Lake Nona forum spotlights the future of health

The Lake Nona Impact Forum mixed celebrities and C-suiters in discussion about the future of health. Bestselling author John Grisham spoke on a panel about focused ultrasound surgery. Designer Kenneth Cole was part of a discussion on how to curtail social media addiction. The conference brimmed with audacious ambition—one speaker’s goal was to end human disease within 100 years. Another speaker expected at least some of the well-heeled and well-educated attendees to be around to celebrate that landmark, thanks to yet-to-be invented technologies. “Life is short, until you extend it,” said X Prize Foundation founder Peter Diamandis. He was talking up his latest prize, $101 million to be awarded to work that reverses functional aging by more than 20 years. Making progress toward either intention would, of course, radically reshape public health. But then, world-changing plans for health and wellbeing are the purpose of this three-day, invite-only inspiration fest outside of Orlando, Florida. This year’s edition, the 12th, went where it had never gone before by inviting Jeff Bezos to talk about his Blue Origins space venture. His quote: “We must go to space to save Earth.”