History and Longevity (with Will Eden)

May 8, 2021 1h 52m 22 insights Episode Page ↗
Spencer Greenberg and Will Eden discuss history as a problem-solving tool, the impact of aging on complex systems like institutions and biology, and actionable insights on longevity, including intermittent fasting and specific compounds. They also explore perspectives on market efficiency, value investing, and the psychological forces driving market hype.
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace History’s Toolbox

Study history to broaden your reference classes, especially in unprecedented times, as it helps identify persistent trends versus temporary anomalies and offers solutions for diagnosing and fixing current societal problems.

2. Continual Reinvention for Survival

For long-term survival, complex systems like companies or countries must continually reinvent themselves, a challenging but necessary process to avoid decline.

3. Prioritize Healthspan Over Lifespan

Focus on healthspan (quality of life and functionality) rather than just lifespan when considering anti-aging interventions, as people primarily desire to be healthy, not just live longer while in decline.

4. Implement Intermittent Fasting

Incorporate intermittent fasting into your routine, starting with a 16-hour fasting window and an 8-hour eating window (e.g., eating between noon and 8 pm), as it can improve health and performance without significant sacrifice.

5. Lifestyle Changes Over Drugs

Prioritize lifestyle changes like diet and exercise over drugs for health improvements, as drugs often compensate for issues that could be fixed naturally, and compliance with lifestyle changes is often a challenge.

6. Understand Market Hype Psychology

Be aware of psychological forces like FOMO, idolization, herd behavior, and recency bias that drive market hype and can lead to irrational valuations and investment decisions.

7. Invest in Index Funds

If you lack a clear advantage over the average market participant, invest in index funds to match market returns rather than attempting to beat the market and risking underperformance due to trading costs and taxes.

8. Seek Root Causes in Aging

Approach health and longevity with an engineering mindset, focusing on identifying and solving specific biological problems like removing accumulated byproducts and repairing damage at its root, rather than just slowing inevitable decline.

9. Recognize Institutional Sclerosis

Be aware that institutional sclerosis (increasing rules and procedures) can bog down complex systems, making them less adaptable and harder to change, often due to institutional creep and concentrated interest groups.

10. Avoid Overextension in Systems

Be wary of overextension in large systems (like countries or companies), as reaching beyond actual capacity often leads to decline and fiscal crises.

11. Challenge Assumptions with History

Use history to challenge assumptions about what is fundamental or permanent, recognizing the temporary and contingent nature of current societal solutions and structures.

12. Minimize Trading Costs & Taxes

Minimize active trading to avoid commissions and taxes, which systematically drag down returns below the market average, especially for individual investors.

13. Metformin for Blood Sugar

Consider Metformin if your blood sugar levels are starting to rise (e.g., fasting blood sugars in the 90s), especially if diet changes are difficult, though it’s generally not optimal to use drugs to replace lifestyle factors.

14. Support Mitochondrial Function

Explore compounds that improve mitochondrial function, as they may offer a plausible path to both increased functionality and slower aging, particularly for individuals experiencing dysfunction.

15. Avoid Telomere Lengthening

Avoid telomere-lengthening supplements, as telomeres may act as a backup fail-safe against cancer, and manipulating them might have unintended consequences.

16. Exercise as Beneficial Stressor

Engage in exercise as a beneficial stressor that, despite causing cellular stress, ultimately makes your body stronger and promotes health.

17. Investigate Senolytics

Investigate senolytics, a class of drugs that kill senescent cells, as they show promise in reducing chronic inflammation and potentially improving health and lifespan by clearing harmful accumulated cells.

18. Prioritize Cash-Flow Businesses

Prioritize investing in companies with strong cash flow or cash reserves, as they offer fundamental power and resilience when market hype dissipates.

19. Invest in Stable Sectors

For responsible long-term investing, consider profitable, stable sectors like consumer staples and utilities, which offer solid returns even if they don’t chase hype.

20. Vet ETFs Thoroughly

Always check the actual holdings and distribution of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) to ensure it aligns with your investment goals and provides the specific market exposure you expect.

21. Consider China Investment Proxies

To gain exposure to the Chinese economy, consider investing in proxies such as its trading partners or companies involved in the flow of resources into and out of China, as direct investment can be difficult.

22. Extreme Caution with Rapamycin

Exercise extreme caution with Rapamycin; it’s a powerful immunosuppressant that profoundly affects metabolism and carries significant side effects, making it suitable only for investigational study or extreme biohacking.