When an astrologer tells Mangesh that he’ll (probably) die early, he takes it in stride. But his family and friends (not to mention all the Don’t Die longevity influencers on his FYP) feel differently… and besides, if science can keep his brain sharp and his tennis game strong for longer, why not take advantage? So he visits Dr. Nir Barzelai, the world’s leading aging researcher, and Dr. Ron Primas, an elite longevity doctor, to figure out what he should do. Plus: A chat with Ken Reid from TV Guidance Counselor about age in pop culture, from the Golden Girls to “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

Disclosure: The experts we spoke with want to be clear that although they have some minor quibbles with Bryan Johnson, they’re grateful for the fact that he’s started the conversation on longevity. Any insinuation that he’s got weird vibes is ours.
Listen to Ken Reid’s podcast, TV Guidance Counselor
Learn more about Nir Barzelai’s Longevity Genes Project and his book, Age Later
Learn more about Ron Primas’s longevity and concierge medicine practice
Read Cynthia Kenyon’s groundbreaking 1993 study of worm longevity
Check out the Ray Kurzweil Library

Special thanks to Azadi Records and Bliss Samsa for their beautiful tracks, and Botany for the score. 

Episode collage art by Vahini Shori.

When an astrologer tells Mangesh that he&rsquo;ll (probably) die early, he takes it in stride. But his family and friends (not to mention all the Don&rsquo;t Die longevity influencers on his FYP) feel differently&hellip; and besides, if science can keep his brain sharp and his tennis game strong for longer, why not take advantage? So he visits Dr. Nir Barzelai, the world&rsquo;s leading aging researcher, and Dr. Ron Primas, an elite longevity doctor, to figure out what he should do. Plus: A chat with Ken Reid from TV Guidance Counselor about age in pop culture, from the Golden Girls to &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve fallen and I can&rsquo;t get up.&rdquo;
Disclosure: The experts we spoke with want to be clear that although they have some minor quibbles with Bryan Johnson, they&rsquo;re grateful for the fact that he&rsquo;s started the conversation on longevity. Any insinuation that he&rsquo;s got weird vibes is ours.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Listen to Ken Reid&rsquo;s podcast, <a href="https://tvguidancecounselor.com/">TV Guidance Counselor</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Learn more about Nir Barzelai&rsquo;s <a href="https://einsteinmed.edu/centers/geroscience/research/human-longevity-studies">Longevity Genes Project</a> and his book, <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250413536/agelater/">Age Later</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Learn more about Ron Primas&rsquo;s <a href="https://drprimas.com/">longevity and concierge medicine practice</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Read Cynthia Kenyon&rsquo;s groundbreaking <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/366461a0">1993 study of worm longevity</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Check out the <a href="https://www.thekurzweillibrary.com/">Ray Kurzweil Library</a></li>
</ul>
Special thanks to <a href="https://azadirecords.com/">Azadi Records</a> and <a href="https://linktr.ee/blisssamsa?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnAk6C4DXTX6m8NeOWJ0-skDMYgx5opCMGwkZ9tasSTyomtzXcE_krGMqkmfY_aem_lOvLBI_4bT1Th12lEIu5oA">Bliss Samsa</a> for their beautiful tracks, and <a href="https://botany.bandcamp.com/music">Botany</a> for the score.&nbsp;
Episode collage art by <a href="https://www.vahinishori.com/">Vahini Shori</a>.

From How to Life Forever: The Longevinauts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/757d715e-2f50-40d4-8c61-b463014cbd89/transcript

Chris and Sam joined Michael Easter on his podcast, Two Percent with Michael Easter, to break down the aftermath of the Enhanced Games. Almost no world records fell. Clean athletes kept beating the enhanced ones. They get into what it was actually like to be there, what the billionaires behind it are really selling, and what happens next.

Chris and Sam joined Michael Easter on his podcast, <a href="http://swap.fm/l/8lCecK3pab8mNcTOmOWZ">Two Percent with Michael Easter</a>, to break down the aftermath of the Enhanced Games. Almost no world records fell. Clean athletes kept beating the enhanced ones. They get into what it was actually like to be there, what the billionaires behind it are really selling, and what happens next.

