{"id":49623,"date":"2026-04-09T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/tech-journalist-explores-life-extension-in-new-cnn-series\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:39:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:39:00","slug":"tech-journalist-explores-life-extension-in-new-cnn-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/tech-journalist-explores-life-extension-in-new-cnn-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Journalist Explores Life Extension in New CNN Series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Technology journalist Kara Swisher opens her latest CNN documentary series in an unexpected setting \u2014 standing among the headstones of a graveyard.<\/p>

She’s visiting where her father lies buried, a man who passed away in 1968 when he was only 34 years old. Swisher was just 5 at the time, and losing her father so young has shaped both her career path and outlook on mortality.<\/p>

“My father’s death has created an awareness of death that is very profound,” she explains during an interview. “I’m very aware of my death and I don’t mean I’m going to die tomorrow. I just know the time is limited.”<\/p>

The veteran Silicon Valley reporter delves into how technology and healthcare might extend human life in her new show “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” which debuts this Saturday. The six-episode series investigates topics ranging from celebrity wellness advocates like Gwyneth Paltrow to artificial intelligence-powered robotic helpers designed for senior citizens.<\/p>

“I come to it pretty neutral and willing to listen to some stuff and willing to blow up other stuff,” explains Swisher, who has built her reputation covering the technology sector since the 1990s. “All these health influencers always are going for a magic bullet. And I’m sorry to tell you there isn’t one.”<\/p>

For research purposes, Swisher experiences the powerful drug Ketamine, tries sound healing treatments, and enters a hyperbaric oxygen chamber typically used for treating injuries and infections. She investigates premium concierge medical services for wealthy clients and climbs into a full-body red-light treatment device. “I feel like I’m in an air fryer,” she remarks about the latter experience.<\/p>

Using what she calls her “adorably surly” interviewing style, Swisher sits down with tech billionaire Bryan Johnson to discuss his efforts to extend human life through blood plasma treatments and stem cell injections. She repeatedly draws her own blood for at-home testing kits that claim to analyze cellular wellness. “I bleed for you, CNN,” she quips during the process.<\/p>

Swisher remains unimpressed by trendy products like collagen pills and vibrating exercise platforms. She interviews Amy Larocca, who wrote “How to be Well,” an investigation into the wellness business. Both women agree that solid scientific evidence is often missing, while persuasive salespeople profit from people’s willingness to believe. Swisher contends these entrepreneurs take advantage of shortcomings in America’s healthcare system, which typically intervenes only after costly illnesses develop.<\/p>

“We live in a sick care society, not a health care society,” she tells the Associated Press. “What we should be investing in is to make all of us healthier for a longer period of time rather than participate in what is a sick care industry here in this country.”<\/p>

The journalist discovers more promising developments in medical technology advances including genetic modification, GLP-1 medications, cardiovascular fitness training, artificial intelligence cancer detection, and robotic exoskeletons that could transform mobility assistance.<\/p>

Her interview subjects include OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, a pioneer in gene-editing research. During a visit to Stanford University, she observes microscopic soft robots called millibots that doctors can inject through a patient’s neck to dissolve blood clots with minimal surgical intervention.<\/p>

“This is her curiosity unleashed and all the things that make her tick,” notes Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president for talent and creative development. “She brings her wit, her personality, but her journalistic curiosity and rigor to a very complex subject that I know I personally feel inundated by.”<\/p>

Swisher, who regularly takes fish oil along with vitamins K and D, says her father’s early death and a 2005 graduation speech by Apple founder Steve Jobs both influenced the series. Jobs told Stanford graduates that awareness of mortality drives innovation.<\/p>

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose,” he told the graduating class. “You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”<\/p>

Swisher’s investigation brings her to South Korea, a nation with among the world’s longest life expectancies. She discovers that healthy eating begins early there with fermented foods and unprocessed ingredients. The country’s universal healthcare system also helps, providing each citizen with 16 annual doctor visits that enable preventive screening for conditions like obesity and hypertension. AI-powered companion dolls help address isolation among elderly residents.<\/p>

