The Next Big Idea Daily
"Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer" by Steven Johnson
Apr 23, 2024
Author Steven Johnson discusses the impact of modern science on human longevity, highlighting advancements like vaccines. The podcast explores historical breakthroughs in healthcare, societal acceptance of life-extending tech, and implications of extended life expectancy on global sustainability.
13:20
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Quick takeaways
- Incremental innovations like vaccines have played a crucial role in extending human lifespan.
- Improvements in public health are not only due to medical breakthroughs but also social movements and infrastructure developments.
Deep dives
Advancements in Health
Progress in health often goes unnoticed because it is measured by events that did not happen, like smallpox infections due to vaccinations. The extension of human lifespan, doubling in the past century, has largely been a result of incremental innovations such as vaccines. Childhood mortality rates have significantly decreased, with more children surviving into adulthood. Innovations like pasteurization and clean drinking water have played crucial roles in improving overall health.
