Elon Musk says it's 'highly likely' humans figure out how to reverse aging - but there's 'some benefit to death'

"When we figure out what causes aging, I think we'll find it's incredibly obvious. It's not a subtle thing. The reason I say it's not a subtle thing is because all the cells in your body, you know, pretty much age at the same rate. I've never seen someone with an old left arm and a young right arm ever in my life, so why is that? There must be a clock that is synchronizing across 35 trillion cells in your body,"

"You know, there is some benefit to death, by the way. There's a reason why we don't actually have a longer lifespan, because if people do live for a very long time, I think there's some risk of an ossification of society. Of things getting locked in place, he said. It may become stultifying. A lack of vibrancy, but that said, do I think we'll figure out ways to extend life and maybe even reverse aging? I think that's highly likely."

Aging is presented as a very solvable problem with an obvious cause and a synchronized cellular clock that ages all cells at the same rate. Observations show no asymmetric limb aging, suggesting a systemic timing mechanism across roughly 35 trillion cells. Longer human lifespans could bring benefits but also risks, including societal ossification, things getting locked in place, stultification, and a lack of vibrancy. Advances may enable life extension and potential reversal of aging. Dozens of political and business leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, including President Donald Trump.

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