The standard “wear and tear” story of aging may be incomplete. Dr. Peter Lidsky—a virologist and evolutionary biologist argues that aging is programmed. He says aging can be an adaptive strategy for controlling pathogens, a concept he calls the “pathogen control hypothesis.”

In this episode, we dig into the evidence behind this idea, the immune system in aging, and what his theory means for longevity interventions.

Episode Show Notes: https://livelongerworld.com/p/plidskyFind me: https://x.com/aasthajs My longevity products: https://www.livelongerworld.com/p/2024TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Aging ≠ Wear-and-Tear

3:44 — The Case for Programmed Aging

8:48 — Why Program Aging at All?

11:09 — The Pathogen-Control Hypothesis

14:26 — Why We Get “Sick Time”

24:37 — Rising Lifespans, Explained

27:36 — Bowhead Whales’ Longevity Edge

31:15 — Why Lone Animals Don’t Live Forever

34:00 — Planaria: The “Immortal” Worm

35:00 — Do Infections Speed Up Aging?

36:46 — When Immunity Starts to Slide

38:17 — Why Fertility Has a Deadline

42:49 — Extending Life via the Immune System

1:00:35 — How Honey Bees Rejuvenate

1:10:50 — Can We Tackle Aging? Healthspan to 90s+AASTHA, LIVE LONGER WORLD:X: https://x.com/aasthajs Newsletter: https://livelongerworld.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aasthajs/Peter Lidsky: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/bms/profile/peterlidsky.htmRELATED:Dr. Geoffrey West | Scaling Laws in Longevity & Aging: https://youtu.be/T67U8IK_1RU?si=ajq5AbjM6ufBQ7WfDr. David Gems | Hyperfunction & Programmatic Theory of Aging & Critique of Hallmarks of Aging: https://youtu.be/rLD-8UhHEZM?si=R_x_mLguTAKfdXtQDr. Bjorn Schumacher | DNA Damage & Aging, p53 & Cancer, and DNA repair in Reproductive Cells: https://youtu.be/kjQ-SwEP1bo?si=G2mEtNZs1O7TsLKe

New Theory of Aging: Humans vs. Pathogens