In conversation with WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll

Pittsburgh-based science journalist Chip Walter’s new book with National Geographic, Immortality, Inc., entwines fascinating conversations about life, death, aging, and the future of the human race, even as it peels back the science and personal stories of how and why these scientists are tackling the problem. Walter dives into the mysteries of stem cell rejuvenation, advanced genomics, artificial intelligence and new discoveries unmasking the very roots of aging and youth.

In an age where Silicon Valley billionaires are betting their fortunes on laboratory advances to prove aging unnecessary and death a disease that can be cured, the idea of living hundreds of years might sound absurd or even morally wrong. Walter’s journalism concludes it isn’t science fiction. Researchers are delving into the mysteries of stem cells and the human genome, discovering what it means to grow old and how to keep those processes from happening. The scientific advances in this captivating story will have a profound effect on the future of humanity.