For as long as humans have been telling stories about our origins, we’ve been fantasising about living forever. The Ancient Greeks spoke of golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. In Chinese mythology, it was the ‘peaches of immortality’. In Hindu tradition, gods known as the Devas churned the ocean of milk to make an elixir to cheat death. It seems that every culture has a tale of the quest for eternal life.
Aging is bad for you and death is bad for you.Dr Patrick Linden
And now, with off-the-shelf anti-aging drugs in your vanity, and listicles of longevity hacks in your hand, these myths might just become reality. According to a motley coalition of life-extensionists, longevity enthusiasts and biogerontologists, we might be on the cusp of giving the human lifespan a serious shot in the arm.
Far from being science fiction or primeval poppycock, some in the anti-death community argue that there is no upper limit on human life, suggesting that aging and disease will one day be a thing of the past, like smallpox and facts.
In this week’s episode, we ask: Can we cure death? If so, should we? And what does it mean for humanity and our beleaguered planet if we succeed in becoming a population of immortals?
I think what we can hope for is this kind of contingent immortality.Dr Patrick Linden
We sat down with Dr Patrick Linden, an educator, philosopher and the author of The Case Against Death. With a palpable zest for life - and an enthusiasm for radical life extension, Patrick rails against our culture of death complacency, and mounts a compelling argument for why death is the ultimate evil. We touch on developments in the science of life extension, its moral implications, and why billionaires are the absolute worst.
The problem is not that billionaires are spending too much money on slowing aging. It's absolutely the contrary. They're not spending enough money.
Links
Brian Johnson's Quest for Immortality
BBC Radio 4 - Intrigue - Five unbelievable ways longevity pioneers are trying to live forever
Live to 150? David Sinclair on why we age — and why he thinks we don't have to - ABC listen
Credits
Grave Matters is an SBS Audio podcast about death, dying, and the people helping us do both better. Find it in your podcast app, such as the SBS Audio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or LiSTNR.
Hosts: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen
Producer: Jeremy Wilmot
Writers: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen
Art and design: Karina Aslikyan
SBS team: Joel Supple, Max Gosford, Bernadette Phương Nam Nguyễn, and Philip Soliman
Guest: Dr Patrick Linden
Helplines: If you'd like to speak to someone, you can reach a counsellor at Beyond Blue at any time, day or night, by calling 1300 22 4636 or visiting www.beyondblue.org.au. Also, Lifeline offers 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14, and Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In an emergency call 000.
