Methuselah (TheoJunior via Flickr)

What is the maximum human lifespan is a fascinating question. And, more to the point, why is it so short?

There is no moral reason why we should deteriorate as we age and then die by the time we are 90, 100, 110 or – the maximum currently possible for humans – 120 years old. If we try to interfere with this factor – if we try to extend healthy human life – we are doing no more than Fleming did when he discovered penicillin; we just have different tools now. No doubt Fleming was considered a heretic in his day by some sections of the public.

The problem with extending the maximum human lifespan is that mammals are fairly complex beings, and evolution has resulted in our developing some fairly inefficient body processes.

For example, getting oxygen to our cells – via breathing and the red blood cells – is highly inefficient; it takes a lot of energy to get a single molecule of oxygen to a cell.

Science will improve this process massively, with huge benefits for oxygen capacity, physical endurance and general health. It is easy to see the life-saving benefits of this for, for example, premature babies and also those with lung disease such as emphysema.

Whales Live Longer

Some mammals do live a long time already. Some whales live up to 200 years, for example. Why shouldn’t humans? This isn’t a moral issue: it’s purely a physical one.

Some other beings – for example lobsters – live so long: that we have no idea of their life span. It seems to be indefinite. These are simpler beings, however, which reduces the accumulated damage of the type from which humans suffer. But the principle remains: lobsters show no signs of aging. In fact, in terms of fertility, the older they get, the more fertile they are.

Reducing Damage Is The Key

The key to healthy aging is reducing damage ion the body. This ranges from glycation (wrinkling, inside and out, promoted by high sugar levels in the blood), to oxidation – (free radical damage) (which anti-oxidants oppose), to reducing fat and building lean muscle (a high protein diet and interval training are both great for this; preferably both).

Check out this article from http://fightaging.com on a “20 minute argument in favour of Radical Life Extension”.

The maximum human lifespan is entirely brought about by physical restrictions. There is no morality to it: it is just a figure waiting to be extended by human science. Of course, lengthened lifespan will bring questions and issues, such as overcrowding.

But humans have shown they are resourceful and adaptable and they will, of course, use those skills as our lifespan increases, which it inevitably will. And – sooner than you probably think.

What Is The Maximum Human Lifespan? is a post from: Living To 150

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Resveratrol, the polyphenol derived from red wine which appears to have anti-aging properties, has been found to have a use in anti-cancer therapy. When used alongside cancer drug rapamycin there is a strong suggestion that resveratrol enhances its treatment effect on breast cancer cells.

Rapamycin, a drug primarily used as an immunosuppressant following organ transplant, has been known to have anti-cancer properties for some time; the problem is, that after a while its effectiveness rapidly reduces as the cancer cells become resistant to it.

But when combined with the low dose of resveratrol the beneficial effects of the rapamycin are enhanced – the resistance reduces.

Specifically, a low dose of both the drug and the polyphenols served to reduce the growth of three different types of breast cancer by 50 percent in this study. This is a significant result which highlights a potentially powerful effect of the remarkable compound, resveratrol.

**The main benefit of resveratrol is that it stimulates the SIRT1 gene, and this effect has been shown to extend life in yeast cells, and in roundworms sells. This means that it is highly likely to have this same effect on human cells.

Related articles

• Red Wine Compound Increase Anti Cancer Effect of Rapamycin (E! Science News)
• Compounds in Red Wine Fight Breast Cancer (blogwinecellar.com)
• Red wine compound increases anti-tumor effect of rapamycin (eurekalert.org)

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In laboratory tests, sirtuins were found to be involved in longevity. This was discovered because cells would live much longer when one of their genes – SIRT1 – was stimulated. This gene produces the sirtuin proteins.

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Furthermore, when the activity of the SIRT1 gene was reduced, the yeast cells died sooner.

The same effect was later found in experiments on roundworms. this coincident effect led scientists to believe that exactly the same would happen with humans – who share a very large proportion of their DNA with both yeast and roundworms.

This led to a search for nutrients which would naturally stimulate the SIRT1 (and SIRT3) gene, and the discovery of resveratrol in red wine.

Resveratrol is now seen as a very promising candidate for research in anti-ageing medicine.

