0. What’s it all about
Yes we all want to cure aging. And many people work on specific programs already, but unfortunately one crucial key ingredient is missing.
The belief that it can be done.
We are all programmed since childhood that death is inevitable. It is ingrained and cultural. Death is what gives life meaning. etc.
And while it sounds very romantic, it seriously damages the advancement.
So why do something if you are doomed to loose?
The doubt sips into every aspect of the progress. It makes the field unattractive, it drains the funds and shifts research from cooperation to competition.
The history teaches us that morale of the troops as important as training or equipment. So it has to be addresses if we are to win this war.
1. End Goal
Aging Treatment via Whatever Means Necessary.
Whether that be nano robots, reprogrammed viruses, stem cells, regeneration, deep sleep induction.. well we can’t predict yet.
But what we can predict, that it would require a massive research. Both generic and specific.
Massive research equals:
a. massive funding
b. researchers, who think it’s worth their time
Both of these require a cultural shift towards treating death and aging as a disease. Something that we can prevent and cure.
2. The case against?
The main reason against it goes like this: ”
“Classifying aging as a disease also suggests that it could be preventable and/or curable… However, nothing can prevent humans from getting older, and that misleading notion opens the door to snake oil treatments”
So what they are saying is that we can classify aging as a disease when if it’s curable. But to find a cure we have to classify it as disease first.
Protecting consumers is important, however not as important as the longevity benefits the said customers will get.
3. Requirements
3.1. Education
The effort should be put into educating consumers instead. In fact we do need them to be educated to facilitate the cultural shift. And we need them to provide new generation of researches. And to finance the whole endeavor as well.
3.2. Culture
We already have #CentenarianOlympics idea introduced by Peter Attia but we should definitely make it more popular.
Lets look at platforms and viral trends. Then re-use and re-angle them to inject the ideas of healthy aging, increased life span and possibility of immortality.
3.3. Audience
High schoolers, college students & young professionals at the initial stages. The older audience is to set in their ways. So they shell be squeezed later between culture and millionaires seeking eternal life.
3.4. Money & Resources
We will try to raise funds through donations and by merch sales. These money and resources provided by volunteers, should be aimed at increasing the community size and providing immediate education (platform appropriate).
The hope is that at some point there will be enough funds to direct towards research directly.
4. Vision
The bottom line is that we need an organization, which is dedicated to:
– popularization of the idea of longevity and aging prevention
– providing latest research to the public to improve population health and gain new members
– lobbying the idea of proper classification to the government officials
– collecting and distributing resources to the researchers, facilitating better communication
Think American Heart Association on steroids.
Think rerouting resources spent on Cancer and Alzheimer into prevention and treating the root cause.
5. Practical Steps
That’s definitely something to discuss, so please bring your ideas out!
As of today I see these projects which can bee tackled in this order of complexity.
0) A mail list/forum community.
Open questions:
a. How to finance itself and how to bring new people?
b. Platforms to cover? TikTok, Linkedin?
1) Longevity & Fitness Social Network or Forum.
A non-profit ( block chain distributed?) social network with only organic reach. (allow business accounts with extra features, like linkedin). Maybe a unified health stats accumulator with gamifying competition (like fitbit steps, but more broad).
How to make it:
a. Valuable to join?
b. Valuable for members to invite friends?
c. Sustainable
2) Citizen Science Fund
How to make it:
a. Visible for patrons?
b. Interesting for patrons? (daily lab updates/ vlogging? )
6. Current State
That’s me during a small gathering occupying a corner and writing this post.
I’m overhearing conversations about AI in cancer detection, difference between Gucci and Hermes return policies and “donations” Epic EHRs had to do to win over the state hospitals.
Average age in the room is about 47, average education somewhere between master and PhD, total net-worth enough to buy a tiny country.
Somebody notices me and asks what I’m working on.
– I’m starting a project to support the “aging is a disease” movement.
– That’s crazy!
People laugh and move on with the conversation.
I realize that the work is cut out with a buzz saw. But, conversely, it might be fun and have no downsides.
You can read more about me in the following blog-post:
https://smart-monkey.org/why-am-i-here/