Billionaires, PEDs, and a $1M World Record with Michael Easter

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/57229b88-218f-4418-aac4-b46d00fe3710/transcript

What exactly is wrong with doping? It sounds like a simple question until you try to answer it. Dr. April Henning has spent her career studying exactly that. She’s a professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and one of the world’s leading experts on the history of anti-doping. She walks us through how we got here from the 1904 Olympics, the East German state doping program, to Ben Johnson’s infamous 1988 gold medal. April makes a case that the system built to keep sports clean has been failing athletes. Maybe the Enhanced Games are forcing a reckoning that’s long overdue.

What exactly is wrong with doping? It sounds like a simple question until you try to answer it. Dr. April Henning has spent her career studying exactly that. She&rsquo;s a professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and one of the world&rsquo;s leading experts on the history of anti-doping. She walks us through how we got here from the 1904 Olympics, the East German state doping program, to Ben Johnson&rsquo;s infamous 1988 gold medal. April makes a case that the system built to keep sports clean has been failing athletes. Maybe the Enhanced Games are forcing a reckoning that&rsquo;s long overdue.

How We Got Here

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9ec6f87e-608f-45cc-9ae1-b4720108693c/transcript

What does it actually feel like to use performance-enhancing drugs? Not the results everyone sees on the outside - the real stuff. The rage in the car on the way to the gym. The panic attack at midnight, The thought about ripping open a training partner’s rib cage. Dr. Mike Israetel has a PhD in sport physiology, co-founded fitness company RP Strength, and is one of the most candid voices on the internet about performance enhancement. He pulls back the curtain on what these drugs actually do to your body, your mind, and your relationships. And he makes a surprising prediction that anabolic steroids could become obsolete within a decade.

What does it actually feel like to use performance-enhancing drugs? Not the results everyone sees on the outside - the real stuff. The rage in the car on the way to the gym. The panic attack at midnight, The thought about ripping open a training partner&rsquo;s rib cage. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQgsKhHjSyRLOp9mnffqVg">Dr. Mike Israetel</a> has a PhD in sport physiology, co-founded fitness company RP Strength, and is one of the most candid voices on the internet about performance enhancement. He pulls back the curtain on what these drugs actually do to your body, your mind, and your relationships. And he makes a surprising prediction that anabolic steroids could become obsolete within a decade.

What Nobody Tells You About Steroids with Dr. Mike Israetel

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6b992356-dcea-496e-8ad0-b46d00f82943/transcript

The Enhanced Games are finally here. We arrive at a makeshift arena on the Las Vegas Strip not knowing quite what to expect. Hours pass, event after event, and the world records don’t come. Then something even more unexpected starts happening. It all comes down to one final race, and one last chance to prove that this whole experiment was worth it. 

The Enhanced Games are finally here. We arrive at a makeshift arena on the Las Vegas Strip not knowing quite what to expect. Hours pass, event after event, and the world records don&rsquo;t come. Then something even more unexpected starts happening. It all comes down to one final race, and one last chance to prove that this whole experiment was worth it.&nbsp;

A Vegas Buffet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/863e8be7-1918-4ae4-9310-b46a018406f0/transcript

Performance enhancing drugs aren’t just for professional athletes anymore - they’re everywhere. We go inside the grey market, the underground world of steroids and peptides being bought, tested, and injected by everyday people. We meet Aaron, a Florida salesman who’s lost 43 pounds with grey market help. And AJ, a 19-year-old who says he’d rather die big than play it safe. They’re willing to risk their health on unregulated drugs… but why?

Performance enhancing drugs aren&rsquo;t just for professional athletes anymore - they&rsquo;re everywhere. We go inside the grey market, the underground world of steroids and peptides being bought, tested, and injected by everyday people. We meet Aaron, a Florida salesman who&rsquo;s lost 43 pounds with grey market help. And AJ, a 19-year-old who says he&rsquo;d rather die big than play it safe. They&rsquo;re willing to risk their health on unregulated drugs&hellip; but why?

New Normal

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/31ab0ad3-5aa8-4b38-9b74-b46301632b7a/transcript

The Enhanced athletes are training in Abu Dhabi - and their “enhancement” protocol keeps getting delayed. Week after week, the athletes are told it’s starting soon. Then it doesn’t. Then missiles start dropping outside their hotel windows as the war in Iran begins. And still, somehow, the hardest part is the waiting. By the time the moment finally arrives, no one quite knows how to feel. Because once that needle goes in, there’s no turning back.

