Who wants to live forever?
cryptocurrency Ethereum's founder Vitalik Buterin, it's an intriguing idea. In the BBC Radio 4 podcast series Intrigue, the 10-part programme The Immortals holds us in rapt fascination.
Technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski dives into the world of extreme longevity, where pioneers like Buterin are pushing the boundaries of what it means to age. Many Valleywalas like Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel have reportedly invested in companies working on tackling ageing — and even death.
In episode 7, Vitalik, the spotlight is on the Ether king. In 2022, Buterin floated a radical idea — a state with a constitution declaring that ageing is bad, life extension is good, and innovation in this field should face no barriers. This podcast becomes even more mind-blowing as it digs deeper, from the crypto founder who created a 'longevity city' in Montenegro because he believes we have a moral responsibility to stop ageing, to AI that is already being engineered to create a 'post-human being' merged with machines.
As Krotoski puts it, it's ultimately a story of faith and belief — much like our acceptance of death. Only this time, the belief is in a pill.
