#1165 Aubrey de Grey: The Science of Aging and Longevity

Oct 20, 2025

Aubrey de Grey, a pioneering biomedical gerontologist and author of *Ending Aging*, delves into the fascinating science of aging. He discusses his unique transition from AI to biology, highlighting aging as damage accumulation. De Grey defines the concept of 'longevity escape velocity' and reveals his seven types of aging damage, emphasizing innovative repair strategies. He also explores the promising potential of therapies like stem cells and metformin in the fight against aging, and addresses societal implications, such as overpopulation and universal basic income.

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ANECDOTE

Career Switch From AI To Aging Biology

Aubrey de Grey switched from AI to biology after realizing few scientists worked on aging.
He learned biology informally from his biologist spouse and then changed careers to study aging.

INSIGHT

Aging Is Accumulated Metabolic Damage

Aging is damage accumulation from normal metabolism that eventually causes dysfunction and death.
Aubrey de Grey frames aging as created damage plus later pathology from that damage.

INSIGHT

Evolutionary Neglect Explains Aging

Evolution didn't design aging; it neglected it because selection pressure is weak on late-life traits.
De Grey summarizes evolution as resulting from 'evolutionary neglect' rather than intent.

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Dr. Aubrey de Grey is a biomedical gerontologist. He is the author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging (1999) and co-author of Ending Aging (2007). Dr. de Grey is known for his view that medical technology may enable human beings alive today not to die from age-related causes. As an amateur mathematician, he has contributed to the study of the Hadwiger–Nelson problem in geometric graph theory, making the first progress on the problem in over 60 years.

In this episode, we talk about the science of aging and longevity. We first talk about what got Dr. de Grey interested in aging, and what aging is and its causes. We talk about the concept of longevity escape velocity, the 7 deadly things, how to combat aging, and biomedical approaches to aging, including metformin and rapamycin. We discuss how close biomedical technology is to significantly postponing aging, and how we could end menopause. Finally, we talk about issues pertaining to overpopulation and retirement, and the anti-aging industry.

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