Silicon Valley And The Secrets Of Longevity

According to the WHO, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double between 2015 and 2050, reaching 22%. At the same time, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than five years by 2020. And, although people worldwide are living longer, we still continue the quest for the holy grail for longevity. 

"This wish to preserve life as we know it, even at the cost of dying, is profoundly human. We are encoded with the belief that death is the mother of beauty. And we are encoded, too, with the contradictory determination to remain exactly as we are, forever—or at least for just a bit longer, before we have to go," writes the New Yorker.

The long read describes the work of longevity scientists working closely with the tech industry. It takes a closer look at the recent developments, spanning from blood transfusions to drugs targeting senescent cells. The article stresses that, although having much in common, biology and tech are not exactly alike.

"This is not an app. If you come at biology from a tech point of view, you’re going to be disappointed, because the pace is much slower," says Tom Rando, a stem-cell biologist and neurologist.

The New Yorker also points to an interesting battle among the scientists themselves, between the healthspanners (those who think the goal should be to postpone death) and immortalists (those who think that death should be eliminated altogether). This anchors the technological developments closer to the broader discipline of philosophical thinking on death and immortality.