The Optispan Podcast with Matt Kaeberlein

This Viral "Whorebath" Test Is Not What You Think It Is

Jan 8, 2026
Dive into the controversial 'whorebath' test and its misconceptions surrounding biological age. Discover how aging clocks, including Horvath's, actually work and what they measure. Learn why one-off biomarker tests can mislead, and why many consumer tests may be statistically unreliable. Explore the different types of aging clocks and their potential for personalized health. Finally, Matt reveals which clocks show promise for clinical use and why repeated testing can lead to confusion.
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INSIGHT

Clocks Are Research Tools, Not Clinical Answers

  • Aging clocks are powerful research tools that reveal biology of aging but are not yet clinical tools.
  • Matt Kaeberlein stresses clocks will teach us a lot but are not ready for personal clinical use.
ANECDOTE

Kardashians' 'Whorebath' Moment

  • Matt recounts the Kardashian clip mispronouncing 'Horvath' as the 'whorebath' test to illustrate public misunderstanding.
  • He uses this anecdote to introduce epigenetic clocks and the original Horvath clock.
INSIGHT

Clocks Are Weighted Biomarker Composites

  • Clocks are machine-learned, weighted combinations of many individual biomarkers.
  • They are mathematical constructs built to predict chronological age, mortality, or disease risk.
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