Quote
“Science is the poetry of reality.” — Richard Dawkins
The Problem
The wellness industry is broken. It is a cacophony of influencers, supplement salesmen, and conflicting headlines. One day coffee is a superfood; the next it kills you. One guru says “Meat is Medicine,” the next says “Plants Paradox.”
This noise leads to analysis paralysis. Instead of acting, we freeze. Or worse, we chase the latest fad (celery juice, anyone?) while ignoring the fundamental biology that actually drives aging.
Our Philosophy
The Longevity Index exists to cut through that noise. We operate on a set of core principles:
1. Mechanisms over Marketing
We don’t care about the brand; we care about the molecule. We want to know how something works. Does it inhibit mTOR? Does it activate AMPK? If you can’t explain the mechanism, you probably shouldn’t be putting it in your body.
2. Evidence-Based, But Open-Minded
We rely on peer-reviewed research (human randomized controlled trials are the gold standard), but we do not ignore mechanistic data or promising animal studies. We are “skeptical optimists.” We demand proof, but we remain open to new frontiers.
3. Via Negativa (Subtraction over Addition)
In a world of abundance, health is often found in removal.
- Fasting is the removal of food.
- Sleep is the removal of sensory input.
- Stress management is the removal of threat. Often, the most powerful thing you can do is stop poisoning yourself (sugar, alcohol, smoke, stress) rather than finding a new pill to take.
4. Healthspan > Lifespan
We are not interested in keeping a biologically decrepit body alive on machines for an extra 5 years. That is torture, not longevity. Our goal is Healthspan: extending the period of youthful, vigorous, high-performance life. We want to die young… as late as possible.
5. N=1 (You Are The Study)
Population averages are useful, but you are not an average. You are a unique biological system. What works for the masses might not work for you. We advocate for self-quantification (blood work, wearables, tracking) to verify that your interventions are actually working for you.
The Commitment
This index is a living document. Science changes. When new data emerges, we change our minds. We have no dogma, only data.
We are here to build a manual for the human body—a guide to operating your machinery at its highest capacity for as long as physics allows.
Welcome to the long game.