“Bryan Johnson, entrepreneur and investor in technology, created quite a stir back when he had walked out midway from Nikhil Kamath’s podcast. Johnson is very particular about health and environment, having spent oodles on reversing his biological age.
Nikhil Kamath, host of the popular podcast “WTF,” discusses topics like finance, technology, and issues related to the world. It was therefore very disheartening to find Johnson, once invited on a podcast to talk about longevity, and biohacking, just up and leave in the middle of the recording to protest against air pollution! This walkout has engendered
debates on health consciousness, air quality, and how far one should go in order to defend one’s individual well-being.
It was going to be a serious examination of longevity science, health-tech investments, and the future of artificial intelligence. Given Bryan Johnson’s fastidious lifestyle and his scientific experiments with the anti-aging process, the discussion would bounce around his controversial health routines.
The talk was making good progress; however, things took a turn for the worse after the walkout had taken place. Prior to the walkout, Kamath and Johnson were exchanging thoughts on how technology has shaped human health. There was no evidence of disagreement; the atmosphere was indeed very professional and engaging. Things took a very unexpected turn when Johnson voiced his discomfort, saying he thought
the quality of air in the room was subpar.
While recording, Johnson ended up crying N95 as he talked about how the pollution inside the studio was really bothering him. He talked about how he had burning eyes and throat irritation. Johnson checked the AQI of the room, and he stated that the number was about 130, with a PM2.5 level at 75 µg/m³, which is just like smoking 3.4 cigarettes every single
day.
Johnson started walking out, feeling that air pollution was a major threat to health and cut the dialogue short. Kamath was astonished but had no intention of stopping him. The sudden exit triggered innumerable speculations about the reasons
behind his action.
“Johnson left cold turkey for self-explanation; he never let’s go or sits slack on health issues. A breath will send him into overdrive with whatever health issues is there; he lives with ultra-control in his life; it’s almost as if everything, be it food, exercise, or environment, were under careful scrutiny and adjustment for maximum longevity. There was no way in hell he would risk it for something as petty as having the quality of
air compromised.”
But many, including people from New Delhi, feel that he was overreacting. These are people that live in cities with such a consistent AQI; abrupt justification of leaving India on this count can qualify as an overreaction! They instead fire him for putting a spotlight on one of the major problems—a matter of public health—air pollution, which is one of the major pollution issues of mega cities—he has left the country; that should just show that problem.
Another reason could be the discomfort with the environment of the podcast. If Johnson felt that the questioning was overly aggressive or that the scenery did not suit his standards, then he might use the excuse of air quality to slip out the back door. However, this theory does not seem to be strongly supported by the evidence presented.
“Bryan Johnson explained why he had to walk out in a statement that he published on social media. He stated the dangers of air pollution and wondered why the Indian leaders
do not treat it as a national emergency. This really made an impact on people, especially the activists for better environmental policies.
Mixed reactions from the public. Some felt Johnson was just what the environment needed, by bringing to the public eye the dire need for air purity and consciousness of the possible health hazards which pollution may cause. Others criticize Johnson as being too theatrical when millions apparently function every day without any trouble under similar conditions.
The media have picked up on the story with waves of discussion over whether or not Johnson has reacted reasonably to the situation. Experts express concern for the severity of the air pollution. Some might avow the level of AQI in the room was alarming; others might riposte, not serious enough to leave.
This incident attracted more attention to Kamath’s podcast. Though he made no strong public declarations, the controversy surrounding this incident has widened its reach
and sparked discussion on individual health benchmarks versus real-life conditions.”
Was it justified, an overreaction or not? Well, relative, of course. Scientifically speaking, 130 AQI will pollute the air ; however, unhealthy any can even tolerate it even on a daily
basis. Yet, given his extreme commitment to health optimization by the individual, his walkout represents his assertion to standards.
The bigger implication is that this incident has brought back the debate over air quality and personal health choices. Podcasts are growing from just the ordinary conversations into places that now bring out society’s real issues in weird ways. Though his walkout, which might be contentious, makes an issue apparent to millions, Johnson has unquestionably done the job.
