In the Bible many live super long, to like 300 or even 969 etc. Scholars have different explanations for this and speculation on how time was measured differently, but when you read it, you can’t help but wonder if something was crucially different about humans that allowed for these long lifespans. Or wonder when exactly these people died...
Yes, the 969 guy! Haha. I’m reading the Bible all the way through from start to finish as a literary/cleansing of purity culture pursuit (currently halfway) and the ages really struck me in the beginning. So bizarre.
As a Mariology scholar it is the only English translation I’ve seen that keeps the literality of the original text. For example, in the New Testament, the word “Tartarus” was used in the original Greek, but when we translated it into English it became “Hell.” This translation keeps the original word used. (Tartarus was a known place in Greek mythology, to translate into English we had to invent the equivalent “hell,” which isn’t the same thing.)
And soo fascinating about hell vs Tartarus. I was actually thinking how so far there has been no mention of Hell or Heaven really, just people dying and “sleeping with their fathers” or letting birds or dogs or lions eat the worst sinners. I’m like when was the concept of hell even introduced?? I guess it comes in the second half.
Oh yes, the worst book so far. Currently I am on the Book of Nehemiah. Which has 1st person POV which I prefer to lists of rules and punishments or details on animal sacrifice 🤦♀️
Really interesting, I've sort of been on the lookout for the 'best' version of the Bible to pick up, I never even thought to ask the Mariology scholar 😆
Really interesting, I'd never come across the Methuselah Foundation although a bunch of what was in this interview sounded remotely familiar. The piece about medicine that will kill mice but works for humans is really interesting. I wonder if we're on the cusp of a medical revolution just based on re-doing old research that 'failed' but is later re-performed on human tissue.
“....at some point, some country is going to get the idea that we can't afford all these old people. That it's time to encourage them to move off this mortal coil, as a point of responsibility to leave.”
That’s the unspoken premise every time a politician whines about Social Security being too expensive, so I agree with him there.
I respect Gobel’s point of view a lot. If Methuselah succeeds it will be life-changing for an untold number of people. Although I am curious about how they’ll handle their technology patents. We already have a variety of health disasters that could have been eased, but aren’t, because rich countries refuse to make their work open-source. For Methuselah to succeed as a species-wide public health success, its tech will have to be open to all. That’s pretty incompatible with the average investor’s philosophy.
And the tech itself is only half the battle, which Gobel seems pretty aware of. Technocratic utopians are always yelling about how once X technology is created, that will be enough to completely transform society for the better. Which...no. The human element of choosing how and why to use tech will never be engineered out. It’s not as catchy to admit that tech is just a tool, and at the mercy of ethics and morals like anything else. It’s not as catchy to admit that every new advancement is just another chance to relive the Prometheus myth, and all the debates it entails. But it’s the truth.
Yes that’s an interesting thought. I agree that science and tech needs to be open source, but it also needs to be funded to become a reality. And I’m not sure how to make both things possible?
In an ideal world, governments would admit that diseases and ailments are a human-wide issue and treat them as such. And the average citizen would have an ideological + financial investment in new tech. A lot of research is already taxpayer-funded, but people never hear about it or get to see it.
I don’t know how we get to higher scientific literacy and less nationalism, but that’s what the humanities are for!
Ahhh, so then this research would be government funded? That could work if the government was well funded (and I have some thoughts about taxation coming up.)
Capitalism has done exceedingly well at raising funds, I wonder if it could be tweaked to the benefit of humanity (the Patagonia model is an interesting one!)
True! It seems like it’s never a true lack of money that’s the problem, but what the money is used for and who oversees it. And that disconnect is present everywhere- Gobel had a point about NGOs being great at raising money but terrible at fixing anything.
David is doing fine work. 3D organ printing has come a long way since my involvement in the space 10 years ago. His comment about organ transplantation rings true as well. As you may know I am a heart transplant survivor and have to deal with a regimen of medications designed to keep my body from rejecting the organ placed into it. It is good to see that, while there are so many flakes and flim flams making a noise in the world today, that there are still good people focused on making the world a better place.
I believe it will be done with all organs at some point. I was involved in translating various forms of technology into use including medical and biomedical - at one point we had 6,000 scientists on staff, including an incredible 3D bio printing guru. Another life :)
In the Bible many live super long, to like 300 or even 969 etc. Scholars have different explanations for this and speculation on how time was measured differently, but when you read it, you can’t help but wonder if something was crucially different about humans that allowed for these long lifespans. Or wonder when exactly these people died...
The Methuselah Foundation was named for the longest lived person recorded in the Bible!
Yes, the 969 guy! Haha. I’m reading the Bible all the way through from start to finish as a literary/cleansing of purity culture pursuit (currently halfway) and the ages really struck me in the beginning. So bizarre.