The role of Sirtuins in aging is covered nicely in this article which includes the section: “SIRT3: Balancing Cancer and Aging”

Related articles on Sirtuins and SIRT1 and SIRT3

• Movie star SIRT1 makes for a great body but an old brain (genes2brains2mind2me.com)
• SIRT1 gene important for memory (eurekalert.org)

Sirtuins Are Worthy Candidates For Research is a post from: Living To 150

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Gigi at Anti Aging Nutrition News has an interesting comments thread on TA-65 supplement.

This is the ‘supplement of the moment’, which repairs the ‘telomere’ each time the cell divides – which process otherwise eventually contributes to the cell’s decision to self-destruct. That is, it leads to death. 

Although the cost of TA-65 has come down a lot, it is still expensive. Add to that the possible need for a few grand’s worth of testing, is gets pricier still.

Read through the comments at Gigi’s blog, though, and you will find recommendations for getting much of the benefit of TA-65 without all the expense.

This is a fascinating topic – and a fascinating supplement. Along with resveratrol it is the substance with the most promise in the anti-aging field.

Related articles about the TA 65 Supplement

• Is There A Secret To Eternal Youth? (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• BodyLogicMD Physicians Recommend Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements (prweb.com)

TA-65 Supplement: More Info & A Possible Low-Cost Substitute is a post from: Living To 150

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TA-65 seems to have huge potential. Of course – there are the nay-sayers: those who will say: “It’s a rip-off”.

But that will always be so.

The thing is, TA-65 takes tons of Astragalus to make it – so it will be expensive: though as time passes cheaper ways will be found to produce it, no doubt.

This supplement works by ‘repairing’ the telomere, which otherwise degrades in human cells each time the cell divides.

Now, this is ONE way – of the 7 known ways – that aging occurs.

So you still have to deal with the other 6. HOWEVER, this appears to be a really good fix for the one-out-of-seven causes of aging. As such, we should be pleased it has been identified – and a fix found.

Of course it will get cheaper – in fact, it already has reduced in price.

Telomeres and Aging Telomerase and Aging. Call 212-588-8805 Telomere and Aging TA-65

CBS News reports on “The Fountain of Youth in a Tiny Capsule?”

CBS News reports on a nutritional supplement that improved vision in a 67 year-old.

Related articles about TA-65 and the Telomere

• Is There A Secret To Eternal Youth? (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Telomere length as an indicator of life expectancy for the southern giant petrel (sciencedaily.com)
• Scientists Find Way to Partially Reverse Aging in Mice (nlm.nih.gov)
• TA Associates plans to bulk up with Dymatize (finance.fortune.cnn.com)

TA-65 – Supplement Of Choice is a post from: Living To 150

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TA-65 is a ‘supplement’ extracted from the herb Astragalus which repairs the telomere – the straggly bits at the end of our DNA wich get shorted each time our cells divide. This process – the reducing of telomere length – eventually kills us off at the age of a maximum of 120. In other words, if we were healthy enough that nothing else killed us off, the shrinking of the telomere would do so at this age.

Well, companies are now finding out how to repair the telomere. And it is resulting in increasing health and wellbeing for hundreds of people. The leader in the field is TA Sciences, who licensed the research from Geron, a leading Californian anti-aging company, who discovered it. A study showed wide-ranging anti-aging benefits – in vision, skin condition, stamina and energy and sexual function. TA Sciences make TA-65 available to all employees over 40 years old.

The downside? There are no long-term studies on it yet, so its long-term effects are not known.

It is certainly an interesting one though – let’s face it, if you are 10-20 years from likely death anyway – what can you lose trying such a therapy – which at present looks pretty safe?

This blog is worth checking out for anti-aging information on TA-65. And Al Sears – anti-aging doctor and specialist – has a DVD on the topic which you can buy.

TA-65, Astragalus, telomere

What’s a Telomere and Why is it Important to the Aging Process

The following video is excerpted from Dr. Bill Andrew’s presentation at the Manhattan Beach Project Longevity Conference. Dr. Andrews leads the scientific research and development function of Sierra Sciences.

