I read author and activist Jamie Metzl’s book, Eternal Sonata, a science fiction thriller set in the near future (2025). If you want to read it, come back to this blog post later (SPOILER ALERT). The book follows the investigation of Kansas City Star reporter Rich Azadian of the disappearance of an elderly, terminally ill cancer patient from a hospice. The investigation leads to a renegade scientist who is using DNA from a rare Arctic jellyfish that can reverse aging of cells in humans. It made me think about immortality. The 8 people who underwent this process, slowly go back to the age of the stem cells used in the procedure. The negative aspect is they forget everything about their past life and need to start fresh again. I think that is good and bad and I guess they could always refer to the digital record of their past life or lives to learn from the past and keep memories of loved ones. I wonder if humanity will ever reach this stage… The book becomes a thriller involving big pharma, Israeli intelligence, and a secretive aircraft carrier in international waters of scientists that does cutting-edge research beyond the reach of any government control. The novel was not life-changing, but it was a page-turner and allowed me to fall asleep, sorting out the plot in my mind.
I found Jamie Metzl through his interview on the UK podcast, Disorder. I highly recommend subscribing it as it explores how we are dealing with or not dealing with the big problems facing earth and society that need coordinated, global solutions. They tackle things like climate change, AI, cyber security, war outbreaks, Neo-Populism, religious fanaticism, etc. Metzl is the founder of OneSharedWorld, a movement of individuals and organizations that are attempting to bring powerbrokers together to solve these global crises. I am also going to check out some of the other podcasts besides Disorder, that the parent company, Goal Hanger, produces.
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