The concept of the body as an engineering problem is often associated with longevity science. American millionaire Brian Johnson, known for his mission never to die, recently shared his reaction to his diagnosis—incurable autoimmune gastritis.
The concept of the body as an engineering problem is often associated with longevity science. American millionaire Brian Johnson, known for his mission never to die, recently shared his reaction to his diagnosis—incurable autoimmune gastritis.
According to his own count, about 1900 articles appeared a few days after the diagnosis was announced. Although many people expressed regret, the comments were generally marked by 'joy.' Johnson believes that humanity needs those who challenge death so they can fail. He compared himself to the archetypes of Gilgamesh, Asclepius, and even Jesus.
The article's author notes that they do not support the speculative idea that people can cheat death through their own invention, but considers the joyful response to the news that Johnson, like everyone else, is moving toward inevitable demise to be ill-willed and unjustified.
The author is also sensitive to the existential injustice and humiliation associated with aging, sympathizing with the desire to resist this process and manage time as responsibly as possible. These reflections arose after attending the iFHP Biennale in London, where a session on insurance in the age of longevity was presented.
The presentation was given by Andrew Matthews, an actuary from Finity Consulting, and Joseph Lu, an actuary and Director of Longevity Science at Legal & General, one of the world's largest pension and annuity asset managers. Their analysis indicates that longevity is transforming from a mortality problem into a problem of healthy life duration, fragility, care, and financing. The question shifts from how long we live to how well we live and who pays for it.
Joseph Lu contributed to a World Economic Forum report published in June titled 'The Longevity Dividend.' This report presents impressive figures, stating that three relatively modest, low-tech interventions could save global healthcare systems over $5.8 trillion and free up another $645 billion in productivity by 2040.
These three measures include: 1) strengthening homes against falls using anti-slip tape, grab bars, and better lighting; 2) adding two hours of moderate physical activity per week; and 3) expanding access to hearing aids, which, by slowing the onset of dementia, could potentially prevent 2.4 million cases. Thus, the focus is not on gene therapy or plasma transfusions, but on basic environmental safety, increased physical activity, and the use of hearing aids.
The author finds these findings particularly encouraging as an alternative to longevity experiments conducted by individuals like Johnson, since the latter are prohibitively expensive and inaccessible to most people planning their future in Africa, and are impractical and largely incompatible with the continent's ideological tenets and realities.
The report asserts that demographic pressure is not a problem for wealthy nations; it forecasts that the fastest proportional growth in the population over 65 will occur between now and 2040 in countries still considered 'young,' including Nigeria. However, according to the report's own data, two out of three interventions are least cost-effective in Nigeria during this period, partly because Nigerians are already more active than sedentary wealthy populations, and partly because the cost of a $1500 hearing aid presents a completely different issue compared to salaries in Lagos and Amsterdam. The fall prevention case has good prospects, while the others are a bet against the approaching transition.
The author also noted during their stay in London that Western debates on longevity have a peculiar counterargument: there is a growing wave of activism for the legalization of assisted dying so that people can avoid the humiliations associated with old age, illness, or their cruel combination. While one part of the world focuses on extending life, another is legislating the ways its end.
Joseph Lu, who grew up in what he calls the 'developing world,' remains fascinated by this topic. In correspondence after the conference, he put forward a thesis concerning the issue of accessibility. He suggested that developing countries should actively seek equal, mutually beneficial partnerships with developed economies to build their healthcare systems. The developing world provides land, consumers, workers, and systems to attract capital and technology. Capital and technology providers receive compensation in the form of wealth, while the country of origin receives health, well-being, and ultimately, knowledge itself.
In a later post, Johnson stated that his diagnosis gave him courage, as he views it as a minor detail in his unwavering mission never to die. But if the actuaries are correct, the true allies of a longer and better quality life are conscious proponents of unassuming lifestyle upgrades that no one is going to make a documentary about.