If all we get out of this is a serious challenge to deathism (Tim Cook AND Larry Page? Woah.), well, that's a huge change for the better. But I do think these guys have what it takes to go further still.
The saddest thing about the reaction on HN is that so many commenters are angry this thing that we don't even have yet and didn't even dream of a few hours earlier will be 'only for the rich'. It really does boggle the mind.
The saddest thing about the reaction on HN is that so many commenters are angry this thing that we don't even have yet and didn't even dream of a few hours earlier will be 'only for the rich'.
I agree. These commenters seem to be ignorant of both the history of technological progress and modern socioeconomic reality. In case after case - cars, flight, computers, cell phones, electricity, indoor plumbing - a technology started out very expensive and rapidly became inexpensive and widely available as it became popular (in some sense, the most important fa...
Google's announcement, Time magazine rather sensationalist headline.
In any case, it's nice to know that Google set its sights to "challenge ... aging and associated diseases". Apple's Tim Cook:
For too many of our friends and family, life has been cut short or the quality of their life is too often lacking. Art is one of the crazy ones who thinks it doesn’t have to be this way.
One more step towards "world optimization".