Bryan Johnson, a 46-year-old tech entrepreneur, has embarked on an intense anti-aging regimen he calls “Project Blueprint” in hopes of reaching peak physical youth. The multi-millionaire’s controversial methods and aspirations prompt debates around tranhumanism and what it means to be human.
Johnson made his fortune selling his payment processing company Braintree to eBay for $800 million. He now spends up to $2 million per year on Project Blueprint, which includes taking over 100 supplements daily, restrictive eating, and multiple high-tech monitoring devices.
Johnson aims to reduce his “biological age” to that of an 18-year-old. He claims data shows he already has the bones of a 30-year-old and the heart of a 37-year-old. However, scientists remain skeptical of his results. “If you expect to live significantly longer than, say, 115 — which is more or less the maximum lifespan of our species — then there is currently zero evidence this can be accomplished,” says Jan Vijg, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
No Sunny Vacations or Small Talk
Johnson’s lifestyle is highly regimented in service of reversing aging. He starts his day before 6am with various body scans and measurements. His sleep is restricted, ending at 8:30pm. Johnson also fasts for most of the day, finishing dinner by 11am.
Johnson’s strict protocol makes dating difficult. He outlined “10 reasons why [women] will literally hate me” including his early bedtime, no vacations, and prioritizing his health over relationships. When asked if losing loved ones would make immortality empty, he compared it to graduating high school.
Humanity vs Transhumanism
While fascinated by technology, Johnson refers to his body and mind as separate entities, one unruly and the other enlightened. He aims to “outsource the management of his body” to an anti-aging algorithm. This approach prompts questions around retaining one’s humanity versus transcending it.
Johnson drives an electric Audi slowly and carefully to avoid dying in an accident before achieving his goal of radical life extension. However, he acknowledges the “beautiful irony” if he were to die in a crash before defeating aging.
Biohacking Boundaries
Johnson’s extreme biohacking pushes ethical and philosophical boundaries. He advocates divorcing oneself from “all human custom” and solely focusing on biometrics. When asked if this divorces us from what makes humans human, he responded the future would not judge him by 21st century standards.
While Johnson’s personal quest raises eyebrows, it taps into Silicon Valley’s obsession with immortality and human enhancement. Tim Ferriss, also known as “the human guinea pig,” experiments on his own body to counter aging and optimize performance. Biohackers search for ways to upgrade human abilities through technology and biology.
Transhumanism promises a utopia where technology liberates us from disease, aging, and human limitations. But it also risks dehumanizing people in the process. Johnson’s expensive anti-aging crusade provokes important debates around how far we should go in reshaping human nature.
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