Top 10 Craziest Ways People Have Tried To Beat Death
#10: Bryan Johnson
As a tech founder and venture capitalist, Bryan Johnson has made millions creating and funding companies that drive scientific progress. Since 2021, however, a lot of his money - $2 million a year precisely - has gone towards an experimental anti-aging program called Project Blueprint. Johnson made headlines for his extreme attempts at immortality, which include consuming over 100 daily supplements, and adhering to a strict dietary and sleep regimen. At one point, the tech CEO even tried to freeze his biological clock by receiving blood plasma transfusions from his teenage son. Despite being in his 40s, Johnson claims that this project has given him the heart of a 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old, and the lungs of an 18-year-old.
#9: Pope Innocent VIII
Back in the 15th century, there was very little known about the practice of blood transfusion and its actual benefits. One of the earliest recorded instances of this practice reportedly involved the Catholic Pope Innocent VIII. The story goes that in 1492, the Pope became deathly ill and could hardly ingest any substance other than a woman’s breast milk. Apparently believing that blood itself held the essence of life, the Pope’s physicians attempted to restore his health by feeding him with the blood of pre-teen boys. Tragically, this effort not only failed to revitalize the ailing Pope, who eventually succumbed to a fever, but it also reportedly claimed the lives of his young blood donors.
#8: James Strole
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The Coalition for Radical Life Extension is an American non-profit that strives to eliminate “the suffering of aging”. To his credit, the organization’s founder, a real-estate investor named James Strole, actually walks the talk. Strole’s quest to significantly increase human longevity was reportedly inspired by his grandmother’s death during his childhood. He has since become a life-extensionist, with a rigorous health regimen. Strole ingests about 70 supplements, including a diabetes drug hailed as “the aspirin of anti-aging,” as well as pills that nourish his brain and energize his mitochondria. He also claims to bolster his immune system by taking a cold swim every morning, and frequently uses a pulsating electromagnetic mat that he insists “opens up the veins”.
#7: Diane de Poitiers
Just like the outrageous regimen of tech billionaires today, the elite in 16th century France had their own miracle product for eternal youth: drinkable gold. Diane de Poitiers, a royal mistress to King Henry II and a highly influential figure, may have met her end due to this so-called elixir. De Poitiers reportedly consumed the substance regularly to preserve her famed beauty. She is said to have had the looks of a 30-year-old even well into her sixties, seemingly lending credence to the drinkable gold’s power. However, in 2009, experts analyzed her remains and discovered unusually high levels of gold in her hair. They believe that instead of granting her immortality, ingesting the substance actually led to de Poitiers’ demise.
#6: Alexander Bogdanov
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The quest to preserve life through blood transfusions may have started with Pope Innocent VIII, but it certainly didn’t end there. In the 1920s, Russian revolutionary and physician Alexander Bogdanov began working on a method to achieve eternal youth through blood transfusions. Following a series of experiments, Bogdanov claimed that infusions of younger blood had not only rejuvenated his appearance, but had also significantly improved his declining eyesight. However, these transfusions would ultimately prove fatal for Bogdanov. In 1928, he received blood from a student who had both malaria and tuberculosis. Although the student eventually recovered from the illnesses, Bogdanov wasn’t as fortunate. He passed away in April of that year.
#5: Peter Thiel
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Following in the footsteps of Alexander Bogdanov, American billionaire Peter Thiel seems to have zeroed in on blood transfusions as the way to extend his life. Estimated to be worth over $9 billion, Thiel reportedly aspires to live until he is 120 years old. This desire drove him to invest in anti-aging research from as early as 2006. He has also admitted to ingesting human-growth hormone pills to maintain his bone and muscle health. Thiel has since focused his attention on parabiosis, which is the scientific term for the rejuvenating blood transfusions. He has even taken further steps to cryogenically preserve his body, hoping to be revived in the future if he doesn’t hit his longevity goal.
#4: Sam Altman
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Paying a company to kill you just so you can live forever might sound bizarre. But that’s what tech billionaire and OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, is doing. Well, for the most part. Precisely, Altman paid $10,000 to the startup Nectome to end his life and upload the contents of his brain to a computer, where they can be stored forever. The company claims that with their special embalming fluid, they can “preserve your brain well enough to keep all its memories intact”. But this technique is only viable if the brain is fresh, hence, Nectome has to terminate the participant’s life beforehand. In 2018, Altman became one of only about two dozen people to sign up for the procedure.
#3: Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard
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This Mauritian scientist gained notoriety for his unconventional methods and eccentric behavior. In the world of hormone study, he is famous for the Brown-Séquard Elixir, which he claimed could make people look younger and live longer. In his later years, Brown-Séquard began injecting himself with extracts from the testicles of guinea pigs and dogs. He posited that these substances boosted his strength and enhanced his sexual performance. However, as he was the only participant in his experiment and there was no way of validating his results, the elixir was derided in the scientific community. Brown-Séquard’s testicular extracts may have made him stronger, but they failed to grant him any substantial longevity, as he died at the age of 76.
#2: Elizabeth Báthory
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Regarded by Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer, Elizabeth Báthory is said to have tortured and killed as many as 650 girls and women. Due to her status as a Countess in Hungary, Báthory seemingly evaded the law for years, until she was finally arrested in 1612. During her trial, numerous witness statements were presented, though many have since been disputed as they relied on hearsay. One popular claim among witnesses was that Báthory regularly bathed in the blood of her young victims in order to maintain her youth and beauty. As punishment for her alleged crimes, Báthory was confined to a castle for the rest of her life, eventually passing away at age 54.
#1: Qin Shi Huang
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Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of the Qin dynasty in China, ruling from the age of 13 until his death at 49. The emperor was reportedly so terrified of leaving this world that he actively sought the elixir of life in his later years. His quest reportedly led him to ingest mercury, thinking that it would grant him immortality. Needless to say, this failed to work. In 210 BC, after serving as emperor of a unified China for 11 years, Qin Shi Huang’s worst fears came to pass, as he fell ill and ultimately passed away. Although the exact cause of his death is technically unknown, it is believed to be linked to mercury poisoning. What lengths would you be willing to go to ensure you lived forever? Let us know in the comments below!