Related articles about TA-65, and the Telomere

• Arlene Weintraub: Scientists Can Reverse Aging in Mice, But Can They Do it for Humans? (huffingtonpost.com)
• Is There A Secret To Eternal Youth? (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Telomere length as an indicator of life expectancy for the southern giant petrel (sciencedaily.com)
• Suck This ‘Magic Hormone’ into Your Body and Transform Your Health – Takes Just 20 Minutes (findmeacure.com)

TA-65 – Supplement Of The Moment is a post from: Living To 150

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(Here is a brief summary for new readers:  I started my anti-aging, or longevity, quest in March 2008 when I visited Fort Lauderdale for 63 blood tests. Then I had to interpret them as best as I could.)

In July 2009 I decided to get more professional input, and visited Dr Terry Grossman in Denver for a repeat of the tests, a few more besides, and more personal advice.

In October 2009 (OK – I dragged my feet a bit) I had a review, via Skype, of the results of the tests Terry had carried out for me.

Wow – Skype video! Fantastic. It was near to the effect of being in Terry Grossman’s offices.

Key Health Points

Key points were:

• My total cholesterol is high
• My genetic profile shows no particular inherited concerns
• My biological age is 19 years younger than my physical age – a near record for the clinic
• I need to enhance my exercise regime to keep up the good results I have had.

I am now starting my ‘new regime’. My main aim is to reduce my cholesterol – through diet  and supplements.

My Health – The Next Step is a post from: Living To 150

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This is a great ebook which does a good job of explaining where we are today with regard to healthy anti-aging strategies.

Best of all – it is completely free. David Kekich is doing all he can to publicize anti-aging, so is giving this book away. It’s a chunky tome – and packed full of information.

It tells you 7 steps to take to: “catch the emerging wave of medical breakthroughs…” for a healthy, extended life. I strongly recommend this book to help get you up to speed with the current state of anti-aging knowledge.

Also, follow author David Kekich on twitter @MaxLifeorg .

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Gosh – I’d like to go to this – the Manhattan Beach Project, Los Angeles. It’s the conference I wanted to go to when I went to Convergence08 last November: because this on is focused specifically on longevity.

The field of longevity research is getting very exciting now. Aubrey de Grey is quoted as thinking there is a 50/50 chance of his living forever.  Now, if a conservative scientist says that, you have to take note.

Unfortunately, I cannot go – I have things booked for November and can’t get away. But it’s in the diary for next year.

Apparently there will be recordings of the speakers which can be watched for free.

“You’ll get to see all of the twenty minute presentations by world-leading researchers. Each one of the fifteen presenters will also answer up to ten minutes of questions.”

Sorry to miss it. The usual suspects – Aubrey de Grey and Ray Kurzweil – will be there (albeit Kurweil will be beamed in). The whole thing is hosted by David A Kekich and Greta Blackburn of Maximum Life Foundation, and sponsored by Life Extension Foundation. Should be very good.

Follow Maximum Life Foundation on Twitter @maxlifeorg .

Longevity Conference, November 2009 is a post from: Living To 150

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Hi there. I have not been blogging during July; but I have not been lazy!

As I mentioned previously, I went to Denver, Colorado to visit Dr Terry Grossman at his anti-aging Frontier Clinic.

Since my return on July 20th I got over jet lag, and have been planning lots of article writing.

As well as planning many articles for Living To 150, I have also been working on my HerbalMalc blog, which is bit more “mainstream alternative medicine” and a bit less “longevity” and is aimed at customers of my UK herbal company.

Now I Am Back

Now I’m back on the case of Living To 150 , and raring to go.

I learned a ton of information from Terry Grossman and his colleagues, and had many questions answered. I picked up some really great ideas which I look forward to sharing – on nutrition, health tests, exercise and more.

If you are interested in the two week holiday trip which I took when in Denver seeing Terry G, check out my Colorado website. The trip was probably the best I have ever had! Fantastic scenery, stunning National Parks, exciting activities – white water rafter, zip wiring – and wonderful road-trips.

I have a thousand pictures, and will be adding more of them to the site when I have a few moments.

So, back to anti-aging; please look out for my next post soon.

Question: Do you think you would ever go all the way to Denver if you knew you would get information to make you healthier?

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Continuing a review of the lifestyle changes I made after last year’s blood tests in Fort Lauderdale (April 2008), I will summarize the changes I made.

They were:

1. Avoiding glycation

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

3. Increasing exercise

My exercise regime a year ago was not great. I used to play racquetball once a week, and that had stopped. I would walk for half an hour or an hour sporadically. I was doing no weight training. I had started yoga and did this for 10-15 minutes most days.

