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 Abby Amoakuh

Mikey Madison tells Pamela Anderson why she rejected an intimacy coordinator on Anora set

By Charlie Sawyer

Missouri lynched another innocent Black man: The alarming reality of wrongful convictions in the US

By Abby Amoakuh

Pregnant women in the US more likely to die from murder than complications, cancer, or accidents

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Is Melania Trump’s pro-choice memoir a plot to boost Donald Trump’s 2024 election bid?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Character.AI chatbots are targeting teens into anorexia with dangerous advice

By Abby Amoakuh

Who is Laura Loomer, the right-wing conspiracy theorist threatening Donald Trump’s campaign?

By Charlie Sawyer

Drake’s recent hairstyle has fans thinking he’s going through a midlife crisis 

By Charlie Sawyer

What does Brazil’s X ban mean for Elon Musk and his fellow tech bros?

By Charlie Sawyer

Unpacking the Chappell Roan drama, from toxic fandoms to political missteps

By Abby Amoakuh

TikTok mocks news outlet for not noticing it randomly caught Zendaya in its B roll footage

By Abby Amoakuh

Would you drink mayonnaise? New viral Japanese drink by Lawson divides the internet

By Charlie Sawyer

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell sparks outrage over alleged white supremacist message in new ad

By Abby Amoakuh

A lawyer breaks down Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battles. Here’s the verdict

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

German company launches first digital condom aiming to block non-consensual recording during sex?

By Charlie Sawyer

TMZ using Shawn Mendes’ sexuality for clicks proves they’ve learnt nothing since Liam Payne

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why are so many women dying in jail? Reports point to inadequate medical care and systemic neglect

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

University academic who sent girl to Iraq for FGM jailed for a meagre 4 and a half years

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

What is the ricezempic diet TikTok trend, and is it really Gen Z’s dupe of Ozempic?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Who is Noor Alfallah, the woman with geriatric rizz dating Hollywood’s most famous grandpas?