#36 How crypto is sparking a longevity frenzy

Today we’re diving into one of the strangest and most ambitious ideas in longevity: using crypto trading to fund real-time lifespan experiments.

Benji Leibowitz, founder of pump.science, joins us to explain how decentralized science works, why tokens can finance studies in worms, flies and mice, and what happens when a single post on X suddenly turns Metformin into a viral experiment. That intervention, by the way, is being spearheaded by LEVITY friend Linus Petersson, founder of the Swedish Longevity Cluster, who also joins the discussion.

In this episode we announce our new collaboration with pump.science. For now, that means they’ll contribute written content to the LEVITY newsletter - and later we may explore a dedicated Youtube format together.

More info here: https://reachlevity.com/p/desci-is-exploding-we-re-partnering-with-pump-science-to-help-you-follow-it

And check out pump.science's first post here: https://reachlevity.com/p/the-most-radical-idea-in-longevity-right-now

Key highlights in this episode:

– How pump.science turns attention and trading volume into funding for worm, fly, and mouse experiments.

– Why decentralized science emerged, and what problems in traditional science it tries to fix.

– What tokens, smart contracts, and DAOs actually mean in practice.

– Why Solana, not Ethereum, underpins the system.

– How real-time experimental data (like fly racing) could change how we evaluate longevity interventions.

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🗞️ SUBSCRIBE to the LEVITY newsletter: reachlevity.com/subscribe

Get all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode)

📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/

📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524

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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: reachlevity.com/subscribe

LEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – How crypto could fund longevity & Pump Science × LEVITY

05:14 DeSci 101 – fixing broken incentives in science

07:00 Benji’s origin story: lucid dreams, superheroes & cancer genomics

08:45 Discovering crypto & using incentives to fix healthcare

15:52 What’s broken in science funding – and why DeSci might help

30:20 Is crypto just belief? Money, gold and “Ponzi scheme” fears

37:44 Linus Petersson joins + crypto glossary (tokens, smart contracts, NFTs)

59:18 Vitalik’s retweet, 40× price spike & $14k for Linus’s experiments

1:10:24: How to “play”: exchange accounts, Phantom wallet & buying a token

1:17:50: Why does the website look like a retro video game forum?

1:20:53 Network state for not dying – community, human trials & products

1:27:45 Why scientists are skeptical & how to recruit labs and students

1:32:15 Kings of the pill & the coming longevity leaderboard

1:39:59 Skepticism vs optimism, call to action & book recommendations

🗞️ SUBSCRIBE to the LEVITY newsletter: reachlevity.com/subscribe

Get all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode)

📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/

📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524

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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: reachlevity.com/subscribe

LEVITY is co-hosted by Patrick Linden, philosopher and author, and Peter Ottsjö, journalist and author.

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