Who Wants to Live Forever? [007]
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"But we know immortality is possible because nature has already solved it. This isn’t a physics problem like trying to travel faster than the speed of light, it’s a biological engineering problem that evolution has cracked multiple times.
The freshwater hydra constantly regenerates its own cells and doesn’t succumb to senescence. It is effectively ageless. The 'immortal jellyfish' (Turritopsis dohrnii) can revert its cells back to a youthful state and restart its life cycle indefinitely. Lobsters produce an especially active form of an enzyme called telomerase that preserves their telomeres and keeps their DNA from degrading as they age. We need to port the software to humans...
I started as a worn-down, inflamed, aged 42 year old who’d broken himself on the rocks of American food slop and entrepreneurship martyrdom. Six years later, my body largely operates at elite 18 year old levels. That includes my cardiovascular system, fertility, strength, and hormones.
Not all is well though. I have mild to moderate hearing loss in my left ear that we can’t fix and my brain is anatomically age 42 (I’m 48).
Still, unreal results.
My team and I did this by following the scientific method. We measured the biological age of every organ. We referenced the best scientific evidence on how to slow aging and rejuvenate. We methodically completed these protocols and measured again. Rinse and repeat....
This 2039 goal is as much about AI as it is about us humans. It’s about how we survive giving birth to superintelligence. It’s kind of a big deal. We haven’t done it before. A lot can go wrong.
I figure that one of the best ways to improve the probability that we build safe AI, and don’t kill each other in the meantime, is to transform our shared aspirations from yolo to don’t die.
Right now, we are a suicidal species. We do all kinds of really primitive shit. We unnecessarily kill ourselves with what we eat and how we live our lives. Companies make profits from killing other people with their products. We trash the only home we have. We celebrate these things as virtue. It’s really fucked up and backward. Soon enough we’ll realize just how infantile we are right now.
The 2039 goal points us in the right direction.
To say yes to life and no to death. Defiance even."
From "I’m going to try and achieve immortality by 2039." by Bryan Johnson, on his Substack
There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained. Which five?
"I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging."...
"I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness."...
"I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death."...
"I will grow different, separate from all that is dear & appealing to me."...
"I am the owner of actions [kamma], heir to actions, born of actions, related through actions, and have actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir."...
These are the five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained...
Now, a disciple of the noble ones considers this: "I am not the only one subject to aging, who has not gone beyond aging. To the extent that there is the coming & going, passing away & rearising of beings, all beings are subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging." When he/she often reflects on this, the (factors of the) path take birth...
Further, a disciple of the noble ones considers this: "I am not the only one subject to illness, who has not gone beyond illness..." "I am not the only one subject to death, who has not gone beyond death..." "I am not the only one who will grow different, separate from all that is dear & appealing to me..."
A disciple of the noble ones considers this: "I am not the only one who is the owner of actions, heir to actions, born of actions, related through actions, and have actions as my arbitrator; who—whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir. To the extent that there is the coming & going, passing away & rearising of beings, all beings are the owners of actions, heir to actions, born of actions, related through actions, and have actions as their arbitrator. Whatever they do, for good or for evil, to that will they fall heir." When he/she often reflects on this, the (factors of the) path take birth. He/she sticks with that path, develops it, cultivates it. As he/she sticks with that path, develops it, & cultivates it, the fetters are abandoned, the obsessions destroyed...
"Subject to birth, subject to aging, subject to death, run-of-the-mill people are repelled by those who suffer from that to which they are subject. And if I were to be repelled by beings subject to these things, it would not be fitting for me, living as they do.
As I maintained this attitude— knowing the Dhamma without acquisitions— I overcame all intoxication with health, youth, & life as one who sees renunciation as rest.
For me, energy arose, unbinding was clearly seen. There’s now no way I could partake of sensual pleasures. Having followed the holy life, I will not return.”
From Subjects for Contemplation, or the Upajjhaṭṭhana Sutta (AN 5:57), translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu and freely offered on dhammatalks.org. I slightly modified how the sutta was being quoted for ease of readability, but changed no words/phrasing.
Until next time & wishing you ease in a new year, Cordelia