
Peter Thiel Is Very, Very Interested in Young People's Blood - jerryhuang100
http://www.inc.com/jeff-bercovici/peter-thiel-young-blood.html
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red_blobs
The title seems very derogatory and the article seems like a hit-piece, when
they mention that he's a Trump supporter.

How about also mention that the Google founders are investing just as much
money in an anti-aging cure:

[http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/health/google-founders-
in...](http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/health/google-founders-invest-
millions-in-anti-aging-research/article/397747)

~~~
bmer
The title seems derogatory, but it's on point. One could use a euphemism like
"Peter Thiel is interested in anti-aging research!", but that kind of
downplays the creepiness of the particular approach he is interested in:
parabiosis.

And why isn't it relevant to mention that he is a Trump supporter? That likely
marks him as some sort of libertarian willing to give up ethics for the sake
of utility.

Just another thing worth being skeptical about, apart from his recent spate of
controversial actions.

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bertiewhykovich
My girlfriend spent a couple of years in a lab that studies blood factors in
aging -- parabiosis was an important aspect of their methodology.

A couple of notes:

1) Parabiosis does not refer to infusions of young blood. Parabiosis
specifically refers to the surgical joining of two organisms. This technique
is employed in young blood experimentation because the amount of blood that
must be exchanged to achieve substantial results would be impractical via
transfusion.

2) Young blood research, having established that blood factors in aging do, in
fact, exist, currently focuses largely upon isolating and reproducing those
factors. While the desperate may pursue actual young blood transfusions --
which, recall, are incapable of providing enough blood to achieve a material
result, and are fraught with other risks -- the product that is eventually
brought to market will, presumably, be synthesized in a chemical plant.

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Aelinsaar
Mr. Thiel must have read about the "sewn mice together" study. I think it's
nice that primitive and atavistic fears about vampiric aristocrats may
actually end up having some small basis in reality.

~~~
gadders
He could become Eldritch Palmer in The Strain [0]

[0] [http://the-strain.wikia.com/wiki/Eldritch_Palmer](http://the-
strain.wikia.com/wiki/Eldritch_Palmer)

~~~
Aelinsaar
Oh, very nice. On a not entirely unrelated note, have you read the Altered
Carbon series? Possibly an even more desirable outcome for the hyper-wealthy.

~~~
gadders
No, but I'll look them up :-)

~~~
Aelinsaar
Well then, I suspect you'll enjoy the trilogy a lot. It's definitely something
I'd expect many here on HN to enjoy.

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jgill
There's a vampire association in here somewhere...

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antiquark
Finally there's a way for the millennials to pay off their student loans.

~~~
drchiu
Lol

They better be quick. Unlike wine, the older is not better.

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amai
Further reading: [http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/young-blood-
antiaging...](http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/young-blood-antiaging-
trial-raises-questions)

~~~
amai
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Bogdanov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Bogdanov):

"In 1924, Bogdanov started his blood transfusion experiments, apparently
hoping to achieve eternal youth or at least partial rejuvenation. Lenin's
sister Maria Ulyanova was among many who volunteered to take part in
Bogdanov's experiments. After undergoing 11 blood transfusions, he remarked
with satisfaction on the improvement of his eyesight, suspension of balding,
and other positive symptoms. The fellow revolutionary Leonid Krasin wrote to
his wife that "Bogdanov seems to have become 7, no, 10 years younger after the
operation".

See also
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887796307...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887796307000478)

------
saranormous
this area is "strangely underexplored" because it could encourage the
exploitation of desperate young people. to be fair, this market already exists
(donors already earn money for plasma donations), it's just about whether or
not a new use case dramatically grows the market

~~~
bmer
Note the parallels with the illegal organ market.

