ACXLW Longevity (special guest speaker) 9/2/23
Hello Folks!
We are excited to announce the 41st Orange County ACX/LW meetup, happening this Saturday and most Saturdays thereafter.
Host: Michael Michalchik
Email: michaelmichalchik@gmail.com (For questions or requests)
Location: 1970 Port Laurent Place
(949) 375-2045
Date: Saturday, Sept 2, 2023
Time: 2 PM
This Saturday we are fortunate to have a special guest speaker, Professor Michael Rose, one of the leading researchers in the world on the evolution of aging and scientific strategies for health and life extension. His experiments and analysis point towards a heterodox approach to human life extension that has immediate implications on lifestyle and that provides a new scientific paradigm to develop advanced life extension technologies.
Please read the following outline of his research and approach to healthy long life, and bring your questions, comments, and criticisms for the presentation and lively discussion that will follow.
This link is the summary:
https://55theses.org/the-55-theses/
The full text starts on this web page and continues on linked pages in the sidebar:
https://55theses.org/2011/03/18/thesis-1/
Or, if you want the 55 theses on evolutionary strategies for aging and commentary, a full-length PDF is here:
https://michaelroses55.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/55-theses-explained-final.pdf
A 20 minute audio is available here:
https://youtu.be/vd6Dm978dbg?si=_X6noVVrCKw9T-tD
Embracing the power of evolution to stop aging | Dr. Michael Rose
Walk & Talk: We usually have an hour-long walk and talk after the meeting starts. Two mini-malls with hot takeout food are easily accessible nearby. Search for Gelson’s or Pavilions in the zip code 92660.
Share a Surprise: Tell the group about something unexpected that changed your perspective on the universe.
Future Direction Ideas: Contribute ideas for the group’s future direction, including topics, meeting types, activities, etc.
Here is a summary from Claude 2:
Aging as a Decline in Adaptation
Aging reflects a progressive decline in adaptation due to weakening natural selection after the onset of reproduction, not inherent biochemical deterioration. Some organisms exhibit no senescence, demonstrating that aging is not inevitable.
Experimental Evolution of Aging
Shifting onset of reproduction in fruit flies quickly changes lifespan and aging rates, demonstrating the malleability of aging by altering natural selection.
Role of Natural Selection in Patterns of Aging
Comparative biology reveals correlations between ecological mortality factors and aging rates, evidencing the role of natural selection in shaping aging.
Human Aging in Evolutionary Context
Humans likely evolved slow aging due to reduced extrinsic mortality from tools, hunting, and sociality attenuating the age-dependent decline in the forces of natural selection.
Impact of Agriculture on Human Aging
Agriculture initially decreased health but populations adapted genetically to cereal and milk diets, primarily during high selection pressure juvenile phases. Older adults retain poor adaptation to agriculture.
Cessation of Aging
There is a late-life cessation of aging where mortality/fertility plateaus due to negligible natural selection. Some populations may exhibit early cessation, investigable with hunter-gatherer lifestyles and medicine. Experiments shifting cessation of reproduction alter timing of aging cessation in flies, demonstrating it is evolvable.
Antagonistic Pleiotropy
Trade-offs between early reproduction and late survival due to antagonistic pleiotropy of genetic variants accelerate senescence. Natural selection favors sacrificing later health for early fertility due to asymmetric forces of natural selection declining with age.
Evolutionary Basis for Life Extension
Evolutionary experimental research provides the strongest framework for understanding the plasticity of aging rates and cessation. Mainstream molecular damage theories inadequately explain aging. Aging should be understood as an evolvable decline in adaptation amenable to genetic and environmental manipulation.
OC ACXLW Meetup #92 – ACX Everywhere Edition
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Location: 1970 Port Laurent Place, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Host: Michael Michalchik – (michaelmichalchik@gmail.com | (949) 375-2045)
Welcome!
Hello, everyone! We’re excited to invite you to a special ACX Everywhere gathering, where we’ll explore two of Scott Alexander’s most influential and widely discussed essays: “Meditations on Moloch” and “I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup.” Whether you’re brand new to these pieces or have studied them before, we welcome your curiosity and ideas. Come ready for a relaxed but thought-provoking conversation—no prior expertise needed!
Readings & Links
1) Meditations on Moloch
Text: Slate Star Codex (2014)
Audio: YouTube Reading
2) I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup
Text: Slate Star Codex (2014)
Audio: Podcast link
(No worries if you can’t read or listen to them in full—just come with an open mind!)
Essay Overviews
“Meditations on Moloch”
Coordination Failures: Scott frames “Moloch” as the destructive force that arises when people or institutions compete in ways that force everyone into a worse outcome—even if no one wants it.
Arms Races & Zero-Sum: Examples include doping in sports, environmental exploitation, or endless overwork—everyone follows suit to stay competitive, with no single actor able to unilaterally stop.
Escaping Moloch: Potential solutions often involve strong collective agreements or frameworks that break the cycle of “If I don’t, the other guy will.”
“I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup”
Tribalism’s Double-Edge: Many of us consider ourselves tolerant—until we meet the group we truly can’t stand.
Hypocrisy of Tolerance: We readily accept differences that don’t threaten us, but violently reject those we see as morally or culturally opposite.
Real Implications: We may unify around certain enemies or narratives, ironically bridging differences only to channel hate toward a chosen outgroup.
Conversation Starters
Personal Moloch Moments
Where have you felt trapped in a “race to the bottom”—working longer hours, competing for scarce resources—and wished for a collective fix?
Is Outgroup Hatred Inevitable?
Do we each have a hidden “line in the sand” for what we refuse to tolerate? Where do you draw that line, and why?
Solutions to Moloch
How do we form strong enough coalitions or social norms to break vicious cycles? Is it purely top-down (regulation, laws) or bottom-up (individual choices, culture shifts)?
Tolerance vs. Complicity
When does “tolerating” become passivity or enabling something harmful? Conversely, is it easy to mistake rightful moral stances for “intolerant outgroup hatred”?
Interplay: Moloch & Outgroups
Do these two phenomena reinforce each other? For instance, do tribal rivalries hamper the coordination needed to defeat Moloch?
Join Us On April 5!
We look forward to a friendly deep dive into these essays and their relevance—from everyday life dilemmas to global issues. If you have any questions, just contact Michael (info above). Whether you’re new to Scott Alexander or a longtime SSC/ACX reader, come share your perspective—and let’s celebrate the spirit of ACX Everywhere together!