

#15: The First Principles Approach to Not Dying | Bryan Johnson
Jun 19, 2024
Bryan Johnson, founder of a secular religious movement, spends $2m/year to avoid death. He discusses innovative approaches to longevity, including quantifying death with 'Die Scores,' measuring biological age, gene therapy, brain interfaces, and identifying effective longevity levers. Bryan emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor and assembling a team of misfits to tackle aging.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Zeroth Principles Invent New Frameworks
- Zeroth principle thinking means discarding existing systems to invent totally new frameworks.
- It goes beyond first principles by changing the intellectual space's entire axis, enabling novel breakthroughs.
Don't Die as Core Alignment
- The universal game all species play is 'Don't Die' to extend life at every moment.
- Securing 'Don't Die' is the primary alignment goal for humans and AI alike.
Quantify Death to Motivate Change
- Quantify the death impact of behaviors to make them undeniable, like assigning 'die scores' to school lunches.
- Use measurable metrics to motivate change by showing clear life cost consequences.