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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 11, 2024

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Frankly speaking, I think it's a damning indictment of general rationality that we don't devote an appreciable fraction of GDP to solving it. If I was a billionaire, especially one staring death in the face, I'm not sure how much good my money would do me if I wasn't around to spend it. What good is anything if you're dead?

This is what many billionaires are doing. Almost every tech mogul is investing in some sort of life extension tech or start-up. So far nothing has panned out, but of course, success is something measured in decades, so it's possibly soon to tell

Couldn't the vast majority of the work be done on rats? It shouldn't take that long to figure out what works if progress is in fact being made.

A few billionaires are, whereas I wish it were the majority. What marginal value do many billions provide, when you're dead, especially when you have enough money for almost all material needs?

It should be a national priority too in first world countries. You don't have to worry nearly as much about the burden of elderly people needing expensive medical care if you can stop them getting old in the first place.

What marginal value do many billions provide, when you're dead, especially when you have enough money for almost all material needs?

The main benefit I'd assume is being able to pass the money on to your surviving family.

A billionaire can satisfy most of their extended families needs with a relatively small fraction of their income. A few hundred million is more than enough to ensure they never go wanting! Plus, if said family are going to die too, it's an investment in their future.