Russian scientist injects himself with 3.5-million-year-old bacteria to try and live forever

By Charlie Sawyer

Published Nov 21, 2023 at 12:15 PM

Reading time: 1 minute

51913

While I’ve always been under the impression that RuPaul was the only individual who could truly live forever, there seems to be a scientist in Moscow who thinks otherwise. Anatoli Brouchkov, a geocryologist working at Moscow State University, has taken steps to try and extend his life past the normal human capabilities.

The scientist injected himself with a specific bacteria that happens to be 3.5 million years old. Brouchkov, who specialises in the field of permafrost, spoke with VICE a few years ago about his ventures, and why indeed he chose such a peculiar avenue to try and extend his lifespan.

According to Brouchkov, his decision to inject such an old bacteria into his system was based on the idea that he would then gain the bacteria’s resistance abilities. Known as Bacillus F, the scientist pulled the sample from the Mammoth Mountain in the northern Siberian region of Yakutsk in 2009.

The bacteria is believed to have been preserved under the ice for millennia, making it naturally the perfect ingredient for everlasting life, or that’s at least how Brouchkov sees things.

The question is, how does he feel now he’s injected it? Well, for those non-believers out there, the scientist claims to feel far less tired and more energised following the experiment. Moreover, Brouchkov has also claimed that he hasn’t had the flu in over two years. While there’s no way to verify this, it’s definitely an intriguing prospect.

The search for eternal life is no new concept, it’s a path a number of people have gone down many times before, including the world’s third-wealthiest person, Jeff Bezos. That being said, injecting yourself with a practically prehistoric bacteria is definitely doing the most. It’s slightly more committed than simply drinking green juice every day.

Bryan Johnson, for example, is a middle-aged man from the US who is actively trying to “become younger,” and achieve the physical health of an 18-year-old. Although he’s stopped doing so now because there were “no benefits detected,” Johnson went as far as to receive blood-plasma transfusions from his own teenage son on his quest to age backwards.

According to Bloomberg, the tech CEO is on the path to spending over $2 million this year alone on a host of medical interventions and tests aimed at helping him live longer. These experiments range from electromagnetic pulses to improve the muscles in his pelvic floor to a device calculating the number of erections he has per night. Thorough.

Keep On Reading

By Jack Ramage

Meet Hasbulla, the Russian ‘mini Khabib’ normalising dwarfism with questionable media stunts

By Eliza Frost

Jennifer Aniston to star in Apple TV+ adaptation of Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died

By Eliza Frost

Rina Sawayama calls out Sabrina Carpenter’s SNL performance of Nobody’s Son for cultural insensitivity 

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno caught in political drama

By Eliza Frost

Everything to know about Justin Lee Fisher, arrested at Travis Kelce’s home over Taylor Swift deposition papers from Justin Baldoni

By Eliza Frost

It now takes 20 hours of work a week to survive as a UK university student

By Eliza Frost

Zayn Malik’s new song suggests One Direction era wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows

By Eliza Frost

What is dry begging? And why is it a relationship red flag?

By Eliza Frost

Netflix’s new Trainwreck documentary exposes the rise and scandalous fall of American Apparel

By Eliza Frost

Jennifer Lawrence weighs in on The Summer I Turned Pretty love triangle, revealing she is Team Jeremiah

By Eliza Frost

Will Belly choose herself in the final episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift announces new album on Travis Kelce’s podcast. Everything we know about TS12 so far

By Eliza Frost

Everything you need to know about Trump’s state visit, including that Epstein projection

By Eliza Frost

Netflix is predicting your next favourite show based on your zodiac sign 

By Eliza Frost

Bereavement leave to be extended to miscarriages before 24 weeks

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty is getting a movie. Could it be here in time for Christmas?

By Eliza Frost

How The Summer I Turned Pretty licensed so much of Taylor Swift’s discography for its soundtrack 

By Eliza Frost

Black cat boyfriends are in to replace golden retriever boyfriends, but are they just emotionally unavailable men in disguise?

By Eliza Frost

People think Donald Trump is dead and they’re using the Pentagon Pizza Index to prove it

By Eliza Frost

What is the Gen Z stare, and why are millennials on TikTok so bothered by it?