Aging — Podcast — 12 Geniuses

Living Healthy Longer with Dr. Steven Austad

Throughout his career, Dr. Steven Austad has been exploring aging, longevity, and life extension in a variety of animals. He has written multiple books, including “Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body’s Journey Through Life” and “Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives.”

In this interview, Dr. Austad discusses the topic of longevity and the progress being made toward curing some of humanity’s most devastating diseases - specifically heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. He shares his belief that humanity is on track to make cancer a managed disease. Dr. Austad talks about new drug discoveries made in the last four years that should dramatically improve our ability to fight our most devastating diseases and he even talks about the surprising benefits being realized from the use of popular weight loss drugs. He goes on to address how science has effectively extended life over the last 125 years, but many people who are going to live much longer haven’t changed their attitudes and expectations about their retirement age.

Dr. Austad has dedicated his career to understanding the science of how and why we age. He is a distinguished professor and Protective Life Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has done field research in The United States, Venezuela, East Africa, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. Dr. Austad’s books include “Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body's Journey Through Life” and “Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives.”

Life in 2073: Aging and Space Exploration with Don MacPherson

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, our usual host of the show, Don MacPherson, is interviewed by futurist Rebecca Ryan. Don paints a picture of what life might be like in 2073 with a focus on aging and the development of space tourism and a space economy. He talks about how new technologies and a move to treat aging as a disease could radically change the way we age and enable life expectancy to 90 or even 100 years with outliers reaching 120 years and beyond. Don compares the current stage of space exploration and development to the early years of flight and shares his belief that humanity’s desire to explore will push us to colonize Mars and visit other planets as our capabilities improve. Don and Rebecca finish the interview with a discussion about what the humans of 2073 will be surprised that we were doing in 2023.

Don MacPherson is CEO of 12 Geniuses and host of the 12 Geniuses podcast - a show for curious and voracious learners. Don interviews exceptional people about trends and technologies changing the way we live and work. A five-time entrepreneur, Don has spent 25 years studying the employee experience, the attributes of great leadership, and how healthy organizational cultures are created and sustained. An avid traveler and volunteer, Don has visited 75 countries and been a mentor of young people for 30 years.

The Miraculous Mechanical Intelligence of 2053 with Mike Bechtel

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, Mike Bechtel paints a picture of life in 2053 with a focus on information technology. Mike describes how digital information will stream directly over our eyeballs, why artificial intelligence will be a fundamentally transformative technology – like the wheel or electricity - that we can’t imagine living without, and the reasons that blockchain will be essential for establishing trustworthy information. Mike wraps up the interview by talking about how some of our current behaviors – like our approaches to education and aging – will be looked at in 50 years with a sense of disbelief.

Mike Bechtel is a managing director and the chief futurist with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Mike helps clients develop strategies to thrive in the face of discontinuity and disruption. His team researches the novel and exponential technologies most likely to impact the future of business, and builds relationships with the startups, incumbents, and academic institutions creating them.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Mike led Ringleader Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm he co-founded in 2013. Before Ringleader, he served as CTO of Start Early, a national not-for-profit focused on early childhood education for at-risk youth. Mike began his career in technology R&D at a global professional services firm where his dozen US patents helped result in him being named that firm’s global innovation director. He currently serves as professor of corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame.

The 200 Year Life with Sergey Young

The topics of aging and life extension are getting a lot of attention in the media. Sergey Young believes we are on the brink of a Longevity Revolution, with new scientific discoveries and exciting technological advances now making it possible to reverse aging and treat previously incurable diseases. In this episode, Sergey talks about how humans will be able to extend life to 150 years and beyond.

In this discussion, Sergey and host Don MacPherson talk about what life extension will look like over the course of the 21st century, some of the remarkable healthcare innovations that seem like they are out of science fiction novels, and the societal implications of radical life extension.

Born in the former Soviet Union, Sergey Young has made it his life’s mission to help people live long, healthy, and happy lives. As part of that mission to make longevity affordable and accessible to everyone, he founded the $100 million Longevity Vision Fund, one of the few longevity-focused funds in the world. He is also an Innovation Board Member at the XPRIZE Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded Peter Diamandis, and Development Sponsor for the Age Reversal XPRIZE. Sergey’s goal is to live to 200 years old and to find an affordable way for everyone else to do the same. Sergey is author of the book “The Science and Technology of Growing Young.”

Futurist Friday with Gerd Leonhard

In this episode, Gerd Leonhard joins the show. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Gerd is one of the world’s leading futurists and the author of Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. With the motto “People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity,” Gerd is an outspoken critic of unregulated exponential technologies. He uses his influence and platform to help people “imagine and create a better tomorrow” and was named one of Wired UK’s 100 Most Influential Europeans in 2015.

In this interview, Gerd points out that “the future is already here, we just haven’t paid enough attention to it.” He talks about how technology is making us superhuman, that we are in the biggest shift in history as far as energy and climate are concerned, and that machines and artificial intelligence are starting to emulate humanity. In addition to sharing how he does his research to better understand the future, Gerd suggests that leaders spend an hour a day focusing on the future. He also shares his thoughts on healthcare, longevity, and the convergence of technology and biology.

Futurist Friday with David Houle

In this episode, David Houle joins the show. David is a futurist and the author of This Spaceship Earth, Entering the Shift Age, and a series of books about the 2020s including The 2020s: The Golden Age of Design and Redesign. David is Futurist in Residence and Guest Lecturer at the Ringling College of Art + Design in Sarasota, Florida. He is Honorary President and Futurist of the Future Business School of China. He is a Founding Member and Managing Partner of The Sarasota Institute - A 21st Century Think Tank.

