“Silicon Valley’s Quest to Live Forever – Can Billions of Dollars of High Tech Research Succeed in Making Death Optional?” – The New Yorker, April 4, 2017
Even though no single molecule is the answer to the puzzle of aging, many successful entrepreneurs want to believe that billions of dollars worth of high tech research could eventually succeed in making death optional. This article reviews their quest for immortality, or at the very least, “healthy longevity.”
In rich countries, inflation is picking up yet wage inflation is not. “Normally,” an increase in employment (or even more so, full employment like in the U.S.) should lead to an increase in wages. But technology is creating a “new normal.” It is now eliminating well-paid jobs (stockbroker, credit analyst, writer and so on) while increasing the number of low paid ones for all those who work and compete in the new gig economy. This is progress with a dystopian twist and is destined to exacerbate the populist wave.
The wellness industry may be booming, but that doesn’t always equate with a positive market performance. Example: In the U.S., organic food sales have skyrocketed more than 200 percent in the last decade, but organic specialty retailers like Whole Foods or Sprouts have seen stock prices plummet. It’s mass-market stores like Walmart and Costco that have grabbed the majority of the organic market.
Watch an inspirational, personal moment at the Global Wellness Summit as CG Funk (Funk Consulting, U.S.) explains the priceless value of taking a year off work and “slowing down.”
The American College of Physicians just issued new guidelines for lower back pain: try safe alternative approaches like acupuncture, massage, exercise, tai chi, heat wraps or mindfulness/yoga first – and prescription drugs only as the last resort. As NBC News reported, it may represent a big change for doctors, who often turn to pills first to treat pain.
The Global Wellness Institute is launching an Africa Wellness Initiative, with a mission of strengthening wellness institutions, training and human resources development across Africa. Chaired by Elaine Okeke Martin (president, Spa & Wellness Association of Africa), it has numerous goals from building a database of African wellness operators and practitioners to protecting and promoting indigenous African wellness knowledge/practices.