I decided to get more organized!

1. I started to walk quickly for  20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week.

2. I joined the gym, just for the strength building exercise. I carried out a programme for 45 minutes 2-3 times a week.

3. I joined a tennis club and loved it, such that I played 3 times most weeks.

These were the changes I made after my blood tests in early 2008, which I managed to keep up pretty well to date.

I was now ready to review my lifestyle changes in the light of the recommendations of Dr Terry Grossman and his colleagues.

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Continuing a review of the lifestyle changes I made after last year’s blood tests in Fort Lauderdale (April 2008), I will sumarize the changes I made.

They were, basically:

1. Avoiding glycation.

2. Reducing sugar – of all types – in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

After my last blood tests it became clearer to me just how much of my diet consisted of sugar. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, sweet vegetables – all had a high proportion of sugar. Juiced fruit is as sugar rich as soda (eg cola) without having the natural fruit fibre to slow absorption down. And a high level of sugar in the diet correlates with Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

So I did the following:

1.  Virtually cut out potatoes, rice, pasta and bread in daily use.

2. Cut out fruit juices and smoothies with fruit.

3. Chose my cooked vegetables to reduce sweet ones – carrots, peas, sweet corn, swwet peppers, parsnips; and focus on none-sweet – greens, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans.

4. When eating the sweet vegetables, I tried to eat them raw, eg with humus.

This had the effect of my eating fish and salad or chicken and salad for many meals.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Change – Exercise

——————–

Question: What do you think about cutting down all starchy food in your diet? Potatoes, pasta, even rice? Post a comment

My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar is a post from: Living To 150

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Getting healthier is incremental – bit by bit – for most people. You cannot do it all at once. It might be helpful if I to write down some of my own incremental lifestyle changes.

The lifestyle changes I made after last year’s blood tests in Fort Lauderdale (April 2008) were as follows.

1. Avoiding glycation

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

After this year’s visit to see Terry Grossman, I will make further changes, no doubt. For now, let’s look at these factors one by one.

1. Avoiding glycation.

I reduced the amount of food I cooked at high temperatures. This was to avoid glycation.

For example, I substituted frying my salmon for poaching or steaming it. Stir-frys became a ‘quick fry’ followed by steaming in a little liquid.

I stopped frying curry onions and spices before adding the liquid – I just put it all together to cook.

When cooking in foil in the oven, I cook for an hour at 250 degrees F (gas mark 1.5) instead of a hot oven for 20 minutes.

The food still tastes great. I love poached or steamed salmon now. I like to poach it in vegetable stock, or wine, or just some water with a little soy sauce or Worcestershire Sauce. Add some flavouring to taste – onions, garlic, chili seeds, chopped peppers – and steam for 5 minutes a side.

In the oven – add the same vegetables, pour a little olive oil over. You can also add sliced courgette, mushrooms, etc. A fantastic meal when you add a side salad or a few extra steamed green vegetables.

I still occasionally have fried food – but rarely cook it  except for the quick start to my stir-frys.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar

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I am in Denver ready to meet with Dr Terry Grossman in two days at his anti-aging clinic.

I have signed up to a two day health assessment and series of consultations with Terry himself, his wife, a practitioner in nutrition and Chinese medicine, and others.

I want to build on the blood tests I had done a year ago, following which I have made lifestyle changes. These include dietary changes, exercise changes and devising a supplement plan.

I hope to have all these changes checked by the clinic.  Also, new blood and other tests will be carried out, and further recommendations made.

I am quite excited to hear what is recommended.

I think the clinic will also apply a test which shows an estimate of my ‘bodily age’ compared to my physical age. This will be a useful benchmark for future treatments to gauge their effects.

Denver is a lovey city, and has a great temperature in July. After my visit to the clinic, my partner and I will tour round the Rocky Mountains for 2 weeks before returning home.

Denver Anti-Aging is a post from: Living To 150

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Over the years there have been many changes of recommendation as to what types of fats are healthy for us. There is particular confusion over whether we need Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids.

The truth is: we need Omega-3s.

We should generally shoot for a 1:1 balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in the diet. The problem is, our diets generally contain much too much Omega-6. Thus we need to reduce Omega-6 fats and increase Omega-3 fats.

