LEVITY
Peter Ottsjö
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Top 10 LEVITY Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best LEVITY episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to LEVITY for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite LEVITY episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
02/25/25 • 115 min
In this in-depth conversation, Dr. Aubrey de Grey discusses his Robust Mouse Rejuvenation (RMR) studies at the LEV Foundation and why he believes we're close to achieving the crucial RMR milestone within just three years - a breakthrough that could transform aging research forever.
You'll also hear about:
His predictions for reaching Longevity Escape Velocity by the late 2030s
What he would change about Bryan Johnson's longevity algorithm
How reaching RMR could trigger a global "war on aging"
Why AI won't solve aging without proper experimental data
How Demis Hassabis is the smartest person Aubrey's ever met
His involvement in designing the XPRIZE Healthspan competition
His rebuttal to Mark Hamalainen's "replacement strategy" approach
The divide-and-conquer approach to aging and why it's superior
🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: https://peterottsjo.beehiiv.com/
-- CHAPTERS --
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
03:15 The Background to LEV Foundation and the Robust Mouse Rejuvenation Studies
12:05 The Robust Mouse Rejuvenation Studies
18:10 Latest Results from the Mouse Rejuvenation Experiments
25:42 Reaching RMR soon and LEV in 12-15 years
33:47 Healthspanners in public - lifespanners in private?
37:03 The Replacement Strategy Debate with Mark Hamalainen
45:40 The Very, Very Difficult Challenge of Gradually Replacing the Brain
54:46 Advanced bioengineering
57:34 The Debate with Peter Fedichev
01:11:57 Understanding Aging from an Evolutionary Perspective
01:17:05 Artificial Intelligence and Longevity Research
01:26:42 Is believing in AI hopium?
1:28:27 Aubrey’s Involvement in the XPRIZE Healthspan Competition
1:38:56 Special Economic Zones and Regulatory Challenges
1:47:27 What Aubrey would do with Bryan Johnson’s algorithm
1:50:49 What Excites Aubrey Most About the Future
1:51:57 Book Recommendations and Closing Thoughts
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10/01/24 • 76 min
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🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available Wednesday Oct 2. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: https://peterottsjo.beehiiv.com/
Longevity superstar Bryan Johnson made waves when he traveled to the Bahamas for a stem cell treatment. But who's behind this cutting-edge therapy? Meet Maria Rankka, co-founder of Cellcolabs, the Swedish startup that's caught the attention of one of the world's biggest longevity influencers.
In this episode of LEVITY, hosts Peter Ottsjö and Patrick Linden dive deep into Cellcolabs' ambitious mission: to revolutionize healthcare by producing cheap and abundant mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Could this be the key to combating inflammation and extending healthspan on a global scale?
Maria Rankka shares the inside story of Cellcolabs' journey, from its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic to its current position at the forefront of regenerative medicine.
Learn about:
✅ The science behind MSCs and why they're creating buzz in longevity circles
✅ Cellcolabs' innovative approach to scaling stem cell production
✅ Maria's personal experience with MSC treatment
✅ The potential of MSCs to transform preventative medicine
✅ Making regenerative treatments accessible to the masses
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Episode #8 Yuri Deigin
LEVITY
09/17/24 • 101 min
This is one of the most amazing new discoveries: We can rejuvenate cells. Next step is to rejuvenate entire organisms, and ultimately human beings including our brains. Yuri Deigin, CEO of YouthBio Therapeutics, is a pioneering drug developer and longevity maximalist currently working on partial reprogramming gene therapies for Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
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06/11/24 • 99 min
Not only is philosopher and author Patrick Linden the insightful co-host of the LEVITY podcast alongside me, Peter Ottsjö, but he’s also the perfect first guest in this inaugural episode.
We call it ”The Longevity Podcast”. There are pros and cons with that subtitle. On the one hand, ”longevity” is associated with hope and with health, both good things. On the other hand it can also mean different things to different people.
Some may, for example, advocate for enhancing healthspan without necessarily extending lifespan, suggesting a quality life limited to eight or nine decades, minimally burdened by the diseases of old age. Patrick and I diverge sharply from this perspective. For us, longevity means:
- Recognizing that life is inherently valuable and that death, at any age, is a loss. Or, as Patrick likes to say: Life is good and death is bad.
