'MythBusters' star Adam Savage explores longevity and life hacks: 'There's no magic secret'
Former "MythBusters" star Adam Savage is exploring the science of longevity, asking how lifestyle choices, stress and even sleep affect how long we live.
Savage, now a YouTube creator and head of the channel Tested, has partnered with health technology company Medtronic to engage in discussions about longevity. While not a researcher himself, he has taken a deep dive into scientific insights from experts and reflected on his own experiences.
"Longevity has always been a fascination for me," Savage told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "I mean, who doesn't want to know how to live better and maybe even longer? But the real question is what actually works?"
He credits his "MythBusters" experience with fueling his passion for scientific exploration.
"Making that show legitimized the practice of science and engineering to me," Savage said. "It made me realize how much of our world can be tested, questioned and improved through experimentation."
Through his discussions with people on the street for Medtronic, Savage has uncovered key lifestyle factors affecting longevity. He noted a cultural shift in what we consider to be old age, highlighting that people today consider themselves "young-ish" for longer.
Savage also pointed to Blue Zones, regions known for long life expectancy, but questioned whether longevity there stems simply from location or cultural practices.
"We assume people in these areas live longer because of where they are, but what if it's really just the way they live? That's the part that fascinates me," he said. AI ENABLES PARALYZED MAN TO CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM WITH BRAIN SIGNALS
"There's no magic secret. It's a mix of daily habits — what you eat, how you move, how you interact with your community, how you handle stress. All those things matter."
Savage has taken a personal interest in testing different longevity strategies in his own life. He spoke candidly with Fox News Digital about his journey with intermittent fasting, which helped him lose 25 pounds and eliminate sleep apnea.
"It's crazy how much of a difference it made," he said. "I didn't just lose weight. I felt sharper, I slept better and I stopped snoring. It was like flipping a switch on my health."
He also reflected on his past smoking habits and what it took to quit.
"I had to admit I wasn't smoking for enjoyment," Savage said. "I was just doing it out of habit. Once I realized that, it was easy to quit."
On alcohol, Savage dismissed the idea of a universal approach, arguing that studies conflict. While he personally cut back, he emphasized that people shouldn't feel guilty about their lifestyle choices.
"I'm a big believer in not feeling guilty about the things that you do to the core, whether it's smoking, whether it's watching something dumb or puzzling for 100 hours at a time," he said. "I don't care about any of those. We all do these things to sort of bring relaxation and down regulate. I just think that alcohol is an especially poor down regulator in the final analysis."
Beyond lifestyle choices, medical advancements are playing an increasingly critical role in extending both lifespan and "healthspan," the years we live without serious disease. Medtronic, which focuses on healthcare technology globally, has developed medical devices designed to manage chronic conditions, improve heart health and advance minimally invasive surgeries.
According to Medtronic, as people live longer, the focus is shifting toward enhancing not just lifespan but quality of life. The company's latest innovations include artificial intelligence-driven healthcare monitoring, robotic-assisted surgeries and advanced pacemakers, all aimed at improving long-term health outcomes. Savage also spoke about the psychological aspects of aging, emphasizing that mindset and community play a significant role in longevity.
