Aubrey de Grey, British researcher on aging, claims he has drawn a roadmap to defeat biological aging. He provocatively proposes that the first human beings who will live to 1,000 years old have already been born.
Why you should listen to him:
A true maverick, Aubrey de Grey challenges the most basic assumption underlying the human condition -- that aging is inevitable. He argues instead that aging is a disease -- one that can be cured if it's approached as "an engineering problem." His plan calls for identifying all the components that cause human tissue to age, and designing remedies for each of them — forestalling disease and eventually pushing back death. He calls the approach Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS).
With his astonishingly long beard, wiry frame and penchant for bold and cutting proclamations, de Grey is a magnet for controversy. A computer scientist, self-taught biogerontologist and researcher, he has co-authored journal articles with some of the most respected scientists in the field.
But the scientific community doesn't know what to make of him. In July 2005, the MIT Technology Review challenged scientists to disprove de Grey's claims, offering a $20,000 prize (half the prize money was put up by de Grey's Methuselah Foundation) to any molecular biologist who could demonstrate that "SENS is so wrong that it is unworthy of learned debate." The challenge remains open; the judging panel includes TEDsters Craig Venter and Nathan Myhrvold. It seems that "SENS exists in a middle ground of yet-to-be-tested ideas that some people may find intriguing but which others are free to doubt," MIT's judges wrote. And while they "don't compel the assent of many knowledgeable scientists," they're also "not demonstrably wrong."
"Aubrey de Grey is a man of ideas, and he has set himself toward the goal of transforming the basis of what it means to be human."MIT Technology Review
Blog Posts on TED
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Defeating aging: Aubrey de Grey's handbook – July 9, 2007
British biogerontologist, computer scientist and twice TED speaker Aubrey de Grey has just finished a book, "Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime", where he details his controversial claim that "we could defeat aging".
Cheat sheet: Aubrey went on stage at TEDGLOBAL05 (video) and then at TED06 saying (I'm oversimplifying) that aging, like a disease, can be cured; that it is essentially a set of accumulating molecular and cellular transformations in our bodies, caused by metabolism, that eventually lead to pathology and kill us. Therefore, it could be approached "as an engineering problem": identify all the components of the variety of processes that cause tissues to age, and design remedies for each of them. He calls the approach "Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence" (SENS).The book, co-written with his assistant Michael Rae, will be released September 4 by St Martin's Press. We e-mailed with Aubrey last week.
Aubrey, are you feeling older than last year?
Not really -- and that's despite the fact that my schedule has become even more punishing. I think the fulfilment I derive from spearheading the push to save so many lives somehow gives me the vitality to cope.
How has your research progressed since your TEDGLOBAL05 and TED06 speeches?
The Methuselah Foundation has gone from strength to strength. The biggest development, among other donations, was the pledge of $3.5m from TEDster and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, which resulted from a dialogue that began at TED. Most of his pledge ($3m of it) is a 1:2 challenge, so our current goal is to obtain $6m from elsewhere to match that pledge in full.
OK, that's about the funding. But how's the research going?
It's been going really well too. We are currently sponsoring research by three teams (in Phoenix, Houston and Cambridge UK) on two of the most important SENS strands -- LysoSENS, the identification and exploitation of microbial enzymes to break down molecules that we cannot naturally degrade, and MitoSENS, the incorporation of modified copies of the mitochondrial DNA into the chromosomal DNA so that mitochondrial mutations will have no effect. Both these projects are going really well, results coming out of the LysoSENS project have already been presented at two meetings and a paper has been submitted for publication in a prominent journal.
What should readers expect to learn from the book?
They will learn all about the detailed science of SENS. The book is written (largely by my splendid research assistant Michael Rae) very much for a non-scientist audience, but without dumbing down the science at all.
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Beyond the Top 10 TEDTalks: user favorites – July 1, 2008
Last week, TEDTalks celebrated our 50 millionth view by counting down the Top 10 TEDTalks of all time (so far) -- and inviting people to share their own favorites. Here are a few: My favorite is still Susan Savage-Rumbaugh and those bonobo apes. -- S.F., Boynton Beach, Florida Stamets (mushrooms), Isabel Allende (passion), Dave Eggers (schools), and Ballard (ocean) -- not to be missed. -- Marian Angele Majora Carter's talk on her environmental work in the Bronx. -- lydia chadwick Majora Carter's is my absolute favorite! -- Ariel, a TED fan I am dropping a line to say how much I enjoyed Aubrey de Grey's speech on aging. -- Diana Pasley I think Malcom Gladwell is that hidden gem. -- +Jono I nominate Theo Jansen's talk on creating new creatures as one of the "Hidden Gems." -- Paul If your own favorite TEDTalks aren't on the Top 10 list yet -- or you'd like to share your own hidden gems -- write to us at contact@ted.com or post a comment.
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Discussing Aging At UCLA – June 20, 2008
The Methuselah Foundation and TED speaker Aubrey de Grey (watch his TEDGLOBAL 2005 speech) will host next week in Los Angeles "Aging: The Disease, The Cure, The Implications", a symposium featuring world-renowned scientists and advocates of stem cell and regenerative medicine research.
The symposium will highlight the scientific prospects for using regenerative medicine to eliminate age-related disease, disability, suffering and death, as well as discuss public policy and legislation as it pertains to relevant scientific research (California plays a leading role in this, notably after the passing of Prop 71 that allocated $3 billion to fund stem cell research).
The symposium will be held on Friday 27 June at UCLA (Detailed info here). Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.
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Aubrey de Grey on "The Colbert Report" – February 15, 2008
Earlier this week, TEDTalks favorite Aubrey de Grey visited Comedy Central's The Colbert Report to promote his new book, Ending Aging. His controversial 2005 TEDTalk, in which he argued that we could one day extend the human lifespan by hundreds of years, continues to spur debate.
Stephen Colbert on de Grey's nonprofit Methuselah Foundation: "If McCain gets into office, he should definitely fund you guys." -- Matthew Trost
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The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists – October 13, 2005
When Tom Rielly pointed out the prevalence of hirsute speakers at TEDGlobal (with a wink toward Steven Pinker and Aubrey DeGrey), we didn’t realize there was an organized movement behind it ...
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Edge question 2008: What have you changed your mind about? Why? – January 2, 2008
Many TEDTalks speakers have answered the 2008 Edge Foundation question: What have you changed your mind about? Why?
Among the more than 160 essays from leading thinkers -- scientists, philosophers, artists -- look for Wired's Chris Anderson, Nick Bostrom, Stewart Brand, Richard Dawkins, Aubrey de Grey, Juan Enriquez, Helen Fisher, Neil Gershenfeld, Daniel Gilbert, Daniel Goleman, Kevin Kelly, Steven Pinker, Carolyn Porco, Martin Rees, Michael Shermer and Craig Venter. Block out some time to sample these -- it's an addictive read.