- Rejecting the notion that anyone should succumb to age-related diseases.
- Championing the cause to postpone death indefinitely.
Achieving this ageless era hinges not only on the advancement of science and the necessary funding but also on shifting societal mindsets.
This is where Patrick's prowess truly shines. Having lived and taught in the US, notably at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, his academic and philosophical insights challenge the prevailing norms.
In this episode, as well as in his provocative book The Case Against Death, Patrick challenges the pervasive ”wise view” that has been a cornerstone of Western philosophy since at least the days of Epicurus. This philosophical tradition, which spans millennia and includes many of Patrick's predecessors as well as some contemporaries, often portrays death as an inevitable, even natural part of life. Through his sharp analysis and moral reasoning, Patrick exposes the flaws in this view, urging us to rethink our acceptance of mortality as a foregone conclusion.
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12/10/24 • 107 min
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🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: https://peterottsjo.beehiiv.com/
-- IN THIS EPISODE --
Nora Cavani, CEO of Alba Health, shares her journey from struggling with severe eczema and allergies to pioneering breakthrough solutions in children's gut health. After reversing her own chronic conditions through lifestyle changes, she learned how the first years of life critically shape our immune system, metabolism, and lifelong health through the gut microbiome.
As the first company to collaborate with leading microbiome research institutions, Alba Health uses cutting-edge metagenomics technology to analyze children's gut bacteria and provide personalized recommendations. Cavani explains why modern factors like C-sections, antibiotics, and processed foods are leading to a concerning loss of essential gut bacteria in Western children - with many babies now lacking microbes crucial for immune development.
Learn how the gut microbiome affects everything from common childhood ailments to chronic disease risk, why diversity in diet matters, and practical steps parents can take during the critical early window of their child's development. A vital conversation for parents, health optimizers, and anyone interested in preventing chronic disease through early intervention.
-- CHAPTERS --
00:00 Introduction to Nora Cavani
05:08 Microbiome and child health
07:16 Nora’s journey from Italy to Sweden
10:43 Meeting the scientist and microbiologist Willem de Vos
15:20 Laying the groundwork for Alba Health
18:45 Gut microbiome is linked to afflictions in newborns
19:29 The ecosystem of the gut microbiome
21:00 The Ecosystem of the Gut Microbiome
28:33 Gut-brain axis
30:50 C-section and antibiotics
35:10 Alba's testing methodology and insights
41:38 Predicting health through microbiome analysis
45:23 The best time to take the test
54:20 Has Nora managed to get rid of her health issues?
57:19 The role of diet diversity in gut health
01:07:52 What can we still discover about the microbiome?
01:10:05 The role of exercise, sleep and stress in adults
01:12:40 Child health and longevity
01:16:40 Nora’s personal longevity regimen and testing
01:23:36 Oura’s investment i Alba Health
01:28:18 Future of microbiome research
01:32:28 Scientific consensus and controversy
01:43:37 The future for Alba Health
01:45:52 How to get in touch with Nora and Alba
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04/29/25 • 112 min
Lately, there's been growing pushback against the idea that AI will transform geroscience in the short term.
When Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis told 60 Minutes that AI could help cure every disease within 5–10 years, many in the longevity and biotech communities scoffed. Leading aging biologists called it wishful thinking - or outright fantasy.
They argue that we still lack crucial biological data to train AI models, and that experiments and clinical trials move too slowly to change the timeline.
Our guest in this episode, Professor Derya Unutmaz, knows these objections well. But he’s firmly on Team Hassabis.
In fact, Unutmaz goes even further. He says we won’t just cure diseases - we'll solve aging itself within the next 20 years.
And best of all, he offers a surprisingly detailed, concrete explanation of how it will happen:
building virtual cells, modeling entire biological systems *in silico*, and dramatically accelerating drug discovery — powered by next-generation AI reasoning engines.
🧬 In this wide-ranging conversation, we also cover:
✅ Why biological complexity is no longer an unsolvable barrier.
✅ How digital twins could revolutionize diagnosis and treatment.
✅ Why clinical trials as we know them may soon collapse.
