I guess this should go in the "science" category, even though it sometimes sounds more like science fiction. Still, people are putting money where their mouths are: Peter Thiel, co-counder of PayPal, has pledged up to $3.5 million to Aubrey de Grey's Methuselah Foundation and its research into "negligible senescence" -- that is, the elimination of aging.
San Francisco -- Peter A. Thiel, co-founder and former CEO of online payments system PayPal, Founder and Managing Member of Clarium Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund, and angel investor in social networking site Facebook, has announced his pledge of $3.5 Million to support scientific research into the alleviation and eventual reversal of the debilities caused by aging, to be conducted under the auspices of the Methuselah Foundation, a charity co-founded and Chaired by Dr. Aubrey de Grey.Mr. Thiel commented "Rapid advances in biological science foretell of a treasure trove of discoveries this century, including dramatically improved health and longevity for all. I'm backing Dr. de Grey, because I believe that his revolutionary approach to aging research will accelerate this process, allowing many people alive today to enjoy radically longer and healthier lives for themselves and their loved ones.
To me, the most interesting endeavor of the Methuselah Foundation is its M-Prize that seeks to reward research that delays or reverses aging in mice. Significantly, the focus is on treatments that work when applied not just to young mice, but to middle-aged mice, which is a much more difficult prospect.
