1jasoncrawford1yIt is high up there! In fact, sometimes in interviews I'm asked whether there is
an R&D priority that stands out, and multiple times I've named longevity. If you
solve that, it gives you more time to solve all other problems.
The main reason I wouldn't want to call it “#1” is because that implies some
universal total ordering over all possible R&D avenues, and I don't believe in
that. Some things are more important than others, but, absent an imminent global
catastrophe, I'm a pluralist about R&D priorities. People should work on
whatever they have a unique vision for or are most passionate about, and far be
it from me to discourage people who are working on nanotech, nuclear energy,
space, AI, etc.
Where is anti-aging (to the point of indefinite lifespans) land on your list of priorities and why is it not priority #1?