Vitalia, the island that wants to live forever – 03/17/2024 – Ronaldo Lemos

On the island of Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, there is a peculiar experiment. There is the headquarters of the community called Vitalia, made up of people from all over the world. The goal that unites everyone is one: to live forever. Its slogan, printed on t-shirts and murals, couldn’t be clearer: “Dying is optional.”

Vitalia managed to gather around her several of the relevant names in longevity research. Her community has a mission: to use all possible resources to prolong human life. She has already received a visit from the English scientist Aubrey de Grey, one of the pioneers in this topic. And among its residents there are now researchers from various areas, who collaborate with each other, articulating from genetic engineering to integrative medicines.

The idea is to produce advances in longevity that can become viable in a short time. It is no coincidence that there is a movement of investment funds around the project participants.

I ended up on this Honduran island to record the eighth season of the program Expresso Futuro, which I present on Canal Futura (the premiere will be in May). I am currently living among the residents of Vitalia and discovering that the project is more complex than it appears.

In addition to the paradisiacal location, Vitalia was created on top of a special economic zone in Honduras called Próspera. In 2013, the country’s Constitution was modified to authorize the creation of areas subject to special regimes, with administrative and legal autonomy. These areas, called ZEDEs, can adopt their own laws and establish their own judiciary. They must, however, respect Honduras’ criminal and immigration laws.

It was in this special area that Vitalia settled. The premise is that biotechnology research has become overly restrictive today. This ignores current technology that allows for an open source, decentralized science model that uses data and has easily accessible equipment and resources.

The first time I wrote about this in Sheet it was in 2010, in the article “Health with your own hands”. At the time, I stated that these practices “popularize the scientific method and open the way for hypotheses to be tested outside traditional means.”

Vitalia is a realization of this. The economic zone in which the project is developed does not have restrictive legislation on biotechnology research. As a result, the place is becoming a magnet for global researchers eager to accelerate their longevity projects. But the project is not just about technology.

The community that was formed follows the precepts of a healthy life. The food is made from foods that promote longevity. Practicing physical activities is common. It is also common to sleep when the sun sets and wake up when the sun rises, respecting the circadian cycle.

Despite local political resistance, Honduras can join the club of places where special economic zones have demonstrated positive results, such as in Asia and the Middle East. It is a positive agenda for this country with ancient history.

It’s over – only organic intelligence

Already – use the term Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

It’s coming – prefer the use of the term AMI (Advanced Machine Intelligence), which is less fanciful

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