King Zheng survived numerous assassination attempts, all while building great things: His armies unified China for the first time, he built the first national road system (a project that killed a hell of a lot of people), and he constructed large portions of China’s Great Wall.King Zheng had, in other words, many reasons to live. Google has been developing what is perhaps the company’s most ambitious project to date.Calico, a company directed by futurists to explore the concept of “singularity”, has partnered with pharmaceutical giants to research and trial new market drugs that target aging and development.What is this new audacious project? And these guys aren’t some casino barons doing blow off the asses of Playboy Bunnies – they’re changing the world, one product release at a time.
Before his death in 210 B.C.E., Zhao Zheng, known as the “First Emperor” of China and a ruthless badass of a leader, spent much of his time on this earth in search of the elusive elixir of life. But rich men’s quest to live forever has never perished.With the kind of cash, smarts, and ambition these guys have, it’s no wonder that they would strive for immortality.Today, that mission has been taken up by another kind of king: Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page, and Arthur Levinson, chairman of the board at Apple, who will serve as chief executive of a new company called Calico. At the moment, the company isn’t giving much detail away.Levinson, the firm’s leader, has had a storied career. As of 2018, Calico has not developed any known drugs or biotechnology products.Whether or not we really are on the verge of a new era of mass unemployment, as some predict, one thing seems assured: the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a small ground of technology billionaires like Page and Bezos seems set to accelerate.Mmm, I think anything coming out of Silicon Valley has to be considered with a lot of caution especially if bio tech companies are involved. Historians say the king was obsessed with living forever – and for good reason. Earlier this year, Like Page and Levinson, all of the people listed above have (at least) one thing in common: Mountains of cash.Most of us have come to terms with the fact that we are going to die – either from old age, a terminal illness, or some damn bus that pops out of nowhere.For us common folk, the idea of immortality is appealing, sure – but it’s also nightmarish. I further conceded that the company’s vision and efforts may one day trickle down to the hoi polloi – if Page thinks curing cancer is no biggie, that’s great. Get out there, champ, and show us what you’ve got. Could this program really be a guise for radical research into life extension technology? Remember, Google introduced Calico to the world with the bold ambition of "curing death." Especially with Page telling Time things like this: “We think of solving cancer as this huge thing that’ll totally change the world. Tell us something, dammit!Enter your email address to follow TOTT News and receive alerts of new content!
They’re “doing great things.” Can you blame them for wanting to continue the winning streak?For the record, I’m not saying Page and Levinson’s lives lack health issues, heartbreak, annoyances, or the occasional paper cut– always nasty, especially ones from filthy $100 bills.