Introduction to Peter Diamandis

Peter Diamandis, a renowned futurist with degrees from MIT and Harvard, has spent the last two decades promoting a vision of an "abundant future" driven by exponential technologies that will lengthen our lives. As a serial entrepreneur and founder of organizations like the XPRIZE Foundation and Singularity University, he has built close relationships with influential business minds, including Elon Musk.

Admirers and Critics

Diamandis’ admirers subscribe to his optimistic forecasts and data-backed arguments that technology has already lifted billions out of poverty and improved global living standards. They also support his work by purchasing his books. On the other hand, critics argue that his techno-utopian vision overlooks growing inequality and systemic imbalances, including in the U.S., where the bottom 50% of households hold less than 4% of national wealth, while the top 10% command over two-thirds.

Conversation with Peter Diamandis

Recently, we had the opportunity to talk with Diamandis about abundance and longevity, including his thoughts on Bryan Johnson, a former acquaintance who is trying to reverse the aging process. Diamandis, now 63, claims to be "biologically 39." The conversation can be heard in full here, with excerpts edited for length below.

Longevity Escape Velocity

Diamandis tweeted, "We’re so close to longevity escape velocity that I urge you to remember that your sole responsibility right now is to avoid dying from something stupid." He believes we’re in the midst of a healthspan revolution, driven by converging technologies like AI, computation, and single-cell sequencing. The concept of longevity escape velocity suggests that science and medicine are extending our lifespan by a certain amount of time, and soon, for every year we’re alive, science will extend our life for more than a year.

Access to Longevity

When asked about access to longevity, Diamandis argues that it’s not just for the wealthy. He claims that simple changes like diet, sleep, and exercise can make a significant difference. He also emphasizes the importance of mindset, citing that optimists live 15% longer than pessimists. While some advanced testing and medications may be expensive, Diamandis believes that epigenetic reprogramming, a promising area of research, will become more accessible and affordable in the future.

Epigenetic Reprogramming

Diamandis explains that epigenetic reprogramming aims to reprogram our epigenome to a more youthful state. He’s invested in companies working on this technology, which he believes will become cheaper and more widely available in the next decade. Initially, it may be only accessible to the wealthy, but as it becomes more effective, it will become more affordable for everyone.

Healthspan XPRIZE

Diamandis has launched a Healthspan XPRIZE, a $111 million competition to demonstrate the ability to reverse functional aging in cognition, immune, and muscle. The competition has attracted 620 teams, and the top 40 teams will receive $250,000 each in May. Diamandis is excited about the potential breakthroughs that this competition could lead to.

Differentiation from Bryan Johnson

When asked about Bryan Johnson’s approach to longevity at Blueprint, Diamandis describes it as n-of-one experimentation. While he’s happy to collaborate with Johnson, Diamandis’ approach through the XPRIZE Foundation is a large-scale global competition that aims to scientifically validate different approaches to longevity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Peter Diamandis is a pioneer in the field of longevity, and his work through the XPRIZE Foundation and other organizations is driving innovation and progress in this area. While there may be critics of his approach, Diamandis remains optimistic about the potential for technology to improve human life and increase our lifespan. To hear more from Diamandis, including his thoughts on Elon Musk and his approach to health scanning, listen to the full conversation here.