Evolution designed us to die fast; we can change that — Jacob Kimmel - Dwarkesh Podcast Recap

Podcast: Dwarkesh Podcast

Published: 2025-08-21

Duration: 1 hr 45 min

Summary

Jacob Kimmel discusses how evolutionary pressures have shaped human lifespan and health, suggesting that by understanding and potentially altering these factors, we can enhance longevity and well-being.

What Happened

In this episode, Jacob Kimmel, co-founder of New Limit, explores the evolutionary reasons behind why humans age and die relatively quickly. He emphasizes that while evolution prioritizes the survival of offspring, there are selective pressures that have historically favored shorter lifespans. Kimmel notes that the high baseline hazard rate during human evolution—reflecting risks like disease and predation—limited the number of individuals who could reach advanced ages, thereby reducing the evolutionary incentive to select for longer lifespan traits.

Kimmel elaborates on the implications of this evolutionary framework, particularly concerning intelligence and its development over a lifespan. He posits that if fewer individuals reach older ages, then there is less evolutionary pressure to preserve cognitive abilities, such as fluid intelligence, into later life. This interplay between lifespan and cognitive development raises intriguing questions about how we might optimize human potential, particularly as advancements in biotechnology offer new avenues to extend health and longevity.

Key Insights

• Evolutionary pressures historically favored shorter human lifespans.
• High baseline hazard rates limited evolutionary selection for longevity.
• Intelligence may not have been strongly selected for due to lifespan constraints.
• Biotechnology could play a crucial role in extending health and lifespan.

Key Questions Answered

What are the evolutionary reasons for shorter lifespans?

Jacob Kimmel explains that evolution has historically prioritized the survival of offspring, which has led to selective pressures favoring shorter lifespans. He argues that high baseline hazard rates, which include threats from disease and predation, limited the number of individuals who could reach old age, thereby reducing the evolutionary benefit of longer lifespans.

How does lifespan affect cognitive abilities?

Kimmel discusses that if fewer individuals survive to older ages, there is less evolutionary incentive to select for the preservation of cognitive abilities, such as fluid intelligence, in later life. This signifies a potential connection between lifespan and how intelligence develops throughout human evolution.

What is New Limit's approach to health and longevity?

As the co-founder of New Limit, Kimmel is involved in research focused on epigenetically reprogramming cells to their younger states. This innovative approach aims to extend health and longevity by potentially reversing some aspects of aging at the cellular level.

What role do high hazard rates play in evolutionary biology?

Kimmel explains that the high baseline hazard rate during human evolution implies that individuals could not afford to be dependent for long periods. This necessitated early contributions to the group, thereby limiting the time available for learning and development in youth.

How does Kimmel connect intelligence and evolutionary pressures?

Kimmel suggests that the relationship between lifespan and cognitive development may reveal why major scientific discoveries often occur before the age of 30. He theorizes that fluid intelligence was maximally selected for at ages corresponding to the largest populations during human evolution.