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Aubrey de Grey and Michael Ray's Ending Aging


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#1 maestro949

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 01:59 PM


We need to plug the hell out of this through whatever viral means possible*.

Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime (Hardcover)

If you have a blog, write a summary or if you can submit to the viral sites like digg, please do so. The success of this book will be a good indicator as to how well the life extension meme is getting through to the mainstream. Their feedback to it will be a good gauge as to the effectiveness of the various efforts over the past few years.

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* by whatever legal means possible for you [pirate]s

Edited by maestro949, 14 August 2007 - 02:54 PM.


#2 Shepard

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 02:08 PM

Yeah, maybe get an extra copy and donate it to your local library.

#3 caston

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 03:13 PM

I think there is a book review section on slashdot.

#4 Athanasios

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 05:24 PM

Yeah, maybe get an extra copy and donate it to your local library.

I know that if you order it through a storefront they usually order a few copies for the shelves too. Hopefully, the book will help out the SENS matching grant.

#5 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 05:56 PM

They need to get on the Daily Show or Colbert Report. They seem inclined to promote unusual and/or controversial new books.

#6 Live Forever

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 06:25 PM

They need to get on the Daily Show or Colbert Report.  They seem inclined to promote unusual and/or controversial new books.

Yeah, the whole talk show circuit would be good. (of course I am sure that has more to do with the publicist for the book than anything else) I am sure they would love Aubrey (and his beard) on those types of shows, haha.

#7 maestro949

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 06:45 PM

Good ideas. Keep 'em coming.

From an interview perspective, Jon Stewart seems to like political guests especially now that the season is upon us. I suppose we could see if we could get a party to make it part of their platform but somehow I think that's a few election cycles away. The rest of the Daily Show crew would likely just mock the LE movement like they did Ray Kurzweil.

#8 Liquidus

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 07:30 PM

I have a feeling that with the current pace of laughability (Copyright me) the Western World displays with it's general ignorance towards scientific fields, it would not surprise me at all if a European country really leads the charge in this.

I bet this book would be a mega-hit in Japan if it was translated. Most Japanese are atheists, so why not show them that being Atheist isn't what it used to be (a hopeless peril of life that leads to death)? I think it would be a huge hit since the Japanese population seems to be very in touch with logic and they're probably more technologically advanced than most places.

Basho, if I remember correctly, you live in Japan right? You probably would have the best bearing as to the acceptance of that culture for things like this. The best audience for an anti-aging movement are atheists, since they've managed to come to terms with reality and are very likely much more 'open-minded'.

#9 Liquidus

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 07:33 PM

BTW, I'm going to wait until after the Methuselah logo design contest (in-case I fluked out and get a signed copy of the book). Has anyone pre-ordered this book? Once I find out if I won the book, if I haven't, I'm pre-ordering it off Amazon ASAP.

#10 Live Forever

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 07:40 PM

Has anyone pre-ordered this book?

My birthday is 2 days after it is released, so I am going to ask my parents to buy it for me for a birthday gift. (although I might buy a copy for the library near my home as shepard suggested)

Since it comes out only a few months before Christmas, hopefully lots of people buy it for Christmas gifts to give to other people.

#11 Aegist

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Posted 14 August 2007 - 11:29 PM

I'll write a blog entry, and put it in my favourite books section for all of those social websites (myspace, facebook etc)

#12 DukeNukem

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 12:49 AM

Every here should at least order a copy, and help the book be seen as something of a success, which reflects well on the relevance of its subject. I just pre-ordered via Amazon.

#13 Shannon Vyff

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 03:31 AM

I'll be ordering it. I've heard that if you have some wealthy connections that can purchase thousands of your book then you can get yourself onto bestseller lits. Sometimes politicians will have someone buy and pass out their books at conventions.

Hey anyone that is going to donate their book to a library, please if you have the funds--donate one of my books too. It is on Amazon, if you are ordering their book there (if many ordered mine at the same time then it would be linked :p ) .

#14 Shannon Vyff

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 03:32 AM

Wow, well when I looked--it appears they are linked already! Amazon magic :p

If you are going to buy their book--you can get it with mine for a discount--and donate them both! ;)

Here is the link-- http://www.amazon.co...f/dp/1886057001

#15 advancedatheist

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 04:05 AM

I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but the build up to the publication of Aubrey's book reminds me of the enthusiasm surrounding the publication of K. Eric Drexler's Engines of Creation back in 1986. With two decades of hindsight, many of Drexler's specific ideas, like programmable molecular assemblers, look infeasible now, though we do have a branch of materials science and engineering these days that calls itself "nanotechnology" and pursues more realistic if less utopian goals. Today Drexler has found himself excluded from serious nanotech research, if not treated as an outright "Eric who?"

So I wonder how underwhelming Aubrey's book about SENS will look in a few years as other scientists subject his ideas to rigorous reality testing.

I still plan to buy a copy, of course. But I've read enough failed predictions about the technological millennium by now to take the newest one less than seriously.

#16 Shannon Vyff

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 04:55 AM

I agree--but we need the vision to inspire and propel people.... I feel the same way about much of Kurzweil's work-- but the possibilities must get out to a wide audience somehow...

#17 Aegist

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 06:56 AM

I'd rather try and fail than give up before starting.

#18 Matt

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 10:40 AM

Aubrey De Grey has been on Richard and Judy on Channel 4 here in the UK before now, maybe he should try get back on there to promote the work and now his new book.

http://www.sens.org/..._de_Grey_R J.rm


Richard and Judy show at 5pm attract 1.9 Million viewers every day.


