Aubrey de Grey chat at the Chicago Chronicle

From the presentation to the chat:

Aubrey de Grey believes that some people alive right now could live to be 1,000 years old. Aging is not, in his view, inevitable, and medical science should be able to reverse its effects in the next decade or two. Mr. de Grey’s ideas have won him plenty of praise and criticism. Supporters say that Mr. de Grey is brilliant, if overly optimistic. Detractors say his theories are ludicrous, and point out that he never sets foot in a laboratory. But does Mr. de Grey’s ability to step back and review others’ research allow him to make connections that a specialist might miss? Is mainstream gerontology handicapped by viewing death as a foregone conclusion? What about Mr. de Grey’s claim that the best thinkers tend to avoid gerontology because progress in the field is so incremental? If he turns out to be right, what are the implications? And if his theory is bunk, why hasn’t anyone accepted an offer of $20,000 to prove it?

Link to transcript