I have two pet issues: anti-aging research, and the problem of economic/technological stagnation. They intersect in a couple of interesting ways. twitter.com/_TamaraWinter/
Conversation
#1: developing anti-aging therapies is one example of an ambitious technical project of the type we'd see more often in a less stagnant society.
1
1
#2: extended healthy (and perhaps fertile) lifespans would reduce some of the harms of a graying society. Longer working lives, lower health care costs. Combined with entitlement reform, it could prevent the crisis of too many sick old people supported by too few working adults.
1
#4: The Western lifecycle is currently something like "childhood, adolescence/young-adulthood, parenthood, old age." Add 20 years more of healthy life, and we'll have a new life stage.
2
2
6

