ages ((Where being 50 was rare)) it was "technology" that made life spans longer. And there's a big difference between increasing life spans, and halting aging full stop

[Fuuin]

They didn't have our kind of medicine. They didn't have warm, comfortable beds to sleep in. Sickness or wounds killed most back then. And to end aging is just fucking stupid. Our world is over-populated already; if people don't die we'll efficiently kill ourselves very slowly, starting with the poor.