Powerful Russians and Silicon Valley leaders fund research on longer life

In short: Influential people in Russia and Silicon Valley are spending money and attention on research and projects that aim to extend human life, even though immortality is still unproven.

What's going on

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has publicly talked about the idea that biotechnology, meaning medical science that uses living cells and tissues, could someday help people live much longer. In 2023, he suggested that organ transplants might let people “live younger and younger, and even become immortal.” The article says he has also directed millions in funding toward longevity research connected to his daughter, Maria Vorontsova.

The interest in Russia has older roots too. The New York Times points to a 19th-century Russian philosopher, Nikolai Fyodorov, who argued that immortality should be possible for everyone. More recently, Russia has also explored “digital immortality,” which usually means trying to preserve a person’s personality or likeness in software, like making a very advanced interactive memoir.

In Silicon Valley, several billionaires have backed anti-aging efforts for years. The article lists investments and experiments involving cryonics, meaning freezing a body after death in hopes of reviving it later, organ bioprinting, meaning attempts to “print” living tissue like a custom spare part, and even blood-related approaches. Examples include Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel funding longevity ventures, and Bryan Johnson trying a blood transfusion involving his son in 2023.

What to watch

So far, there is no solid proof that humans can defeat aging. A key question is where this money goes next, and who benefits if any treatments work, since critics warn that “living forever” efforts could end up focused on the rich instead of being widely available.

Source: NYTimes