I'm deeply skeptical of lifestyle optimization for longevity, and...
Crémieux@cremieuxrecueil
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Aug 25, 2025
~1 min read
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I'm deeply skeptical of lifestyle optimization for longevity, and you should be too.
No one will become immortal through living an extremely healthy life. To get there, we need biotech.
Consider blood sugar.
Too low? Bad. Too high? Also bad. Just right? Still not immortal.
No one will become immortal through living an extremely healthy life. To get there, we need biotech.
Consider blood sugar.
Too low? Bad. Too high? Also bad. Just right? Still not immortal.
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This pattern of bad highs and bad lows replicates (causally and non-causally) for tons of outcomes, but it's not really what I'm trying to get at.
What I want to get at is that the optimal among what we observe today is still unimpressive.
What I want to get at is that the optimal among what we observe today is still unimpressive.
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Consider this:
Despite greatly reducing extrinsic causes of mortality, we're still stuck with the same maximal lifespans that we knew of in 1997, with Jeanne Calment.
People are living longer, sure, but that's because we've eliminated early causes of mortality.
Despite greatly reducing extrinsic causes of mortality, we're still stuck with the same maximal lifespans that we knew of in 1997, with Jeanne Calment.
People are living longer, sure, but that's because we've eliminated early causes of mortality.
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Consider this experimentally.
Many animal studies have been done that demonstrate caloric restriction enhances lifespan.
Or does it?
No, in fact, it does not. It helps short-lived species to live longer. That's just like eliminating extrinsic causes in humans—it's normalizing!
Many animal studies have been done that demonstrate caloric restriction enhances lifespan.
Or does it?
No, in fact, it does not. It helps short-lived species to live longer. That's just like eliminating extrinsic causes in humans—it's normalizing!
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Human optimal, given the environments that exist today, will likely never bring us to immortality, no matter what we do.
Optimize, optimize, optimize, and lifespan just becomes more heritable because randomness gets taken out.
Optimize, optimize, optimize, and lifespan just becomes more heritable because randomness gets taken out.
Crémieux@cremieuxrecueil
To see this more clearly, consider this simulation.
Working with "mortality", you end up with twin lifespans being poorly correlated.
But, if you remove extrinsic mortality from consideration, suddenly you're left with twins being highly correlated in their lifespans.
Working with "mortality", you end up with twin lifespans being poorly correlated.
But, if you remove extrinsic mortality from consideration, suddenly you're left with twins being highly correlated in their lifespans.
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At the very least, that observation should prompt some reflection.
It should tell you that, if you're striving for immortality or even just extreme longevity, you will need to—minimally—engage in gene therapy.
Simply:
It's biotech all the way. Everything else is a distraction.
It should tell you that, if you're striving for immortality or even just extreme longevity, you will need to—minimally—engage in gene therapy.
Simply:
It's biotech all the way. Everything else is a distraction.
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Sources and reading material:
epicresearch.org/articles/borde…
inquisitivebird.xyz/p/the-rise-of-…
cremieux.xyz/p/eliminating-…
epicresearch.org/articles/borde…
inquisitivebird.xyz/p/the-rise-of-…
cremieux.xyz/p/eliminating-…