Life-extension science goes mainstream as Google announces new venture

The hard science of life-extension has long lingered at the fringes of medicine. Sure, the goal of most doctors is to keep you healthy, and a by-product has been longer lives. But the Fountain of Youth has remained a mirage. That is, until the past few years when genetics and gene manipulation has come to the forefront of the scientific consciousness. The future of longevity is not about fighting disease but about reprogramming the genes that cause aging. Today Google announced Calico, a new company that will focus on the challenge of aging and associated diseases. Arthur D. Levinson, Chairman and former CEO of Genentech and Chairman of Apple, will be Chief Executive Officer and a founding investor. Announcing this new investment, Larry Page, Google CEO said: "Illness and aging affect all our families. With some longer term, moonshot thinking around healthcare and biotechnology, I believe we can improve millions of lives." No doubt that anti-aging science is trending.