Could we one day cheat death? Are we hurtling towards a time when science will be so advanced that aging can be prevented or halted in its tracks?

Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan takes a skeptical view in a fascinating exploration of longevity research. In Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality, the acclaimed scientist delves into the complexities of aging and the pursuit of extending healthy lifespan.

A former president of the Royal Society in London, Ramakrishnan is a group leader at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his work uncovering the structure and function of tiny cellular particles called ribosomes and was knighted in 2012. 

In this interview with Peter Bowes, the molecular biologist provides a critical perspective on the dilemmas of aging research; questions the hype and financial interests linked to some aspects of longevity science; delves into the concept of compressed morbidity and its challenges, and explains his belief that dramatic life extension is not imminent.

00:00 Intro
02:00 Career Journey: Ramakrishnan shares his career trajectory, beginning with physics and transitioning to molecular biology, focusing on the ribosome’s structure and function.
06:34 Shift to Aging: He talks about his interest in aging, which grew from his ribosome work, and his concerns about the hype and financial interests surrounding aging research.
11:43 Personal Interest in Aging: Ramakrishnan explains that personal concerns about aging partially motivated his book, aiming to demystify aging research for the general public.
14:57 Analyzing Death: He discusses why defining death is crucial to understanding aging. The ambiguity in defining the exact point of death leads to a range of ethical and social questions.
17:51 Compressed Morbidity: Ramakrishnan explains compressed morbidity, the idea of staying healthy throughout life and experiencing ailments only shortly before death. He expresses skepticism that science has yet found a way to achieve this balance.
24:11 Studying Centenarians: He discusses supercentenarians, who appear to have achieved a compressed morbidity, suggesting research into their genetics and lifestyle could provide insights into healthy aging.
27:00 Caloric Restriction: Its scientific backing compared to the more accessible concept of moderation in diet.
33:39 Evolution and Aging: Ramakrishnan explains why evolution has not resulted in humans who live longer, citing the balance between lifespan and reproductive success across species.
37:00 Views on Extreme Longevity: He shares his opinion on the prospects of dramatic life extension, siding with those who believe our current lifespan is relatively fixed without future breakthroughs.
40:02 Impact of Longevity Research: The potential benefits of longevity research are not necessarily in extending life dramatically but in alleviating the disabilities associated with old age.
48:10 Personal Takeaways and Retirement: Ramakrishnan reflects on the ageold advice for a healthy life—moderation, exercise, sleep—and his personal plans for retirement, advocating for passing resources to younger scientists.

Photo credit: Kate Joyce and Sante Fe Institute

Read: Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality
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Discounts & Affiliation disclosure: This podcast is supported by sponsorship and affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews, sharing information about human longevity, remain free for all to listen.

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