'My Consumer Internet Brain...': Deepinder Goyal Apologises After Gravity Ageing Theory Draws Flak
"I did not explain the Gravity Aging Hypothesis (GAH) well, the first time," Goyal said in a post on X to his over seven lakh followers.
After days of flak on social media, Deepinder Goyal on Thursday apologised for floating the 'Gravity Ageing Hypothesis', saying he "miscommunicated" a theory that suggests gravity’s lifelong pull on blood circulation in the brain may be a key reason why humans age.
"I did not explain the Gravity Aging Hypothesis (GAH) well, the first time. I brought my consumer internet brain into a deep scientific field and I miscommunicated," Goyal said in a post on X to his over seven lakh followers.
"I tried to compress years of research and thinking into a dramatic social media reveal. That made the hypothesis sound absolute and commercial – while it’s really not. I apologise. This is me taking a slower, cleaner shot at explaining GAH, without oversimplifying it," he said.
Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin, who received the Padma Shri in 2010 for his pioneering work in liver transplantation, said the 'Gravity Ageing Hypothesis' is "one way to defy medical science and physics in one swipe".
"It’s crucial to challenge ideas, but let’s stay rooted in science. Aging involves genetics, epigenetics (environment, how you live), and molecular decline, not just gravity’s pull," he said in a post on X
About Gravity Ageing Hypothesis
According to a note shared by Deepinder Goyal, the hypothesis is centred around the blood flow which reaches our brain, also known as Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF).
"When we sit or stand, gravity pulls blood away from the brain, reducing CBF by up to 17% in upright posture. Over decades, this chronic underperfusion may weaken two key brain regions, the hypothalamus and brainstem, which regulate hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and autonomic function. Their decline could set off the cascade we call aging", the note stated.
It added that each year, CBF falls up to 0.7%. This amounts to 20–40% between ages 20 and 80. Why this is significant is because Low CBF has been linked to nearly double the risk of all-cause mortality.
The study delves into natural cues that have indicated support for the theory and cites examples of how long bats live and attributes their long life spans to them staying inverted for most of their life, allowing gravity to assist blood flow to the brain rather than oppose it.
Besides bats, many other lifespan outliers, like sloths and flamingos, also spend long periods in positions where their brains lie below their hearts.
The study also cites examples of inverted yoga postures and people with shorter height, stating that Yogis have linked the practice of inversion (head below heart) to a longer lifespan and that shorter people live longer than taller people.
