Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

Immortality, Inc. : renegade science, Silicon Valley billions, and the quest to live forever / Chip Walter.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, [2020]Copyright date: ©2020Description: 319 pages ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781426219801
  • 1426219806
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Prologue: Never say die -- Part one: Need. The big wait ; Boomers, breakthroughs, and fountains of youth ; The drive to survive ; Drool cups and name tags -- Part two: Will. Calico ; The dinner ; Levinson ; Kurzweil ; Venter ; A life worth living -- Part three: Resources. The human genome ; The acceleration of acceleration ; Life everlasting ; Don't f*ck up ; Cage match ; First principles ; Human Longevity, Inc. -- Part four: Success. Cheating death ; Methuselahs ; The stars were remarkable ; Here be dragons ; Everyone has seen the ads ; Wobbling Weebles ; Revolutionizing medicine ; Super cells ; The seed of singularity ; The new oracles ; Would it all work? ; Plan A ; Unbounding the future -- Epilogue: The end of the end.
Summary: Explores today's scientific pursuit of immortality, with exclusive visits inside Silicon Valley labs and interviews with the visionaries who believe we will soon crack into the aging process and cure death.Summary: "Veteran journalist Chip Walter takes us deep inside Silicon Valley's boardrooms and the world's most advanced biomedical labs to reveal the incredible new science of extending human lifespan. Here are the bold business moves funded by Google and made by Apple chairman and Calico CEO Arthur Levinson; the pioneering stem cell techniques developed by scientist Robert Hariri; the transformative enterprises established by genomics genius Craig Venter; and the mind-bending future envisioned by thought leader Ray Kurzweil--all pointing toward a time not too long from now when we will live without disease or diminished faculties far beyond the age of 100. It's an audacious cast of characters, and through their stories you will come to understand how groundbreaking discoveries in gene therapy, molecular biology, and artificial intelligence are cracking the aging process--and could even lead to immortality. As Walter reveals, the quest to cheat death isn't science fiction anymore. It's real, it's serious, and it will change absolutely everything--including our definition of what it means to be alive."--Dust jacket.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 612.68 W231 Available 33111009419793
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 612.68 W231 Available 33111009586831
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This gripping narrative explores today's scientific pursuit of immortality, with exclusive visits inside Silicon Valley labs and interviews with the visionaries who believe we will soon crack into the aging process and cure death.

We live in an age when billionaires are betting their fortunes on laboratory advances to prove aging unnecessary and death a disease that can be cured. Researchers are delving into the mysteries of stem cells and the human genome, discovering what it means to grow old and how to keep those processes from happening. This isn't science fiction; it's real, it's serious, and it's on track to revolutionize our definitions of life and mortality.

In Immortality, Inc., veteran science journalist Chip Walter gains exclusive access to the champions of this radical cause, delivering a book that brings together for the first time the visions of molecular biologist and Apple chairman Arthur Levinson, genomics entrepreneur Craig Venter, futurist Ray Kurzweil, rejuvenation trailblazer Aubrey de Grey, and stem cell expert Robert Hariri. Along the way, Walter weaves in fascinating conversations about life, death, aging, and the future of the human race.

Explores today's scientific pursuit of immortality, with exclusive visits inside Silicon Valley labs and interviews with the visionaries who believe we will soon crack into the aging process and cure death.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-314)and index.

Prologue: Never say die -- Part one: Need. The big wait ; Boomers, breakthroughs, and fountains of youth ; The drive to survive ; Drool cups and name tags -- Part two: Will. Calico ; The dinner ; Levinson ; Kurzweil ; Venter ; A life worth living -- Part three: Resources. The human genome ; The acceleration of acceleration ; Life everlasting ; Don't f*ck up ; Cage match ; First principles ; Human Longevity, Inc. -- Part four: Success. Cheating death ; Methuselahs ; The stars were remarkable ; Here be dragons ; Everyone has seen the ads ; Wobbling Weebles ; Revolutionizing medicine ; Super cells ; The seed of singularity ; The new oracles ; Would it all work? ; Plan A ; Unbounding the future -- Epilogue: The end of the end.

"Veteran journalist Chip Walter takes us deep inside Silicon Valley's boardrooms and the world's most advanced biomedical labs to reveal the incredible new science of extending human lifespan. Here are the bold business moves funded by Google and made by Apple chairman and Calico CEO Arthur Levinson; the pioneering stem cell techniques developed by scientist Robert Hariri; the transformative enterprises established by genomics genius Craig Venter; and the mind-bending future envisioned by thought leader Ray Kurzweil--all pointing toward a time not too long from now when we will live without disease or diminished faculties far beyond the age of 100. It's an audacious cast of characters, and through their stories you will come to understand how groundbreaking discoveries in gene therapy, molecular biology, and artificial intelligence are cracking the aging process--and could even lead to immortality. As Walter reveals, the quest to cheat death isn't science fiction anymore. It's real, it's serious, and it will change absolutely everything--including our definition of what it means to be alive."--Dust jacket.

Powered by Koha