Since ancient times, the thirst for immortality has fuelled the human imagination. Legends like that of Chang’e, who floated to the moon after drinking an elixir of eternal life, embody the eternal human yearning for everlasting existence.
Yet, in the 21st century, what was once mere folklore is now evolving into a distinct possibility. A select group of billionaires and tech entrepreneurs, fuelled by a burning desire for youthfulness, have delved into anti-ageing research and cutting-edge longevity technologies.
Bryan Johnson, a 46-year-old tech mogul from California, is at the forefront of this movement. He firmly believes that he can evade the clutches of time and extend his life indefinitely. To him, death is nothing more than an option he ardently refuses to choose. His audacious ambition? To reverse ageing and attain a biological age equivalent to that of an 18-year-old. Backed by an extreme annual expenditure of US$2 million, Johnson leaves no stone unturned in his relentless pursuit of immortality, utilising a life-extension system he has aptly named “Project Blueprint”. With this system, he completely surrenders the management of his body to a team of 30 doctors who meticulously analyse data to construct a stringent health regimen aimed at reducing his “biological age”. Essentially, he has entrusted an algorithm with the sole task of optimising his health and reversing the ageing process.
Johnson adheres to an arduous daily routine that involves a staggering intake of 111 pills, donning a baseball cap emitting red light to stimulate hair growth, and even collecting stool samples. He’s up at 4:30 am, finishes his three meals (Green Giant smoothie, Nutty Pudding and steamed veg and lentils) by noon, and calls it a night at 8:30 pm, believing any activity that accelerates ageing to be acts of violence against the body itself.
His bedroom, stripped of distractions, houses a laser face shield for collagen growth and a device that measures his nocturnal erections, a biological marker of sexual function and age. Johnson monitors his vital signs, including weight, body mass index, hydration levels, body fat, and pulse wave velocity. Countless medical procedures, blood tests, MRIs, ultrasounds, and colonoscopies further assess the effectiveness of his health optimisation regimen.
While his bedroom is sparse, the rest of Johnson’s house is a testament to his unwavering dedication to optimal health and longevity. His home gym, decorated with floor-to-ceiling wallpaper depicting a serene forest, is the backdrop for his workouts and high-intensity interval training sessions. Moreover, he subjects himself to electromagnetic pulses to strengthen the muscles in his pelvic floor and rejuvenates under the rays of an infrared therapy lamp. Each element plays a crucial role in his comprehensive health optimisation routine.
Earlier this year, Johnson conducted what he declares the “world’s first multigenerational plasma exchange” involving his 17-year-old son and 70-year-old father to reduce age-related brain decline. However, after monitoring numerous biomarkers, he discontinued the therapy in July due to a lack of discernible benefits.
After dedicating two years and pouring millions into Project Blueprint, Johnson, dubbed the “most measured human in history”, asserts that he has successfully slowed down the ageing process. Apparently, he ages only 277 days per chronological year, signifying that he ages just nine months annually. Data compiled by his doctors suggests that Johnson now possesses the bones of a 30-year-old and the heart of a 37-year-old.
Concurrently, Johnson proclaims himself a “professional rejuvenation athlete” and has launched the Rejuvenation Olympics, an epigenetic leaderboard that measures participants’ progress in reversing their age. In this competition, success is not determined by physical abilities but by how slowly one ages. As the competition’s website quips, “You win by never crossing the finish line”. Johnson currently ranks sixth on the competition’s Absolute Leaderboard.
Moreover, Johnson aims to democratise access to Project Blueprint. He shares his biological measurements and exercise regimen online, attracting millions of viewers. The first commercially available product from Blueprint is an allegedly cholesterol-reducing olive oil, constituting fifteen per cent of Johnson’s daily diet. The olive oil has sold out despite its hefty price tag of US$75 for two bottles.
Johnson’s unyielding pursuit of immortality is but one aspect of a larger trend among the ultra-rich and tech entrepreneurs. Driven by the fervent belief that they can decipher the secrets to a longer and healthier life, they race to conquer the code of ageing. However, while promising scientific advancements in longevity are underway, experts remain cautious, warning against misplaced faith in false claims and stressing the current limitations of knowledge. The pursuit of everlasting youth raises ethical and practical questions, leaving us to question whether the race to “de-age” will yield groundbreaking triumphs or remain an expensive and contentious endeavour.
As Bryan Johnson boldly forges ahead, we grapple with the profound complexities of life, death, and the human desire to defy mortality’s grip. Can we cheat death and extend our existence indefinitely? Will science and the era of artificial intelligence bestow upon us the power to transcend the natural order of things?
Or should we instead embrace the notion that our time on Earth is both precious and finite, devoting ourselves to living fully in the present moment and cherishing the beauty of ageing gracefully? Perhaps the true key to immortality lies not in defying nature’s course but in discovering meaning and fulfilment within our given time.