The Enhanced athletes are training in Abu Dhabi - and their &ldquo;enhancement&rdquo; protocol keeps getting delayed. Week after week, the athletes are told it&rsquo;s starting soon. Then it doesn&rsquo;t. Then missiles start dropping outside their hotel windows as the war in Iran begins. And still, somehow, the hardest part is the waiting. By the time the moment finally arrives, no one quite knows how to feel. Because once that needle goes in, there&rsquo;s no turning back.

The Protocol 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a7885fea-f47f-4354-9a4e-b45c0125d815/transcript

Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled  to Las Vegas for the inaugural Enhanced Games. Where things heated up. 

Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled&nbsp; to Las Vegas for the inaugural Enhanced Games. Where things heated up.&nbsp;

Vegas

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1c724c7-30ef-42af-976e-b45600e74b02/transcript

Before the athletes signed up, this all started with an idea. We go inside the minds of the men behind the Enhanced Games. They believe they’re doing something much bigger than sports: ushering in a new age of mankind. But the deeper you go into their vision, the more complicated it gets. 

Before the athletes signed up, this all started with an idea. We go inside the minds of the men behind the Enhanced Games. They believe they&rsquo;re doing something much bigger than sports: ushering in a new age of mankind. But the deeper you go into their vision, the more complicated it gets.&nbsp;

A New Age for Mankind 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3255f1ae-a8f6-47a0-8b1e-b44e014f8d71/transcript

We travel to the Enhanced Games training camp in Las Vegas to meet the competitors at the heart of this experiment. Former world champion Ben Proud, who walked away from the Paris Olympics with a silver medal and a looming question: who was he without swimming? And Megan Romano, a retired world champion who spent nine years away from the pool before getting the call. They're chasing speed, financial security, and a shot at something they never quite got when they were playing by the rules. The only catch: they'll be the first athletes in history to do it openly, on performance-enhancing drugs, in front of the world.

We travel to the Enhanced Games training camp in Las Vegas to meet the competitors at the heart of this experiment. Former world champion Ben Proud, who walked away from the Paris Olympics with a silver medal and a looming question: who was he without swimming? And Megan Romano, a retired world champion who spent nine years away from the pool before getting the call. They're chasing speed, financial security, and a shot at something they never quite got when they were playing by the rules. The only catch: they'll be the first athletes in history to do it openly, on performance-enhancing drugs, in front of the world.

Silver Medal Mentality

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/997181a7-97f5-4476-9b94-b44701420dab/transcript

SuperHuman is a high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat docuseries that dives into the launch of what many have called the “Doping Olympics” - the Enhanced Games - a controversial new sporting event where performance-enhanced athletes openly compete for a $1 million prize and attempt to push the human body beyond its natural limits. 

While the International Olympic Committee condemns it, broadcasters salivate over potential ratings, and critics decry it as grotesque even as they admit they’ll tune in. 

The Games ignite urgent questions about ethics, medicine, and the human body itself. From retired Olympians hoping for a comeback, to struggling athletes chasing financial security, to Silicon Valley billionaires and scientists pushing the boundaries of enhancement, this series pulls viewers inside the drama, danger, and allure of sport without a safety net.

For the past year, we've embedded with the games and the athletes to answer the high stakes question. What happens when enhancement becomes the norm? Is this the end of fair play or the beginning of a new frontier of human potential? Step inside the experiment with us. 

SuperHuman is a high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat docuseries that dives into the launch of what many have called the &ldquo;Doping Olympics&rdquo; - the Enhanced Games - a controversial new sporting event where performance-enhanced athletes openly compete for a $1 million prize and attempt to push the human body beyond its natural limits.&nbsp;
While the International Olympic Committee condemns it, broadcasters salivate over potential ratings, and critics decry it as grotesque even as they admit they&rsquo;ll tune in.&nbsp;
The Games ignite urgent questions about ethics, medicine, and the human body itself. From retired Olympians hoping for a comeback, to struggling athletes chasing financial security, to Silicon Valley billionaires and scientists pushing the boundaries of enhancement, this series pulls viewers inside the drama, danger, and allure of sport without a safety net.
For the past year, we've embedded with the games and the athletes to answer the high stakes question. What happens when enhancement becomes the norm? Is this the end of fair play or the beginning of a new frontier of human potential? Step inside the experiment with us.&nbsp;

SuperHuman

Social links:

Follow the podcast:

12 clip(s)