In this interview, David discusses the books that have influenced how he views the future, how he identifies trends through his research, two trends - aging and Technological Intelligence/Artificial Intelligence - that he is following closely and that will influence life through the 21st century, and why the 2020s will be the most disruptive decade in human history. David also raises provocative questions about the future ability of being able to upload consciousness, genetic alterations, and the morality of cloning humans.

Season Three Wrap Up

Our theme for Season Three was “The Future” and we had a remarkable group of Geniuses to help us make sense of it. The main lesson we took away is that with time and imagination, the list of impossibilities is a lot smaller than we might think. Both 2020 and this most recent season of 12 Geniuses proved that the unimaginable is definitely not impossible.

For Season Four, we will continue exploring the future and the seemingly impossible. In our first four episodes, we'll look at the future of healthcare education, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Episode One of Season Four will be available on January 12th.

The Future of Aging with Dr. Steven Austad

In this interview, biologist and aging expert Dr. Steven Austad joins host Don MacPherson to discuss how and why we age, various ways to extend human life, and ethical questions that accompany a 100-year life expectancy. They also dive into medical treatments that show signs of slowing the aging process, the impossibility of immortality, and the societal changes that will occur if we all live longer.

Dr. Austad has dedicated his career to understanding the science of how and why we age. He is a distinguished professor and Chair of the Biology Department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has also authored numerous books, academic papers, and articles on aging.

Making Sense of the Future: An Interview with Cecily Sommers

Over the last decade, technology has transformed life as we know it and innovation continues to accelerate. To help us understand how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, we spoke with widely acclaimed futurist Cecily Sommers.

In this interview, podcast host Don MacPherson and Cecily look ahead at the forces shaping our future and identify some trends that will disrupt the way we live and work over the next decade. We touch on the impact of climate change, migration, changing birth rates, and more. We also discuss how we can be best prepared to embrace the changes to come and lean into new technology that makes us uncomfortable.

Cecily Sommers is a futurist and innovation expert. She speaks, write and consults on emerging trends, markets, and technologies shaping business and society.

"The Future Of..." Season Three Launches February 11th!

12 Geniuses is back and celebrating the new decade with a new season. Season Three is dedicated to the theme of “The Future of…” We are dedicating all 12 episodes to interviews with geniuses who are creating the future or who can help us understand the dramatic changes the future will bring. If you want to better understand how you, your team, and your organization can be better prepared for the future, this season of the podcast is for you. The first episode of Season Three is an interview with futurist Cecily Sommers. That episode is available on February 11th. We hope you’ll subscribe and tune in!

Third Quarter Review

What did you accomplish in the third quarter of 2019? How do you plan to finish out this decade? What are your goals for 2020? In this special episode, Don and Devon talk about what they’re paying attention to, where Don traveled, what they’ve learned, and what they have planned for the show. Devon McGrath, Assistant Producer of 12 Geniuses talks with Don about recording the Leadership Moments, lessons from parenthood, remarkable travel moments, and what guests they have planned for Seasons Two and Three.

The End of Retirement as We Know It - An Interview with Economist and Journalist Chris Farrell

Chris Farrell has worked as a journalist for national publishers and public radio for decades. Throughout his career, Chris has taken a hard look at how Baby Boomers have redefined work and how they are now redefining the concept of retirement. In this interview, Chris looks at what retirement has been historically, how it is evolving, and what organizations can do to continue to leverage the talent of their most experienced people. Chris also shares his thoughts on the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement that is becoming popular among younger, affluent workers. In this interview, Chris discusses:

Part I: Unretirement and the Future of Retirement

Traditional retirement and its evolution, the relationship between continued work and mental acuity, doing meaningful work, the importance of relationships at work, health benefits as the primary reason some employees stay with their organizations, the importance of building having a thriving network for older workers, advice for those considering a career change, the FIRE movement, retirement in Europe, workforce disruption, the 55-64 year-old entrepreneur, encore careers.

Part II: The Future of Work, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

Disruption and the future of work, creation of new jobs, the increasing rate of technological developments, adapting skills for the future, training employees for a strong and valuable workforce, career changes later in life, how to remain relevant towards the end of your career, the 50+ entrepreneur, women and entrepreneurship, immigrant entrepreneurs.

Organizations, People and Resources mentioned: Unretirement (Book and Podcast), FIRE Movement, Purpose and a Paycheck, AARP, PBS Next Avenue, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Encore.org, Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn, Michael Mandel with the Progressive Policy Institute, Herman Miller, Toyota, Bloomberg Businessweek

Chris’ publications are available on amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Farrell/e/B001HMRRYW?ref=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Unretirement Podcast online: https://www.apmpodcasts.org/unretirement/

Leadership, the Brain, and Managing Lasting Change - An Interview with Dr. Robert Eichinger

Leadership guru Dr. Robert Eichinger shares his wisdom on the topics of:

Neural leadership, change management, the brain at work, neural plasticity, mindfulness, women in leadership, emotional competence, confirmation bias, innovation, leadership and Artificial Intelligence, anger management, narcissism, and derailment research

“You cannot manage change cognitively. It has to be managed from an EQ standpoint. People get promoted based on smarts and fail based on people skills.”

Dr. Robert Eichinger

12 Geniuses Podcast

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