Bryan Johnson on Becoming Immortal, Electric Boner Therapy, and Eating Chocolate Daily

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Bryan Johnson's conversation with Jack Neel about longevity, health optimization, and his quest to potentially become the first person to beat death.

1. Pursuing immortality as a serious goal

Bryan Johnson believes we're at a unique moment in human history where death might no longer be inevitable. He approaches this goal with scientific rigor, treating longevity as the ultimate mission. His project, called Blueprint, has led him to become what he calls "the most measured person in history."

Johnson frames his quest as trying to be "the first person to not die." This perspective has led him to completely restructure his life around measurable health outcomes. He sees this historical moment as potentially transformative, similar to how the Wright brothers' first flight changed transportation forever.

2. Measuring biological age versus chronological age

Johnson emphasizes the difference between chronological age and biological age. He measures the biological age of all his organs, from heart to brain, to determine his true health status. His approach is data-driven, tracking biomarkers to gauge the effectiveness of his interventions.

According to Johnson, while he's chronologically 46, his biomarkers now match those of much younger individuals. For example, his cardiovascular ability is in the top 1.5% of 18-year-olds. This measurement-based approach allows him to quantify his progress in reversing aging, rather than relying on subjective feelings about his health.

3. Dramatic health interventions including plasma exchange

One of Johnson's most notable experiments involved a three-generation plasma exchange. He received a liter of plasma from his 18-year-old son, while donating a liter of his own plasma to his father. This intervention produced measurable results in his father, whose biological aging rate dropped significantly.

Johnson reported that his father's speed of aging decreased from that of a 71-year-old (his chronological age) to that of a 46-year-old. This effect lasted for six months, and colleagues noted visible changes in his father's appearance and energy levels. Johnson found this especially interesting because the effect size matched what had been observed in animal studies.

4. The importance of sleep, exercise, and diet over medication

Johnson believes the best antidepressant is sleep, diet, exercise, and social connection. He was chronically depressed for a decade before changing his lifestyle. His experience suggests that many people take medications to compensate for poor basic health habits.

He acknowledges the difficulty of making these changes when severely depressed. Johnson notes that it can seem impossible to exercise or eat well when deeply struggling. However, he emphasizes that these fundamental health practices are often more effective than medication for improving mental health.

5. His iPhone-like approach to health upgrades

Johnson describes trying to make his body function like an iPhone that receives automatic updates. He built a system where his health would be upgraded without requiring his active involvement. This approach involves continuous measurement, application of scientific evidence, and reassessment.

He assembled a team of medical professionals to help implement this system. They reviewed all available scientific literature on extending lifespan and healthspan. Through this systematic approach, his biomarkers have significantly improved. Johnson believes this methodical system is what sets his approach apart from other longevity efforts.

6. Unique approaches to measuring health and aging

Johnson uses unconventional metrics to track his health, including the duration of nighttime erections. He discovered this marker accidentally while using a therapy device and now considers it an important indicator of overall health. According to Johnson, he maintains erections for 1 hour and 79 minutes per night, which he notes is "almost the duration of the Titanic" movie.

Other unique measurements include his body temperature, which has decreased to 95.9°F from the typical 98.7°F. This lower temperature is associated with caloric restriction and potentially increased longevity. Johnson believes these detailed measurements provide objective evidence of his progress that goes beyond traditional health metrics.

7. Contaminants in our food supply

Johnson has become extremely cautious about food quality after testing revealed widespread contamination issues. He found that many foods and supplements didn't contain what manufacturers claimed. Even more concerning, they often contained harmful contaminants like heavy metals and microplastics.

This discovery led him to source his own foods directly from manufacturers. He was surprised to find high lead levels in seemingly healthy foods like broccoli powder. One supplier even admitted to using human waste as fertilizer, creating a cycle of heavy metal contamination. Johnson now avoids eating at restaurants and carefully tests all his food sources.

8. Daily chocolate consumption for health benefits

Despite his strict diet, Johnson eats chocolate daily as part of his health regimen. He considers high-quality dark chocolate a "superfood" with benefits for heart and brain health. The flavonols in cocoa made it through his rigorous selection process where "every calorie had to fight for its life."

Johnson is careful to test chocolate for heavy metals and other contaminants. He conducted tests on ten supermarket chocolates, measuring both beneficial flavonols and harmful heavy metals. His findings showed no correlation between marketing claims and actual quality, reinforcing his belief that data matters more than marketing language.

9. Perspective from the 25th century

Johnson maintains an unusual mental framework where he evaluates his decisions based on how they might be viewed by people in the 25th century. This long-term perspective helps him ignore current criticism and focus on what might ultimately matter. He describes having "dialogues" with historical figures in his mind.

This future-oriented thinking gives Johnson emotional resilience against criticism. He believes this perspective allows him to see past the noise of present-day reactions and focus on potentially world-changing ideas. Johnson claims this makes him "almost entirely immune to criticism" as he values the judgment of future generations more than contemporary opinions.

10. The concept of "die scores" for activities and products

Johnson has developed a system called "die scores" to measure how much different activities and products shorten lifespan. He uses cigarettes as a baseline, stating that each cigarette takes about 15 minutes off your life. He then compares other activities to this standard.

Johnson has published what he calls a "genocide leaderboard" that ranks companies based on how their products affect longevity. For example, he calculates that a Big Mac Happy Meal has roughly the same impact on lifespan as smoking a cigarette. This framing is meant to help people understand the cumulative health impact of everyday choices.