Medtronic claims the first person to live to 150 may already have been born. When asked if there is an upper limit to human life, Savage replied, "I think right now 150 is a very realistic target to be shooting for and to be discussing.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"That's really what science foreshadowing is," added Savage. "It's about asking these questions and seeing, 'OK, what numbers are unrealistic.' I think 40 years ago, 150 would have seemed radically unrealistic. Today it seems more realistic, and I think it's entirely reasonable that, let's say, by 2040, we may all have a different cultural answer to that question."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Veteran analyst unveils bold price target for Tempus AI stock
Veteran analyst unveils bold price target for Tempus AI stock originally appeared on TheStreet. While much of Wall Street is focused on AI chipmakers and cloud giants, one AI health care stock is quietly making big moves. Tempus AI () , founded in 2015, uses artificial intelligence to help physicians make personalized, data-driven decisions. The stock, which went public in June 2024, has surged 12% over the past five days and 109% this year, even after a sharp drop in late May triggered by a short-seller report questioning its business model. The stock plunged more than 19% on May 28 after short-seller Spruce Point Capital Management released a report raising concerns about management's alleged history of promoting disruptive technology companies with revenue recognition issues and shareholder losses. The report also questioned the validity of Tempus AI's artificial intelligence services, citing minimal revenues and product demonstrations. Tempus AI responded that the report was "riddled with hypotheticals and inaccuracies and fails to address Tempus' history of strong financial performance and impressive growth." In its most recent earnings report released on May 6, the company posted 75.4% revenue growth year-over-year and raised its full-year forecast to $1.25 billion, reflecting roughly 80% growth from the previous year. However, the company is still not profitable, and net loss for the quarter widened to $68 million from $64.7 million. Ark Invest founder and CEO Cathie Wood is one of Tempus AI's most high-profile backers. She has been actively buying Tempus AI's stock since last June's IPO. Most recently, her funds purchased 251,080 shares of Tempus AI on May 28, a stake valued at roughly $17.8 million of June 11, Tempus AI is the sixth-largest holding in the flagship Ark Innovation ETF () , making up 5.8% of the fund's portfolio with a market value of $364.6 million. 'We've got 37 trillion cells in our body, and they're going to be sequenced as we're looking for cures,' Wood said in a February CNBC interview. 'I think the most underappreciated application of AI is health care. I think health care is responsible for an incredible amount of storage out there right now. Data is the name of the game.' In response to the earlier short report, Ark's team said it investigated the allegations and remains confident in the company's mission and technology. Tempus has also caught the attention of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who earlier this year bought 50 call options on the stock (a bet that it would rise) valued at least $50,000. Barchetta Capital Management Managing Director Ed Ponsi is also bullish on Tempus AI. In a memo published at TheStreet Pro, Ponsi highlighted both the company's market potential and technical setup. 'This AI stock could be at the forefront of a medical revolution,' Ponsi wrote. 'AI will disrupt the medical industry via its ability to analyze vast amounts of information in seconds. It will speed the development of new drugs and therapies, streamline the drug manufacturing process and interact with patients.'Ponsi pointed to a series of rounded bottoms on the stock's chart (a bullish pattern) and identified $70 as a key resistance level. That threshold has now been cleared as Tempus AI closed at $70.78 on June 11. More Tech Stocks: Palantir gets great news from the Pentagon Analyst has blunt words on Trump's iPhone tariff plans OpenAI teams up with legendary Apple exec "Because Tempus AI fell quickly and sharply from that high in February, no subsequent support or resistance levels were created between the current price and the all-time high. This means a move to the $90 area or higher could happen quickly," Ponsi noted. Ponsi's price target for Tempus AI stock is $ analyst unveils bold price target for Tempus AI stock first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 12, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
County highlights more 'Faces of Valley Fever' as cases continue to rise
Cases of valley fever are increasing in California and local health officials are sharing personal stories as a way of raising awareness. The Kern County Department of Public Health has released three new videos in its "faces of valley fever" campaign, which started in April. "Behind every case of valley fever is a real person with a story to tell — an attorney, a radio personality, a child," Public Health said in a news release. "Each journey is different. Their voices bring awareness. Their stories bring hope." The three people highlighted in the latest round of videos are defense attorney David Torres, radio host Ralph Bailey and Rio Bravo Elementary School student Ivory Nunez. "To be quite honest, when I was finally diagnosed I was scared to death," Bailey said in a video posted to Public Health's YouTube page. Bailey was diagnosed with valley fever in 2010 and it was only through the persistence of his doctors that he was diagnosed and treated. "I talk about this a lot on my show. I beg my listeners to go see a physician on the regular," Bailey