Inflammation Kills

The main reason to increase Omega-3 fats is: Omega-3 reduces inflammation. Omega-6 fats increase inflammation – it is ‘pro-inflammatory’.

What is wrong with inflammation? ‘Good inflammation’ is designed to help the body to repair damage or counteract infection. It causes redness, pain and heat.

The ‘bad’ sort is generalised inflammation. This type does not cause pain or discomfort. It is insidious: it can be detected by a blood test, but is not felt. This generalised inflammation has been linked to all major degenerative diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

A good test for generalised inflammation is to test the blood for c-reactive protein (CRP). Some UK doctors will test for CRP. They might tell you that 2-4 times normal CRP is acceptable: but check for yourself what you levels should – don’t trust the doctor’s view. Just twice the normal CRP level can double your chance of a heart attack.

Book on C-Reactive Protein

The top ways to reduce generalised inflammation are by:

1. Reducing intake of food high in Omega-6 – such as milk, cheese, and common vegetable oils, including sunflower (stick to cold-pressed olive oil), and
2. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acid; which means – fish oils.  Cod liver oil is fine; and eating oily fish – such as sardines, mackerel and salmon.

CRP is one proven measure of your propensity to develop all major degenerative diseases. You cannot be properly pro-active in safeguarding your own health if you do not know it.

Inflammation article

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Patrick Holford – one of the UK’s foremost publicists for natural healthcare – has started a bandwagon rolling to make the population aware of metabolic syndrome. This is the syndrome focused around excessive sugar consumption which produces ‘insulin resistance’ of cells. Metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance probably kills most people in this country.

So it’s good that Holford is shouting about it.

Insulin Resistance of the Cells

In insulin resistance, our cells become more or less immune to the effects of insulin.

The insulin is produced to make the cells take sugar out of the blood. The result is that the sugar remains in the blood, causing increased inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is linked to serious disease.

Which Diseases are Caused?

Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance have been closely linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

All the ‘biggies’, really. This is a vital syndrome to know about. And the crucial point of understanding the symdrome is CUT DOWN ON SUGAR. That means all sugar; and you need to know that pasta, potatoes, bread (of all kinds – even wholemeal) and rice is nearly all sugar.

Holford says Metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance is worse for our health than excessive salt or fat in the diet.

He has a point.

How to Combat Metabolic Sydrome

His answer is to eat ‘Low GL’, or low glycaemic load. This is pretty much the same as low GI – low glycaemic index - which you might have already heard of.

It means that when you eat starchy food – oats, wheat, rice, pasta, bread – make sure it passes into the blood slowly. Eg wholemeal rather than white; porridge rather than popular cereals.

Vegetables, Fats, Protein Way to Go

Certainly – focus on low GI (I mean GL) when you do eat starchy food.

But fundamentally, think ‘low sugar’ with your diet. Eat starchy food rarely. This means cut down dramatically on rice, bread, pasta, potatoes. And sugary food itself, of course.

Pile on the vegetables and salads.

Focus on fish and lean meat – eg turkey and chicken breast.

Minimise sweet fruit, eg apples and mangoes, which are high in sugar; and fruit juices – which are very high in sugar. Do eat berries, though, which are lower in sugar and highly nutritious.

This is probably a very new approach to your diet; but it is essential if you are to avoid the ‘insulin resistance’ epidemic which is hitting us now. Crazy as it may sound, it will greatly help you to avoid the major degenerative diseases.

• More about Metabolic Syndrome
• Article about inflammation
• Patrick Holford’s GL Revolution Tour of 11 UK cities

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Calorie restriction or "CR" has been shown to extend lifespan in some animals and worm. By reducing intake, our bodies slow down our metabolism to cope with the reduced level of food eaten.

However, can we deal with the repeated hunger pangs? Should we incorporate CR – or partial CR – into our lifestyle to live longer and live healthier?

I used to think "no" having met a couple of CR nutters. However, in the face of further evidence and the passage of time. I am thinking again.

Free Radical Damage

From a scientific point of view, tremendous cell damage is caused by free radicals, and free radicals are produced by the body processing food – especially by the mitochondria of our cells. Eat less food: produce fewer free radicals.

Another positive point for CR is the possibility of "partial CR" – ie not going the whole hog, but limiting food intake somewhat – say to 85% of what you would normally eat.