If you can afford it, I highly recommend this Bible: https://www.bibliotheca.co/
As a Mariology scholar it is the only English translation I’ve seen that keeps the literality of the original text. For example, in the New Testament, the word “Tartarus” was used in the original Greek, but when we translated it into English it became “Hell.” This translation keeps the original word used. (Tartarus was a known place in Greek mythology, to translate into English we had to invent the equivalent “hell,” which isn’t the same thing.)
And soo fascinating about hell vs Tartarus. I was actually thinking how so far there has been no mention of Hell or Heaven really, just people dying and “sleeping with their fathers” or letting birds or dogs or lions eat the worst sinners. I’m like when was the concept of hell even introduced?? I guess it comes in the second half.
Yep, that’s the Old Testament for ya!!!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Have you made it through Leviticus yet? Real page turner lol
Oh yes, the worst book so far. Currently I am on the Book of Nehemiah. Which has 1st person POV which I prefer to lists of rules and punishments or details on animal sacrifice 🤦♀️
I invested in something similar-- these journal bibles, which have stunningly beautiful, embossed, gold covers. Really liking them. No way I could read it all on that super thin, regular Bible paper. And I like to take notes. https://www.christianbook.com/esv-illuminated-scripture-journal-testament-volumes/9781433569111/pd/569110?utm_source=google&kw=21904556532&mt=&dv=m&event=PPCSRC&p=1186432&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJSaBhBUEiwAg5W9pyGrAFCN1axS65rXl2YSiP0b71thd8bA7hu4_7MbfQj0ucdFkQQvbhoC7EQQAvD_BwE
These are very cool!
Really interesting, I've sort of been on the lookout for the 'best' version of the Bible to pick up, I never even thought to ask the Mariology scholar 😆
More on the translation here: https://www.bibliotheca.co/translation
Every now and then my obscure knowledge proves useful 🤣
Well all of that plus it’s a beautiful reading experience! 😍
Really interesting, I'd never come across the Methuselah Foundation although a bunch of what was in this interview sounded remotely familiar. The piece about medicine that will kill mice but works for humans is really interesting. I wonder if we're on the cusp of a medical revolution just based on re-doing old research that 'failed' but is later re-performed on human tissue.
I know, that seems like lost information!
“....at some point, some country is going to get the idea that we can't afford all these old people. That it's time to encourage them to move off this mortal coil, as a point of responsibility to leave.”
That’s the unspoken premise every time a politician whines about Social Security being too expensive, so I agree with him there.
I respect Gobel’s point of view a lot. If Methuselah succeeds it will be life-changing for an untold number of people. Although I am curious about how they’ll handle their technology patents. We already have a variety of health disasters that could have been eased, but aren’t, because rich countries refuse to make their work open-source. For Methuselah to succeed as a species-wide public health success, its tech will have to be open to all. That’s pretty incompatible with the average investor’s philosophy.
And the tech itself is only half the battle, which Gobel seems pretty aware of. Technocratic utopians are always yelling about how once X technology is created, that will be enough to completely transform society for the better. Which...no. The human element of choosing how and why to use tech will never be engineered out. It’s not as catchy to admit that tech is just a tool, and at the mercy of ethics and morals like anything else. It’s not as catchy to admit that every new advancement is just another chance to relive the Prometheus myth, and all the debates it entails. But it’s the truth.
Yes that’s an interesting thought. I agree that science and tech needs to be open source, but it also needs to be funded to become a reality. And I’m not sure how to make both things possible?
In an ideal world, governments would admit that diseases and ailments are a human-wide issue and treat them as such. And the average citizen would have an ideological + financial investment in new tech. A lot of research is already taxpayer-funded, but people never hear about it or get to see it.
I don’t know how we get to higher scientific literacy and less nationalism, but that’s what the humanities are for!
Ahhh, so then this research would be government funded? That could work if the government was well funded (and I have some thoughts about taxation coming up.)
Capitalism has done exceedingly well at raising funds, I wonder if it could be tweaked to the benefit of humanity (the Patagonia model is an interesting one!)
True! It seems like it’s never a true lack of money that’s the problem, but what the money is used for and who oversees it. And that disconnect is present everywhere- Gobel had a point about NGOs being great at raising money but terrible at fixing anything.
Exactly! The government doesn’t appear to be very efficient with their money. But a business that has to be profitable is!
David is doing fine work. 3D organ printing has come a long way since my involvement in the space 10 years ago. His comment about organ transplantation rings true as well. As you may know I am a heart transplant survivor and have to deal with a regimen of medications designed to keep my body from rejecting the organ placed into it. It is good to see that, while there are so many flakes and flim flams making a noise in the world today, that there are still good people focused on making the world a better place.
Yeah, that is so wild. I wonder if the same could be done with a heart someday? Did you work in 3D organ printing?
I believe it will be done with all organs at some point. I was involved in translating various forms of technology into use including medical and biomedical - at one point we had 6,000 scientists on staff, including an incredible 3D bio printing guru. Another life :)
Wow!
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing this.
I'm so glad!