said. "Had I not gone to my (general practitioner), had I not gone to (my doctor) and had him be able to diagnose me so quickly, who knows what would have happened to me." Valley fever — also called coccidioidomycosis or 'cocci' — is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the dirt and soil. People and animals can get sick when they breathe in dust that contains the valley fever fungus. The fungus usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chest pain and tiredness. Valley fever cases have been rising across the state over the past decade. According to the California Department of Public Health, valley fever cases tripled from 2014 to 2018; and from 2018 to 2022, between 7,000 and 9,000 cases were reported each year. In 2024, Kern County reached an all-time high of 3,990 cases, a 27% increase over the 3,152 cases in 2023 and a 14% increase over the previous record of 3,488 in 2019. Kern County has the second highest instance of valley fever in the nation, according to Paul Rzucidlo, epidemiologist with Kern County Public Health. "The vast majority of people will never even know they were sick," Rzucidlo said. "Or, if they didn't know they were sick, you know, they'll think they have a cold or something like that and it'll go away." But for some people the symptoms can be severe and require a lifetime of treatment. The county has also seen a rise in the number of deaths from valley fever. There were 49 deaths in 2024, a 17% increase over the previous record of 42 in 2018, and more than double the 23 deaths reported in 2020, according to Public Health. What's driving the increase isn't exactly clear. "There are a lot of things that could be driving it and there are of course some unknowns because valley fever is an understudied disease," Rzucidlo said. "But recent research has shown that probably one of the largest drivers that's going on is climate change." The fungus that causes valley fever forms in the soil following wet weather, and prolonged periods of dryness create the conditions in which the spores can enter the air. Data shows the number of cases tends to peak in October, and Rzucidlo said the county experienced its highest number of cases following an extremely wet winter in 2022. "There's no way for us to get rid of it in the soil or anything like that, so what we look at for prevention is to kind of watch out for dust," Rzucidlo said. Dirt or soil that is regularly disturbed isn't a concern; it's the dust that's been sitting for prolonged periods. "If you're working with something like that, you would want to make sure to wet it down to kind of reduce that dust generation," Rzucidlo said. "If you're digging it up, try to be upwind from where any dust would generate so the dust would blow away from you. Wearing an N95 can also protect you, so that's the only mask that's known to be protective." Kern County Public Health launched its "Faces of Valley Fever" campaign earlier this year and released the additional videos as cases continue to rise. "For me, valley fever feels like my body gets so heavy that I don't want to get up," Ivory, age 8, said in her video. Ivory — already a chronic asthma sufferer — contracted the disease when she was 6, leading to several emergency room visits. Her mother insisted doctors test her blood, which led to the valley fever diagnosis and treatment. "For everyone that's going through this or will go through this in the future with your child, husband, family member, anyone, you're not alone and you will get through it," said Samantha Nunez, Ivory's mother, in the video. "It will be a tough start, but you will get through it."
Entrepreneur
15 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur UK's London 100: apo
apo is democratising musculoskeletal (MSK) healthcare through its innovative and holistic AI-powered digital platform. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Industry: Artificial Intelligence apo is democratising musculoskeletal (MSK) healthcare through its innovative and holistic AI-powered digital platform. In the UK alone, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affect over 20 million people each year, costing the NHS billions and resulting in more than 30 million lost working days annually. apo tackles this head-on with its comprehensive digital approach, organised around four core pillars (Move, Discover, Nourish, and Unwind) each tailored to empower users with personalised physical therapy, curated educational content, nutrition guidance, and mental health support. Founded in 2024 by Lauren Romanish, apo's mission is clear: transform how millions manage MSK pain, turning the industry's reliance on fragmented, episodic care into a seamless, continuous, and empowering user experience. Romanish has recently been named "The UK's Most Influential Female Founder in Healthcare to Watch." Furthermore, apo has received multiple awards and recognitions and is partnering with the National Health Service (NHS) to deliver more effective and efficient care — reducing our healthcare system's burdens and improving patient outcomes. Building Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), apo places safety, reliability, and clinical validation at the heart of its innovation. Unlike traditional healthcare apps, apo employs cutting-edge technology to deliver hyper personalised, interactive, and visually rich content. apo's intuitive design and real-time analytics encourage consistent user engagement, fostering long-term behavioural change. "apo's innovation lies in its ability to seamlessly blend clinical rigour with engaging, personalised wellness experiences. By putting sophisticated, adaptive AI directly into users' hands, we empower them not just to manage pain, but to fundamentally transform their relationship with health," says Romanish.
