Show Notes
Billionaires, millionaires and biohackers are plying themselves with supplements and consulting AI to extend their lives indefinitely. But would you want to live forever? This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist and author Katherine Stewart, who investigates the politics of the longevity movement.
Katherine shares her experiences undercover at exclusive longevity conferences, trying supplements and testing her hormone levels. She discusses key figures like Bryan Johnson, the “most measured person in history”, famous for trying to inject himself with his young son’s blood, and Palantir’s Peter Thiel.
She also explains the appeal of “transhumanism”, and argues that the original meaning of “self-care” has been usurped. As the movement marshals deep science and high anxiety, with potions and powders promising detoxes, how much can be trusted?
To read Katherine’s piece ‘The time I tried to live forever’, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/policy/health/74081/the-time-i-tried-to-live-forever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Tell Me Why
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence
Would you care if AI wrote your favourite novel? In the second episode of Tell Me Why, tech journalist and Londoner editor Alys Key joins Prospect’s Alona Ferber and Imaan Irfan. They explore how artificial intelligence is shaping literature, after recent awards became mired in scandal over entries allegedly written by AI.
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As tech insiders warn about an impending apocalypse, Ellen and Imaan are joined by Ethan Zuckerman, Prospect contributor and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to examine those claims.
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