Lifeboat Foundation

Few individuals write about issues that impact human survival. Fewer still win multiple literary awards for writing science fiction novels. Hardly anyone joins a major corporation as chief futurist. Neal Stephenson can be credited for doing all three.

Writer, academician, video game designer and technology consultant are just some of the things Neal is famous for. He has authored historical epic novels ‘Cryptonomicon’ and ‘The Baroque Cycle;’ science fiction novels ‘The Diamond Age’ and ‘Anathem;’ contemporary thrillers ‘Zodiac’ and ‘REAMDE;’ and science fiction epic ‘Seveneves,’ among others.

His “Snow Crash” published in 1992 preceded ” The Matrix” series and introduced the concept of “The Metaverse”. Yes, Neal Stephenson coined the term. And his 1994 “Interface” preceded NeuraLink by over 20 years!

Continue reading “The Original Inventor Of ‘Metaverse’ On Technology, Life, And Books: Interview With Neal Stephenson” »

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Undoubtedly the fear of death, encoded in our DNA to improve our chances of survival, is one of the least pleasant characteristics we are forced to live with. The idea that our life must have an end and then there is nothingness is not at all attractive, so it is not surprising that in the course of his history man has imagined countless ways to circumvent death.
Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of surviving forever or for an indefinite period of time, without facing death or overcoming death itself.

Immortality can be intended in two main meanings, physical and spiritual. Physical immortality is generally conceived as the endless existence of the mind from a physical source, such as a brain or a computer. Spiritual immortality is generally conceived as the endless existence of an individual after physical death.

Continue reading “The Future Technology To Become Immortal” »

They are at the forefront in the fight against viruses, bacteria, and malignant cells: the T cells of our immune system. But the older we get, the fewer of them our body produces. Thus, how long we remain healthy also depends on how long the T cells survive. Researchers at the University of Basel have now uncovered a previously unknown signaling pathway essential for T cell viability.

Like human beings, every cell in our body tries to ward off death as long as it can. This is particular true for a specific type of immune cells, called T-lymphocytes, or T cells for short. These cells keep viruses, bacteria, parasites and cancerous cells at bay. While T cell production is an active process in infants, children and young adults, it comes to a gradual stop upon aging, meaning that in order to maintain adequate immunity up to an old age, your T cells should better live as long as you.

How T cells manage to survive for such a long time, up to several decades in humans, has long remained unclear. In collaboration with scientists at the Department of Biomedicine and sciCORE, the Center for Scientific Computing of the University of Basel, Professor Jean Pieters’ research group at the Biozentrum has now revealed the existence of a hitherto unrecognized pathway promoting long-term survival of T cells. In Science Signaling they report that this signaling pathway, regulated by the protein coronin 1, is responsible for suppressing T cell death.

A good deal of evidence points to declining kidney function as a cause of declining cognitive function in aging. There are strong correlations between loss of kidney function and risk of dementia, for example. Correlation isn’t a smoking gun in matters of aging, however: it is possible for any one of the underlying forms of molecular damage that cause aging, or for intermediate consequences of that damage, to give rise to otherwise unrelated pathologies in different parts of the body. Those pathologies appear more often in people with greater amounts of that form of damage, and thus appear correlated.

Nonetheless, there are good reasons to think that kidney failure and its downstream consequences contribute meaningful to neurodegeneration, perhaps largely by degrading the function of the vascular system. Vascular aging can cause damage and dysfunction in brain tissue via numerous mechanisms, including the pressure damage of hypertension, similar damage resulting from an acceleration of atherosclerosis, failing to delivery sufficient nutrients and oxygen to the energy-hungry brain, and disruption of the blood-brain barrier, allowing inflammatory cells and molecules into the brain.

Interactions Between Kidney Function and Cerebrovascular Disease: Vessel Pathology That Fires Together Wires Together.

An experimental vaccine successfully eliminated aging cells from the bodies of mice, helping to prolong the rodents’ lives and reverse some signs of age-related disease. The researchers say the experiment is a step on the road to a similar vaccine for humans, but could it really work?

Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology show that strain on ventricular walls explains where lesions develop in the aging brain.

As our brains age, small lesions begin to pop up in the bundles of white matter that carry messages between our neurons. The lesions can damage this white matter and lead to cognitive deficits. Now, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology and colleagues not only provide an explanation for the location of these lesions but also how they develop in the first place.

Continue reading “Wear and Tear in Vulnerable Brain Areas Lead to Lesions Linked to Cognitive Decline in Aging” »

It doesn’t have to be this way. Unhealthy ageing is a human tragedy, and if governments and health authorities shift their focus from lifespan to healthspan, longevity technology can remedy it. Looking and feeling younger for longer is not the preserve of beauty brands or Silicon Valley billionaires.

The average human lifespan has increased by several decades in the past century, but our healthspan – the years we are in good health – has stayed the same. The solution is to treat unhealthy ageing like any other illness, that is, as a technical problem that can be overcome.

The 2021 Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award has been given to Martine Rothblatt who has devoted her life to moving humanity towards a positive future.

Martine was the 500th person to join our Advisory Board, has contributed to our blog, and has generously supported the Lifeboat Foundation’s goal of “Safeguarding Humanity”.

Martine is cofounder of the Terasem Movement Foundation. Their mission is to promote the geoethical (world ethical) use of nanotechnology for human life extension. They conduct educational programs and support scientific research and development in the areas of cryonics, biotechnology, and cyber consciousness. This foundation is related to the Lifeboat Foundation programs LifePreserver and PersonalityPreserver (which Martine contributed text to).

Continue reading “Lifeboat Foundation Press Release: Martine Rothblatt named 2021 Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award Winner” »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KCirsRKFX8&feature=youtu.be

When we think about gene editing, the first thing we remember is the designer babies, and that it’s usually called unethical. But actually, gene editing (CRISPR) may be one of the most promising upcoming medical technologies. Learn why in this video.

Check out other videos from this series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnWSi4zEceYXPCBYXZ9ZEV-9q44ebksoo.

Continue reading “Gene Editing, The Possible Key To Immortality” »