In 2005, Technology Review and the Methusalah Foundation put a whopping $20K on the line for any biologist to prove wrong biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey’s anti-aging hypothesis. de Grey spoke at Pop!Tech 2003 on his “Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence” (SENS) describing aging as a biomechanism that can be more than just slowed down, but can be reversed. de Grey is effectively looking to cure aging.

Five submissions and a series of rebuttals later, none of the papers were considered to have adequately disproven SENS. Technology Review says that the challenge still stands.

One paper, however, was deemed most scholarly and eloquent and was awarded half of the prize money. Preston W. Estep submitted a dissent to judges decision.

To read the full article and Estep’s rebuttal click on the image below.

While de Grey’s ideas have yet to be proven “right”, it is often in the struggle to disprove that the most interest discoveries are made.