Longer Life: What Does Science Say?

On with Kara Swisher

New York Magazine

Society & Culture

4.2 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

While the longevity field is filled with dubious claims and junk science, there have been some truly remarkable advances that will have an impact on how we can live longer and stay healthier. In this episode, Kara unpacks some of them with Dr. Eric Verdin, the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California. The Buck Institute was the first of its kind, and it’s at the forefront of all the latest research on longevity. Later she speaks to Dr. Vinod Balachandran, attending physician and director of The Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. He’ll explain his research into mRNA vaccines and their potential to treat and possibly cure pancreatic cancer. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's on.
0:02.0	Hi, everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
0:15.0	This is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher.
0:18.0	When it comes to the science of living longer, there's so much garbage out there that it's easy to miss some of the truly remarkable things that are happening with scientific advancement around longevity.
0:27.4	In this episode of our hacking longevity series, we'll go deep into the science behind some of the most promising medical developments happening right now, specifically when it comes to fighting pancreatic cancer.
0:37.5	We'll speak with the leading researcher in that fight, Dr. Vinod Balasandran of the Memorial
0:42.9	Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
0:45.1	But first, the bigger picture.
0:46.7	I'm joined by Dr. Eric Verden, the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research
0:51.2	on Aging in Novado, California.
0:54.0	The Buck Institute was the first research
0:55.8	center of its kind, and it's at the forefront of what's going on in the field. Dr. Verden has a
1:00.4	medical background, of course. He also has an entrepreneurial take that I wish more doctors
1:04.5	shared. I think it's really interesting to talk to all the various big names in this. Some of them
1:09.5	are more scientific than others,
1:12.3	and those are the ones I'm sticking with. But it's really important to understand all the
1:15.9	differing viewpoints of where this is going, and that's what's necessary to moving forward,
1:20.3	to have disagreement and then move forward with actual scientific facts and, of course, measurements.
1:25.6	It's a smart and interesting conversation, so stick around.
1:48.1	Support for this show comes from Kohler Health.
1:51.5	The body sends you answers to important questions every day.
1:52.6	How's your digestion?
	...

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