Dr. Venki Ramakrishnan informed and entertained a packed audience at the South Asian Literature and Art (SALA) 2026 Festival at Menlo College, Atherton, CA on Sept 26th, 2026, in a session entitled “The Science of Death,” moderated by science journalist Angela Saini.
In a discussion about his book Why We Die (William Morrow, 2024), Dr. Ramakrishnan switched from complex scientific topics, which he explained in simple, occasionally humorous terms, to engaging rants about Silicon Valley tech billionaires and their desire to prolong life.
The Hubris of Techies
Within a 7-mile radius of this place, people want to live longer, he said. Ramakrishnan observed that they can’t buy youth, but they can buy aging research, and that is distorting the field. He understands that scientists are abandoning UCSF, UCLA, and the Salk Institute and going to Altos Labs, because funding for research is a challenge.
Ramakrishnan amused the audience with lines like “When they were young, they wanted to be rich. And now that they are rich, they want to be young.” People in tech “see the brain as a computer,” he added. This is completely bonkers!”
He remarked that the arrogance that grew with successes in software shapes everything they see as a software problem. “They don’t bother to learn biology,” he said. “They see everything as a digital problem. Biology is analog, not digital.”
Later, he pointed out the inequities of living longer: rich people live approximately 15 years longer than poor people, he said.
Reflections on Aging
Ramakrishnan also discussed aging research that has gained prominence in recent years, as governments grow “terrified” of a demographic cliff: fertility rates are plummeting, and they want to know whether people can be kept healthy for longer. Life expectancy has risen from about 40 to 60 to 80, explained Ramakrishnan, while rates for child mortality, infectious disease, heart disease and some cancers have declined. However, maximum lifespan is a separate question, he noted, giving examples of long life: the Galápagos tortoise, which may well have existed since the era of Darwin in the late 1800s, and Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 with a daily cigar and glass of port after lunch and 2½ lb of chocolate a week.
“Evolution doesn’t care how long you live,” he commented; rather, it cares about reproductive success: A mouse reproduces early, makes lots of offspring and has a lifespan that’s short-lived.
Anti-Aging Solutions
Ramakrishnan said the idea of “biological age” is misleading because different organs age at different rates. He also called some anti-aging ideas “nutty,” including cryonics—the practice of freezing legally dead people in the hope that future technology might bring them back to life. He explained that cryobiology, such as freezing a mouse brain, only shows that a slice of tissue can be frozen. It does not prove that an entire person can be successfully preserved and revived.
Ramakrishnan remarked, “When they freeze a mouse, unfreeze it, and it runs around, I’ll take notice.
‘Bio-hacking’, and data obsessions
He argued that very little could be done with the vast amounts of data people collect from devices such as fitness rings or smart rings, commenting that it only contributed to more stress.
Dr. Ramakrishnan remarked that metformin and rapamycin may mimic some effects of calorie restriction as a way to slow aging; however, studies are still underway to determine whether they actually extend lifespan in humans.
He made a similar point about GLP-1 drugs, which he noted are “popular in California.” While they may have potential benefits for longevity, they affect many organs and can cause muscle loss, which also occurs with aging. He said proper clinical trials are needed to understand their long-term effects.
Dr. Ramakrishna’s book, Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality, brings together biology, history, and ethics, making scientifically rigorous concepts accessible to a general audience. Kirkus Reviews called it “an illuminating account of the science of life extension with a more critical eye than most.“
In an exclusive interview with Raji Pillai for India Currents, Dr. Ramakrishnan discussed his journey, the next frontiers in science, and what lies ahead for him.
