"Should we be biohacking ourselves?" TODAY at 3:30pm

[Daniel Lake]

 *The Institute for Ethics in Public Life invites you to join us for
"Should We Be Biohacking Ourselves?" In-person or on Zoom.*

A recent wellness trend is "biohacking." Popularized by tech entrepreneurs,
athletes, and health influencers, "biohacking" includes a broad range of
self-improvement practices
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/biohacking&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw2rGx5XoErkctcYPjQlt4Vh>
intended to improve physical or mental performance by making changes to
diet, lifestyle, or body. It is sometimes characterized as "do-it-yourself
biology" because practitioners often engage in practices that may be
scientifically dubious or even outright dangerous on their own rather than
as part of a medically supervised treatment program.

Much "biohacking" involves broadly sensible actions such as making sure we
get enough sleep, exercising regularly, ensuring our diet is rich in
nutrients and fiber, limiting or eliminating drug and alcohol consumption,
and engaging in mind-body practices like meditation. It also often involves
using biofeedback devices like smartwatches and rings to monitor sleep,
heart rate, and activity levels.

However, many biohackers also engage in more extreme practices. Some, such
as ice baths, saunas, high-intensity interval training, and intermittent
fasting have documented health benefits but can be dangerous to some
individuals (e.g. the elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding women,
immunocompromised people). Others, including more extreme fasting or diets
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/01/silicon-valley-extreme-diets-fasting/581566/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw2NEPEqAmyS9tX223udxval>
taking nootropics
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kqed.org/news/11057974/nootropics-biohacking-and-silicon-valleys-pursuit-of-productivity&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw3jMPqULa_QU7RrX8eXwOaY>
or "stacks" of supplements
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.safewise.com/news/biohacking-is-trendy-but-could-make-you-sick/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw0Cm7VtBxcAuca-B2xelWl0>,
transfusions
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/bryan-johnsons-bloodless-experiment-to-live-forever-what-is-behind-the-billionaire-biohackers-plasma-purge/articleshow/121240548.cms&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw145eyzjTlfQKnSFjqqSwyo>,
experimenting with medications
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/aaron-traywick-death-ascendance-biomedical/559745/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw1VyBPmV8ZpfOOVqLuMdixu>,
and trying to modify our DNA
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/biohacking-stunts-crispr/553511/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw1vwIGt5Ve1PKaT1y9zK-5f>can
be quite dangerous.

A complicating factor is the amount of money that can be by promoting
biohacking. For example, one estimate is that "by 2030. $8 trillion might
be spent annually on longevity-related products."
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/02/longevity-medicine-profit-oversold/686049/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw2RFhys6APNPPl7is24QI4x>
The
potential for scams is extreme because much of this is unregulated.

Please join us for a conversation on this practice, its potential and
risks, and whether (if possible) these activities should be regulated more.

Please join us in-person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room (Hawkins 233) or
on Zoom.

Topic: Bio-hacking
Time: Feb 25, 2026 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/85099818711
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/85099818711&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1772046503419752&usg=AOvVaw2Xr-JHdni61XQagfr78Sq6>

Meeting ID: 850 9981 8711


-- 

*Daniel Lake*

(pronouns: he/him/his)

Professor of Political Science

Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life

Hawkins 149A

101 Broad Street
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

Plattsburgh, NY 12901
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

(o) 518-564-5833 <(518)%5645833>

*plattsburgh.edu <http://plattsburgh.edu/>*
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