Edit: A few books they have mentioned on their show (and there have been a lot over the years) have become top sellers.

Edited by Matt, 15 August 2007 - 04:37 PM.


#19 Live Forever

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 11:22 AM

I'd rather try and fail than give up before starting.

I am not a religious person, but AMEN.

EVERY book they have mentioned on their show (and there have been a lot over the years) have all become No. 1  Best sellers.

Well, let's hope they keep the streak alive. :p)

#20 maestro949

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 12:31 PM

So I wonder how underwhelming Aubrey's book about SENS will look in a few years as other scientists subject his ideas to rigorous reality testing.


The real value is that there's a vocal person planting the seeds that "Aging is a disease. If we try, we can fix it." Until now, few have been willing to do this. He has some people listening to his ideas which is generating some legitimate interest, debate and perhaps eventually, some competition. This is all progress and it's worth it to try and build upon it in order to get more people at all levels willing to acknowledge the possibility and maybe even actively support it. In the end it will be the result of market forces, political forces and the efforts of thousands of people across many scientific fields and technology sectors, few of whom will get any recognition.

#21 Aegist

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 02:05 PM

The real value is that there's a vocal person planting the seeds that "Aging is a disease.  If we try, we can fix it."  Until now, few have been willing to do this.

Exactly my thoughts. The predictions, even the theories are not the point. The point is public awareness raising. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we went to the moon because public (and more importantly, government) support was behind it. The funding for NASA (which was in fact created for the space race) went from like a few million to hundreds of billions over the course of a couple of years, and results were made. And before that happened, landing on the moon was impossible.

We need a space race against ageing. We need the war on ageing that Aubrey predicts.

#22 advancedatheist

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 03:05 PM

I agree--but we need the vision to inspire and propel people....  I feel the same way about much of Kurzweil's work-- but the possibilities must get out to a wide audience somehow...


I don't have any emotional investment in either Aubrey's or Ray's work, even though Ray credits me with coining the word "singularitarian," then going out of his way to try to popularize it. :p If their ideas don't map reality, we need to find out sooner rather than later so that we can move on to potentially better ideas.

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#23 maestro949

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 03:17 PM

If their ideas don't map reality, we need to find out sooner rather than later so that we can move on to potentially better ideas.


True. At the end of the day, only results matter.

Demand will drive those test cycles much faster so even if the proposals aren't necessarily ideal, it's worth spreading the concepts to generate the awareness and demand. The market will find the most economical means to deliver.

We have little blue pills because everybody wants to hump like bunny rabbits. Hey, would you like to do it for eternity? Place a nickel in the jar then...

#24 Live Forever

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 03:21 PM

We have little blue pills because everybody wants to hump like bunny rabbits.


[lol] [lol] [lol]

#25 ag24

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 04:58 PM

Hi all - I was just alerted to this thread. I am extremely grateful for anything that anyone can do along the lines mentioned here. At the MF we certainly feel that the book has the potential to be a tipping point in terms of public (hence philanthropic) enthusiasm for radical LE, and we're doing all we can. I'll be on Good Morning America on Sept 17th.

#26 gavrilov

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 05:01 PM

Greetings,

I have put this book announcement on the top of six blog posts, see:

http://science-libra...ging-books.html

http://science-libra...ey-de-grey.html

http://science-libra...mmortality.html

http://science-libra...-extension.html

http://science-libra...juvenation.html

http://science-libra...ssing-sens.html

Hope it helps,

Kind regards,

#27 Liquidus

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 06:32 PM

Hi all - I was just alerted to this thread.  I am extremely grateful for anything that anyone can do along the lines mentioned here.  At the MF we certainly feel that the book has the potential to be a tipping point in terms of public (hence philanthropic) enthusiasm for radical LE, and we're doing all we can. I'll be on Good Morning America on Sept 17th.


Thank you for this response Dr. de Grey and good luck on the program, I feel the same way regarding the potential of the book, the title alone makes it a very attractive read. I look forward to reading and understanding the deeper aspects of Sens and this whole process. Awesome news that you're going to be on Good Morning America (for those of you unfamiliar with the program, it airs on the ABC Network (American)), it's on at 7AM Eastern. By the way, are there any other programs you're going to be on?

For some reason, I have a funny feeling we'll see the same expression of 'wow, this controversial topic seems to good to be true!'. Ah well, maybe the American audience will really attach themselves to the program and in turn will help the support grow substantially.

As mentioned previously, I will be contributing copies of this book to local libraries around my city.

#28 Shannon Vyff

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Posted 15 August 2007 - 06:55 PM

I also asked Aubrey if he'd post some writings every once and a while, but of course his has to prioritize how best to spend the impact of his time and national T.V. wins out any day. We at ImmInst already support his work, he really needs to get the message to the general public--out of every million listening I'm hoping 1 or 2 will try to help in the overall efforts of ending aging...

#29 Shepard

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Posted 23 August 2007 - 01:59 AM

Just in case anyone is on the fence whether or not to join The 300, you'll get a free advance copy if you hurry...

#30 Liquidus

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Posted 23 August 2007 - 02:32 AM

Just in case anyone is on the fence whether or not to join The 300, you'll get a free advance copy if you hurry...


GAH. Don't say this, I've been contemplating the cutbacks I'd need to make in order to afford joining it (being a student can suck), and this bonus doesn't help my budgeting :-D.




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