When it comes to considering cutting down food intake to extend life, one is reminded of the quote in answer to the question: "Does it make you live long?", "No – but it certainly seems that way."

To get more data, one book worth reading is the snappily named: The Longevity Diet: Discover Calorie Restriction – the Only Proven Way to Slow the Aging Process and Maintain Peak Vitality, written by two practitioners of CR.

You can get it from Amazon.

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I have definitely decided now to visit Dr Terry Grossman’s clinic in Denver, Colorado, in July 2009.

Terry heads one of the leading anti-aging clinics in the world. I met him last November at Convergence08, and was impressed by his knowledge and demeanour.

The 2-day programme is not cheap; but it is comprehensive. It is different from the blood tests I had done in Fort Lauderdale last year in that there are extra tests; and there is a lot more interpretation. The clinic’s approach seems to be more ‘here’s how to develop a programme for life yourself’.

The Grossman Wellness programmes

It’s a long way to go, but I am creating a number of travel websites and will make Colorado the focus of one of them, thus killing two birds with one stone.  By all accounts Colorado is a beautiful state – especially in July.

Over the next few weeks I will highlight some of the treatments I will be having.

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Longevity and anti-aging was not the only focus of this fascinating conference in San Hose, California, November 2008. It also covered nanotechnology, bio-technology and artificial intelligence.

300 people gathered together with interests in these main areas. An obvious connecting factor was: ‘thinking outside the box’.

Aubrey de Grey

One attendee was Aubrey de Grey, a man of striking appearance, and strong intellect. He speaks convincingly about how the degeneration caused by aging will be ended by biotechnology – potentially within a generation or two. 

Longevity – Supplements – Yes or No?

From the point of view of supplements the longevity enthusiasts polarised into two main groups: "take supplements", and "take few supplements" (or "take no supplements").

The "take few supplements" lobby were concerned about studies which appeared to show that supplements can be toxic, such as vitamin E; and those which showed them to be ineffective. An example of the latter is that the effectiveness of anti-oxidants is questioned, as our cells appear to regulate anti-oxidants so closely, that it is questioned whether it is worth taking extra ones such as vitamin C or CoQ10.

Voice of Moderation for Anti-Aging

After fighting in my head with the opposing views for a couple of days, I was won over by Terry Grossman, co-author of ‘Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever‘, who I heard speak, and spoke with, several times.

Terry runs a longevity clinic in Denver, Colorado.

His views run very closely to my own naturopathic ones; do all you can through lifestyle – as supported by science; take medical tests for major diseases where they are available; and take moderate levels of supplements.

Terry argued convincingly against the ‘vitamin E toxicity’ argument put frequently by the "take no supplements" lobby, as a misrepresentation of the data.

I plan to visit Terry Grossman’s anti-aging clinic for an ‘overhaul’ in mid 2009.

Great Anti-Aging Conference

This was an eye-opening conference. There were many people there making fantastic discoveries at the cutting edge of health and science; and, contradictorily, some of these were not so open minded in other areas.

I should not be so surprised – that’s human.

I look forward to the next conference. The organisers may have one focused more specifically on anti-aging which would be great.

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Google and Nasa are backing Ray Kurzweil in a new school for ‘futurists’. The school will be located around the corner from Google in Silicon Valley.

The school will pull together people and ideas from rapidly growing and advancing disciplines which are going to affect our future – including health and longevity – tremendously. These include technology, medicine, artificial intelligence (AI), genetics and  nanotechnology.

The students will get together each year for nine weeks to soak up cutting edge ideas across discipline The idea of the University is not to set exams and issue degrees, but to share ideas in these rapidly developing fields. 

Ray Kurzweil put forward his view that the day when the intelligence of machines equal the intelligence human is coming nearer at a faster pace. This is because of the accelerating progress in biology, technology and AI. This time has been called the ‘Singularity’.

Kurzweil predicts this time will be before the middle of this century. More intelligent machines will, he says, be able to solve problems of poverty, starvation, pollution and global warming.

Kurzweil has a strong back-catalogue of successful and ground-breaking inventions including the electric piano, the document scanner and dictation software. He is the visionary who has been appointed as Chancellor.

The new school will be called the ‘Singularity University’.

Guardian article

Smart Machines on the Horizon is a post from: Living To 150

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