• Apple announced their first Augmented Reality (AR) product, the Apple Vision Pro. I believe that AR and Virtual Reality (VR) represent the next step in how we interact with technology. Currently, our interaction with digital software and communication relies on screens, keyboards, and devices that are separate from our reality. However, AR and VR have the potential to make our interactions with software immersive and integrate the digital realm into our everyday lives.

    That said, the Apple Vision Pro’s $3,500 price tag, bulky headset design, and mere 2-hour battery life were quite unexpected. I had envisioned Apple Glasses resembling stylish Ray-Bans, weighing less than 100 grams, boasting a 7-day battery life, and offering practical real-world applications.

    As an AR enthusiast since 2016, I founded an AR startup and worked as a salesman for the Oculus Rift. My experiences have convinced me that AR and VR will revolutionize various fields, including:

    • Gaming and entertainment
    • Collaboration and communication (remote work)
    • Healthcare
    • Education and training

    In each of these categories, new multi-billion-dollar markets for AR-first and VR-first software will emerge.

    I am particularly excited about healthcare applications, especially in the realm of psychotherapy.

    One thing is clear: once AR and VR become affordable and accessible to the masses, they will dramatically change how we interact with software and, consequently, alter the way our world functions.

  • In the quest for longevity, Rapamycin has emerged as a potential contender. Originally developed as an organ transplant drug, this intriguing compound has captured the attention of researchers and biohackers alike. As the debate around its promise unfolds, questions about risk, benefit, and uncertainty take center stage.

    Rapamycin has been tested on multiple species with seemingly promising results in extending lifespan. However, these findings tell only part of the story. While evidence supports its potential benefits, the unknown side effects cast a shadow over the drug’s viability as a longevity treatment.

    When considering any medical intervention, it’s crucial to weigh the risks against the benefits. In the case of Rapamycin, this analysis is fraught with challenges due to the unpredictable nature of life. Asserting that there’s a risk-benefit analysis in this context is fallacious since the risk component cannot be accurately measured or predicted.

    There is no risk benefit analysis when the downside is unknown.

    While emphasizing caution is necessary, it’s also essential to acknowledge the positive aspects of Rapamycin research and the potential breakthroughs it may bring. Striking a balance between optimism and skepticism is crucial when examining novel interventions.

    For instance, ongoing research on Rapamycin has shed light on the molecular pathways involved in aging, providing valuable insights that could pave the way for future treatments.

    As we venture into the realm of longevity research, it’s vital to remember that uncertainty demands careful consideration. The pursuit of extended life should be guided by a healthy dose of skepticism and prudence, without stifling curiosity and innovation.

    We should not take risks with young, healthy and vital people. No proof of harm is required to assert that a drug or an unnatural intervention carries danger. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

  • My local organic farmer serves as a wonderful reminder that one does not need immense wealth to find joy and happiness.

    He’s living a fulfilled life. His wife shared with me that he spends most of the day in the garden while on Wednesdays and Saturdays, they sell the produce on the market.

    Every day, he’s outside in the sun. He’s eating fresh organic food. This reflects on his appearance. He looks young and vital for his age. Something all biohackers and longevitists try to accomplish with so much force.

    When you meet his gaze, his eyes reflect fulfillment, happiness, and inner peace.

    A small organic farm is all he needs to be satisfied. This leads us to ponder, why do we believe that acquiring massive amounts of wealth is a prerequisite for happiness?

  • Wishful thinking is like a drug. It is a bubble you create around yourself, in which everything is fine and everything will turn out alright.

    Wishful thinking is the easy way. It keeps you lifeless and inactive, in times when you should move and act.

    Wishful thinking is different from being an optimist. An optimist looks at the evidence and reality of the situation. Even if the situation looks bad at times, the optimist envisions a positive outcome after all. This gives him the necessary power to act, not give up, and move towards this positive outcome, even though he is well aware of the severity of the situation.

    The wishful thinker, on the other hand, cannot or does not want to see the reality of a given situation. Instead, the wishful thinker wittingly or unwittingly suppresses reality. This creates an optimism bias in which wishful thinkers expect positive outcomes despite such expectations having no basis in reality.

    The optimist faces the hardness of reality and acts. The wishful thinker downplays or ignores reality and procrastinates. If he acts, he is prone to overlook important details, which can lead to a vicious circle of unintended consequences.

    Ask yourself whether you are facing reality or fall into the fallacy of wishful thinking.

    Look beyond the information you habitually consume. Examine sources which you may find uncomfortable to read. Read at what is sold to you as fake news or conspiracies. Search for information outside your country, and your language.

    It is possible that everything you wish to be true is not.

Marius Schober

Progress Through Consciousness

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