RFK is Shortening Our Lifespans, with Dr. Eric Topol

Factually! with Adam Conover

Headgum

Comedy

4.4 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2025

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When it comes to medical science, there’s never been a better time to be alive than now… other than maybe a few months ago before the new Trump administration. Americans today are living longer than ever before, and that’s owed in no small part to the National Institutes of Health—a government organization that has been responsible for some of the most significant biomedical advancements in the history of healthcare. Unfortunately, the Trump administration just virtually annihilated the NIH, and sentient gob of clay and anti-vax charlatan RFK Jr. is now in charge of the future of American health. To figure how how to navigate this insane dichotomy of medical potential and squandered medical possibility, Adam speaks with Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and scientist, and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. Dr. Topol’s book, Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity, explores the cutting edge advancements in living longer, healthier lives—advancements which are now in jeopardy. Find Dr. Topol’s book at factuallypod.com/books

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a Headgum podcast.
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0:56.0	audible.com slash Adam Conover. Thank you so much for joining me on the show again. You know, it's a weird time for medical science.
1:29.8	On the one hand, we are seeing legit, incredible breakthroughs. We have the MRI vaccines,
1:36.0	which were developed in record time and saved countless lives from COVID. And the same technology
1:41.9	holds promise for diseases like cancer and rare diseases like
1:45.6	Ebola. Then there's gene therapy that seems to do magical things like restore vision in some people
1:51.9	or even take out sickle cell anemia. There are also tools to better detect Alzheimer's and
1:57.7	ever improved imaging techniques for everything. All of this is astounding and
2:03.3	really positive progress. And it's not just all high-tech. We also know more about what people
2:08.7	need to stay healthy for longer. If you want to prolong your one precious life, there is more
2:14.6	to know about it and do about it today than at any point in human history.
2:20.0	But, you know, that's just on the one hand.
2:22.7	The other hand for American medical science is looking incredibly bleak.
2:28.7	RFK Jr., our new head of Health and Human Services,
	...

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