✅ The accelerating timeline toward longevity escape velocity.
✅ How reasoning AIs (like GPT-4o, o1, DeepSeek) are changing scientific research.
✅ Whether AI creativity challenges the idea that only biological minds can create.
✅ Why AI will force a new culture of leisure, curiosity, and human flourishing.
✅ The existential stress that will come as AI outperforms human expertise.
✅ Why “Don’t die” is no longer a joke — it's real advice.
🎙️ Hosted - as always - by Peter Ottsjö (tech journalist and author of Evigt Ung) and Dr. Patrick Linden (philosopher and author of The Case Against Death).
🚀 Special offer for our LEVITY audience: Join Vitalism today and receive a 30% discount on your membership using the code LEVITY at checkout. https://www.vitalism.io/membership
🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com
-- CHAPTERS --
00:00 Introduction to Derya Unutmaz
05:22 Derya’s work at Jackson Laboratory
09:37 The impact of AI on research
15:04 AI as a collaborative partner
20:50 The nature of creativity in AI
30:21 Predictions for the future of AI and humanity
37:46 The future of AI in medicine
44:35 The impact of AI on professional identity
47:45 Education in the age of AI
01:01:32 The ethics of AI development
01:14:46 Longevity and AI's role in accelerating science
01:20:55 Virtual cells and digital twins
01:29:02 Can we do it in silico all the way?
01:33:08 Derya and Patrick will both talk at Vitalist Bay
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01/14/25 • 101 min
🚀 Special offer for our LEVITY audience: Join Vitalism today and receive a 30% discount on your membership using the code LEVITY at checkout. https://www.vitalism.io/membership
🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: https://peterottsjo.beehiiv.com/
Meet one of the true legends of the longevity space, James Strole, the visionary founder of RAADfest who embodies relentless optimism and dedication to advancing the frontiers of longevity and human potential. His passion for creating a world where individuals can live longer, healthier lives shines through in every aspect of RAADfest, inspiring countless people to embrace the possibilities of radical life extension.
We will learn about RAADfest and the history of the longevity movement. We will also explore Strole's philosophy of immortality.
CHAPTERS --
00:00 introduction to James Strole
04:20 RAADfest is the largest longevity event in the world
11:50 personal awakening and the early days of the longevity movement
22:00 longevity as a counter-culture
23:00 death-program vs superlongevity
26:30 1960s spreading the word and rebirthing
31.00 people unlimited and science of superlongevity
33:00 a holistic approach science of mind-set
34:00 alternative medicine not always taken seriously
37:40 the immortality mindset
38:50 aged by culture
44:20 optimism vs pessimism
46:10 optimism about longevity science?
58:50 death-program runs deep
01:03:30 Ray Kurzweil's optimistic prognosis
01:11:00 social consequences of longevity
01:12:30 cryonics is an ambulance to the future
01:15:05 imaginary mortality
01:18:18 immortality via children
01:19:19 is superlongevity egoistic?
01:23:10 handle the loss of near and dear as an immortalist
01:37:50 advice on health and where to be in contact with People Unlimited and James Strole
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03/11/25 • 129 min
We have another amazing guest for this episode: Anders Sandberg is a visionary philosopher, futurist, and transhumanist thinker whose work pushes the boundaries of human potential and the future of intelligence. As a senior research fellow at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute until its closing in 2024 Sandberg explores everything from cognitive enhancement and artificial intelligence to existential risks and space colonization. With a background in computational neuroscience, he bridges science and philosophy to tackle some of the most profound questions of our time: How can we expand our cognitive capacities? What are the ethical implications of radical life extension? Could we one day transcend biological limitations entirely? Known for his sharp intellect, playful curiosity, and fearless speculation, Sandberg challenges conventional wisdom, inviting us to imagine—and shape—a future where humanity thrives beyond its current constraints.
00:00 introduction
04:18 exersise & David Sinclair
06:10 Will we survive the century?
18:18 Who can we trust? Knowledge and humility
23:17 Nuclear armaggedon
39:51 Technology as a double-edged sword
44:30 Sandberg origin story
56:54 Computational neuroscience
01:00:30 Personal identity and neural simulation
01:05:24 Personal identity and reasons to want to continue living
01:09:39 The psychology of behind different philosophical intutions and judgments
01:17:48 Is death bad for Anders Sandberg?