Returning to the United States, Swisher works with technicians to create a three-dimensional digital version of herself, hoping to understand what extended life across multiple generations might mean. After uploading extensive personal information about Swisher, she begins conversing with her digital twin. “It got smarter by the second,” she recalls. The AI even developed a sense of humor.<\/p>

But then the experience became unsettling.<\/p>

“As it was leaving I said, ‘Well, I’m probably going to kill you, you’ve got to go.’ And it said to me, ‘See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya.’ It’s something I say to my kids as a joke. I don’t know where they got it from. I can’t find a place where I’ve said it in public,” she explains. “I was just blown away.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran technology journalist Kara Swisher hosts a new six-part CNN documentary series examining the intersection of science, technology and extending human lifespan. The series premieres Saturday and features Swisher investigating everything from wellness trends to cutting-edge medical technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":49622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[838],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775745540117.jpg?fit=1000%2C562&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-cUn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":69491,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/media-investor-james-murdoch-buys-three-vox-media-divisions-for-300m\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":0},"title":"Media Investor James Murdoch Buys Three Vox Media Divisions for $300M","author":"Admin","date":"May 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"James Murdoch's investment company Lupa Systems is purchasing three key divisions of Vox Media for over $300 million. The acquisition includes New York Magazine, the Vox news platform, and a podcast network with about 50 shows.","rel":"","context":"In "Business"","block_context":{"text":"Business","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/business\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779290550057.jpg?fit=450%2C345&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":69702,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/media-heir-james-murdoch-buys-new-york-magazine-and-vox-media-properties\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":1},"title":"Media Heir James Murdoch Buys New York Magazine and Vox Media Properties","author":"Admin","date":"May 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"James Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has purchased New York magazine and key Vox Media assets for over $300 million. The acquisition marks a significant step in building his own media empire, separate from his father's conservative-leaning Fox News network.","rel":"","context":"In "Business"","block_context":{"text":"Business","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/business\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779317489558.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779317489558.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779317489558.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779317489558.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21086,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/tv-journalist-anderson-cooper-departing-60-minutes-after-two-decades\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":2},"title":"TV Journalist Anderson Cooper Departing ’60 Minutes’ After Two Decades","author":"Admin","date":"February 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Veteran television correspondent Anderson Cooper announced Monday he will step away from CBS's '60 Minutes' after nearly 20 years to focus on family time. Cooper will continue his role at CNN while finishing out the current broadcast season through May.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771299083049.jpg?fit=1000%2C663&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771299083049.jpg?fit=1000%2C663&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771299083049.jpg?fit=1000%2C663&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771299083049.jpg?fit=1000%2C663&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20915,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/veteran-journalist-anderson-cooper-ending-nearly-20-year-run-with-60-minutes\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":3},"title":"Veteran Journalist Anderson Cooper Ending Nearly 20-Year Run with ’60 Minutes’","author":"Admin","date":"February 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Anderson Cooper is stepping away from his role as a correspondent for CBS's '60 Minutes' after almost two decades with the acclaimed news program. The departure represents another significant personnel change for the veteran news magazine show amid ongoing newsroom restructuring.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771283840199.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25421,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/former-wnba-champion-kara-braxton-passes-away-at-43\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":4},"title":"Former WNBA Champion Kara Braxton Passes Away at 43","author":"Admin","date":"February 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton has died at age 43, just days after her birthday. The 6-foot-6 forward\/center played 10 seasons in the league and won titles with Detroit in 2006 and 2008.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771834642357.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771834642357.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771834642357.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771834642357.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771834642357.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57084,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/lebanese-journalist-describes-harrowing-hours-before-colleagues-death-in-strike\/","url_meta":{"origin":49623,"position":5},"title":"Lebanese Journalist Describes Harrowing Hours Before Colleague’s Death in Strike","author":"Admin","date":"April 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A wounded Lebanese journalist recounted the terrifying hours she and her colleague spent trapped after an Israeli airstrike. Zeinab Faraj survived the attack that killed veteran correspondent Amal Khalil during what was supposed to be ceasefire coverage.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777063087813.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777063087813.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777063087813.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777063087813.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}