In this episode, I talk to world-renowned biologist David Sinclair about aging and longevity. David rejects the notion that the deterioration of health is a natural part of growing old and asserts that aging is a disease itself that we need to reverse. But how will a reset of our biological clocks affect our interactions, responses to adversity, morality, and how we live our lives? We discuss the ethical implications of limitless lifespans and also touch on the topics of death, evolution, genetics, medicine, and data tracking.

Bio

Dr. David Sinclair is a professor in the department of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of the scientific journal Aging. He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. In addition to being a co-founder of several biotechnology companies, he's the author of the book Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To. Dr. Sinclair was listed by TIME magazine as one of the “100 most influential people in the world”.

Website: sinclair.hms.harvard.edu

Twitter: @davidasinclair

Topics

00:02:26 David’s “sticky beak” personality

00:05:08 David’s childhood and upbringing

00:10:21 The torment of inevitable death 

00:15:13 David’s life purpose

00:22:06 Intergenerational interactions 

00:28:59 Aging is a disease we can reverse 

00:32:20 Accelerating human evolution 

00:36:24 The SIR2 gene and the NMN+ pill

00:40:04 Reverse brain aging and Alzheimer’s

00:42:50 Gene therapy in pills

00:48:45 Will we be happier with longer lifespans? 

00:52:49 Inside Tracker

00:55:31 The future of data tracking and medicine

01:00:47 The Information Theory of Aging

01:09:08 Is there a biological limit to our lifespans?

01:14:21 Mental states can produce epigenetic changes

01:20:39 David’s future projects