Entrepreneur Bryan Johnson discusses his pursuit of extending human life through technology in 'The Checkup with Doctor Mike'. Topics include using AI for immortality, tracking health, dangers of overpopulation, plasma transfusions, sleep tracking, and the harms of extreme health optimization.
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Quick takeaways
Emphasis on species maximization and long-term legacy over individual life extension.
Potential impact of superintelligence on prioritizing longevity and societal values.
Challenging traditional views on death, advocating for personal wellness prioritization.
Deep dives
Prioritizing Species Maximization Over Life Maximization
The podcast episode delves into the concept of species maximization over individual life maximization, as highlighted by the guest's extreme approach to extending his lifespan into infinity. The guest, Brian Johnson, emphasizes the importance of flourishing life in the galaxy and the pursuit of establishing a legacy that extends 500 years into the future.
The Evolution of Human Intelligence and Its Implications for Aging
The episode explores the potential future impacts of superintelligence on human existence and longevity. It discusses the idea that human intelligence may evolve to solve aging, leading to a shift in societal priorities towards prioritizing longevity over wealth accumulation and power. The guest highlights the central focus on the game of 'don't die' as a universal human pursuit.
Challenging Traditional Views on Death and Immortality
The conversation challenges traditional perspectives on death and immortality, emphasizing the importance of addressing existential threats as individuals through a philosophical lens. It delves into the practical application of this philosophy in daily choices such as sleep, exercise, diet, and avoiding vices. The guest advocates for a shift towards prioritizing personal wellness before external achievements.
A Multigenerational Plasma Exchange for Health Improvement
The podcast episode discusses a unique experience where the speaker, his father, and his son engaged in a multigenerational plasma exchange as an experimental therapy for health purposes. Despite the unconventional nature of the therapy, which involved offering a leader of plasma for experimental treatment, the speaker describes how it significantly impacted their bond, bringing them closer together as a family. The speaker's father experienced a notable positive effect from the therapy, with his speed of aging decreasing by the equivalent of 25 years, showcasing a meaningful impact on his biology and subjective experience.
The Concept of Pursuing Perfection and the Trade-Offs Involved
The episode delves into the theme of pursuing perfection in health interventions and lifestyle choices. Through personal experiences with experiments like achieving perfect sleep for eight months, the speaker explores the challenges and benefits of striving for ideal outcomes. While emphasizing the importance of systems, structures, and predictability in certain aspects, the discussion also acknowledges the inherent unpredictability and imperfections of human health and decision-making. The conversation highlights the balance between aiming for optimal health practices while recognizing the limitations and uncertainties inherent in complex biological systems and individual responses.
Bryan Johnson began his life as an entrepreneur, buying, selling, and growing companies like Venmo to build a healthy living for himself. Several years ago, he became fascinated with the idea of maximizing human technology to extend the length and quality of one's life as far as possible. Today, he lives as the most tested man in the world at the center of "Project Blueprint", where drawing on his access to wealth and resources, he pushes the boundaries of human existence to see if he can become the oldest person of all time. As someone who has pushed back quite strongly against biohacking and "optimizing" one's health beyond homeostasis, I was fascinated to ask Bryan about his approach to life and fact-check him on a few of his theories.
00:00 Intro
01:42 Baby Steps From Superintelligence
14:33 Tracking Your Life
21:28 Overpopulation
24:55 Colonoscopy / Testing
30:08 Lessons For Normal People
36:32 Plasma Transfusions From His Son
42:11 HGH Harms
44:50 Sleep Tracking / Sleep Score
50:30 Harms Of "Don't Die"
Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varsahvski
Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers
Art by Caroline Weigum
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