The more I read about him the more I am convinced: Craig Venter is an absolute beast of a scientist and a genius public relations mediator. Famed scientist and entrepreneurs Craig Venter and Peter Diamandis announced an new initiative:
To use genetics and stem cell therapy to address the problems of aging; see this link and read up, this is important news:
Human Longevity Inc. launched to promote healthy aging using advances in genomics and stem-cell therapies
The "healthy aging" approach to PR is just a genius move. They have seen what Aubrey de Grey has been through with using phrases such as "longevity escape velocity" and using names like "Methuselah" in his work, and it has been more or less a PR nightmare.
Every day he is faced with questions about the morality and ethics of life/health extension and is often (unfairly) ridiculed as a maverick out of touch with reality.
Venter has sidestepped the whole PR nightmare by calling it "healthy aging" now he can mass up community and financial support for this without having to answer incessant philosophical questions and he can focus on what he does best: getting the job done.
No one can touch this because its socially unacceptable to promote UNHEALTHY AGING. No one can get away with this. Simple.
But if you can trash talk and paint the scientists as trying to genetically engineer some immortal vampire creatures you can have a fight and impede their actual work on health.
I recently saw an interview with Google Chairman Eric Schmidt about Google’s Anti aging project Calico where he expressed his desire/intention to be immortal. Bad move. Please learn from what is going on around you. Why open yourself up to a fight when you can sidestep the whole issue.- Remember, You are working on "Healthy aging"
Venter’s smart move is shutting down any real controversy before it can catch fire. And now we can finally get some of the big-money work done.