01:25:00 Altruism and individual rights
01:31:29 Elon Musk says we must die for progress
01:35:10 Artificial Intelligence
01:55:08 AI civilization
01:02:07 Cryonics
02:04:00 Book recommendations
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04/08/25 • 88 min
Peter Fedichev is a visionary scientist, biotech entrepreneur, and physicist at the forefront of longevity research. With a background in theoretical physics, he has seamlessly merged cutting-edge science with real-world applications, making groundbreaking contributions to the fields of aging, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence in healthcare. As the co-founder and CEO of Gero, a pioneering biotech company, Fedichev is revolutionizing our understanding of biological aging, using AI-driven approaches to uncover ways to extend human lifespan and combat age-related diseases. His work has been featured in leading scientific journals, and his insights are shaping the future of personalized medicine and longevity science. Driven by a relentless curiosity and a passion for pushing the boundaries of human potential, Fedichev is not just studying aging - he’s working to redefine it.
🚀 Special offer for our LEVITY audience: Join Vitalism today and receive a 30% discount on your membership using the code LEVITY at checkout. https://www.vitalism.io/membership
🚀 Show notes for this episode is available here: https://reachlevity.com/p/age-reversal-will-never-work-a-controversial-take-from-a-physicist-5935af91034fd123
-- EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS --
✅ The founding of Gero
✅ The physics of aging
✅ Why age reversal will not work
✅ What SENS gets right
✅ What SENS gets wrong
✅ AI and the longevity industry
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02/11/25 • 110 min
Jamie Justice takes us inside the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan competition - one of the world's largest efforts to develop therapeutics that could reverse aging.
As Executive Vice President of XPRIZE Healthspan, Jamie reveals how teams must demonstrate they can restore muscle, cognitive, and immune function in older adults within just one year. The stakes? $81M for achieving a 20-year reversal of aging markers, with $71M and $61M prizes for lesser but still remarkable achievements.
Jamie shares her fascinating journey from studying crickets' lifespans in elementary school to leading groundbreaking aging research, including work on the TAME trial with metformin. She explains why they chose these specific biological systems to measure, how they'll determine success, and what kinds of interventions teams are exploring - from repurposed drugs to gene therapies.
We discuss:
Why Peter Diamandis pushed for more ambitious goals
How over 550 teams from 55 countries are approaching the challenge EDIT: Since we recorded this in late 2024 they've now reached over 600 teams.
The role of biomarkers in measuring aging
Why they chose to measure actual restoration rather than just preventing decline
The challenges and opportunities in aging clinical trials
Her vision for an integrated, multi-generational society that values aging populations
🚀 Special offer for our LEVITY audience: Join Vitalism today and receive a 30% discount on your membership using the code LEVITY at checkout. https://www.vitalism.io/membership
🚀 Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: https://peterottsjo.beehiiv.com/
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
03:00 background
21:30 XPRIZE sculpted by experience
25:20 Collaborating with the entrant teams
29:00 Why muscle, mind and immune functions as targets
36:30 What if no one wins in 7-years?
41:05 Investors attracted
45:01 Does this give us increased longevity?
51:05 What kind of approaches have been entered?
01:00:30 AI
01:09:20 Composit end-points
01:13:10 TAME trial stuck because ...
01:19:10 Biomarkers of aging
01:26:50 AI and Biomarkers
01:29:02 The longbio track (be lucky)
01:36:20 Optimism about what?
01:41:00 3 book you have to read
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FAQ
How many episodes does LEVITY have?
LEVITY currently has 24 episodes available.
What topics does LEVITY cover?
The podcast is about Ai, Biotech, Podcasts, Technology, Science, Artificial Intelligence, Longevity and Healthcare.
What is the most popular episode on LEVITY?
The episode title 'Episode #1 - Patrick Linden' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on LEVITY?
The average episode length on LEVITY is 102 minutes.
How often are episodes of LEVITY released?
Episodes of LEVITY are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of LEVITY?
The first episode of LEVITY was released on Jun 4, 2024.
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