- I respect the coverage of allegories that caution against immortality. I do think they offer insight but they are not definitive insights. Personally, my mind is not made up about immortality, but I generally agree it's not worth pursuing as an end in itself, thus my personal emphasis on "Don't Die" in my essay about Bryan Johnson being a positive message rather than something like "try to live forever," which is not the message he emphasizes.
- The plasma transfer that Bryan, his son, and his father did was a one time thing. Bryan has since admitted that it's not worth repeating and was mostly experimental, though apparently (I have not dug into the details) his father's health did benefit from it. Anyway, your commentary on that is mostly a strawman case.
- aside: His diet is not strictly vegan in the literal sense. He consumes collagen protein, which come from cows.
- In your "undying..." section, I think it is mostly hyperbole, but you again strawman the point about taking "blood" (actually plasma) from others, again, something he did once. Also about this section, Bryan often acknowledges the fact that he will probably die in an ironic manner, as you also allude to, so you're actually on the same page with him there.
- The remainder of your essay is very well done and I actually agree with most of it. You make a lot of solid and insightful points. So, despite the strawman critiques of Bryan Johnson, well done overall.
There is definitely an experimental, trial-and-error aspect. Whether it makes the metaphorical "golden guinea pig" more sacrificial lamb or chicken without a head is for anyone to assess. To his credit he puts his money where his mouth is--and also his veins, his skin, his mitochondria...
There is still a question on the vampiric aspect of the plasma transfer. "Taking blood from babies" is admittedly caricatural; not much more than a blood transfer, and I don't mean to infantilize his son.
But just like plastic surgery was first developed to improve the lives of war veterans and is now a much bigger market in the posh neighborhoods of peaceful countries than in war zones, plasma transfusions *to a healthy person* are a completely different endeavour. It's not about restoring, but (arguably, in both cases, as you point out for the latter) improving health.
When the plasma comes from your own son, even if you turn that into a multi-generation party, there is another question being raised, even if the kin relationship blurs it: domination.
What's worse: giving plasma to your (anti)aging dad even if you're not 100% for it, or losing your relationship with them?
Now what? No son, no plasma? What if I find someone who is willing to sell it to me? They need the money, I need the plasma, what's wrong?
And all of a sudden we have the old and wealthy consuming the fluids of the young, healthy, but impoverished. I mention some, arguably less invasive examples of age and power gaps in the piece, but how about the intergenerational organ bank, the organ and the skin and the hair farms (these implants ain't gonna make themselves), and the Third World organ drain so the upper middle class, too, can swap kidneys?
- I respect the coverage of allegories that caution against immortality. I do think they offer insight but they are not definitive insights. Personally, my mind is not made up about immortality, but I generally agree it's not worth pursuing as an end in itself, thus my personal emphasis on "Don't Die" in my essay about Bryan Johnson being a positive message rather than something like "try to live forever," which is not the message he emphasizes.
- The plasma transfer that Bryan, his son, and his father did was a one time thing. Bryan has since admitted that it's not worth repeating and was mostly experimental, though apparently (I have not dug into the details) his father's health did benefit from it. Anyway, your commentary on that is mostly a strawman case.
- aside: His diet is not strictly vegan in the literal sense. He consumes collagen protein, which come from cows.
- In your "undying..." section, I think it is mostly hyperbole, but you again strawman the point about taking "blood" (actually plasma) from others, again, something he did once. Also about this section, Bryan often acknowledges the fact that he will probably die in an ironic manner, as you also allude to, so you're actually on the same page with him there.
- The remainder of your essay is very well done and I actually agree with most of it. You make a lot of solid and insightful points. So, despite the strawman critiques of Bryan Johnson, well done overall.
Thank you!
There is definitely an experimental, trial-and-error aspect. Whether it makes the metaphorical "golden guinea pig" more sacrificial lamb or chicken without a head is for anyone to assess. To his credit he puts his money where his mouth is--and also his veins, his skin, his mitochondria...
There is still a question on the vampiric aspect of the plasma transfer. "Taking blood from babies" is admittedly caricatural; not much more than a blood transfer, and I don't mean to infantilize his son.
But just like plastic surgery was first developed to improve the lives of war veterans and is now a much bigger market in the posh neighborhoods of peaceful countries than in war zones, plasma transfusions *to a healthy person* are a completely different endeavour. It's not about restoring, but (arguably, in both cases, as you point out for the latter) improving health.
When the plasma comes from your own son, even if you turn that into a multi-generation party, there is another question being raised, even if the kin relationship blurs it: domination.
What's worse: giving plasma to your (anti)aging dad even if you're not 100% for it, or losing your relationship with them?
Now what? No son, no plasma? What if I find someone who is willing to sell it to me? They need the money, I need the plasma, what's wrong?
And all of a sudden we have the old and wealthy consuming the fluids of the young, healthy, but impoverished. I mention some, arguably less invasive examples of age and power gaps in the piece, but how about the intergenerational organ bank, the organ and the skin and the hair farms (these implants ain't gonna make themselves), and the Third World organ drain so the upper middle class, too, can swap kidneys?