‘Is gravity slowly killing us?’: Deepinder Goyal’s radical aging theory teases a rethink of human longevity

Deepinder Goyal — founder of Eternal, Continue Research and LAT Aerospace — has ignited one of the most unexpected scientific debates of the year after publicly suggesting that his research team may have uncovered a fundamental and previously overlooked driver of human aging: Earth’s gravity. 

In a detailed disclosure on X, Goyal said he was presenting the theory “not as the CEO of Eternal, but as a fellow human,” adding in a cryptic flourish: “Newton gave us a word for it. Einstein said it bends spacetime. I am saying gravity shortens lifespan.” 

The claim, emerging from Continue Research — Goyal’s longevity-focused initiative — lays out what he calls the Gravity Aging Hypothesis, a provocative idea proposing that a lifetime of exposure to Earth’s 1G gravitational pull leads to chronic, subtle underperfusion of the brain. Over decades, Goyal argues, this constant hydraulic disadvantage could degrade the deep-brain regions responsible for autonomic, hormonal, emotional and immune regulation, making brain aging the upstream driver of whole-body aging. 

Does gravity age the brain? 

According to the research paper released by Continue Research, Goyal began examining the role of gravity after observing that aging had been studied through genetic, cellular and metabolic lenses — yet gravity, an omnipresent physical force, had rarely been considered as a contributor. 

The argument rests on a basic anatomical fact: Humans spend most of life upright, and the brain sits above the heart. This means the brain is perpetually fighting gravity for adequate blood supply. 

The research notes that cerebral blood flow (CBF) declines 0.3%-0.74% per year, amounting to a 20-40% drop between ages 20 and 80. Goyal’s team suggests this slow starvation of deep-brain regions may trigger the cascade of systemic aging that follows. 

“Gravity might be a necessary evil,” the report states. “It keeps us alive on Earth — but may also set the pace at which we age.” 

Clues from biology, evolution & behaviour 

Goyal outlines several observations that he says “stacked up into a pattern hiding in plain sight”: 

• Superagers show unusually high cerebral blood flow. 
• Yoga inversions place the brain below the heart — traditions long associated with vitality. 
• Bats and sloths, which rest upside down or horizontally, live far longer than expected for their size. 
• Shorter individuals statistically live longer, potentially due to lower gravitational load on circulation. 
• Daytime napping correlates with larger brain volume. 

“What started as a thought experiment,” Goyal wrote, “turned into a biological breadcrumb trail.” 

2-year attempt to break the idea 

Goyal says he spent two years trying to disprove the hypothesis, but “found no contradiction that couldn’t be reasoned through.” 

He emphasises this is not proof: “This is a model, not a conclusion.” 

Continue Research has already commissioned studies on: 

• microvascular aging in mammals 
• gravitational load and perfusion 
• region-specific brain vulnerability 
• long-duration perfusion dynamics 

More research proposals have been invited globally. 

What if gravity is aging us?  

Continue Research outlines three categories of potential interventions that may counter gravity-driven cerebral underperfusion: 

1. 1. Build Vascular Reserve: Exercise, heat/cold exposure, inversions, angiogenesis-promoting activities. 
2. 2. Keep Daily Flow High: Movement, posture, hydration, breathwork, sleep hygiene. 
3. 3. Nourish the System: Dietary strategies and supplements supporting vascular tone and nitric oxide pathways. 

The team clarifies that these are not therapies, only interim lifestyle strategies until larger studies are completed. 

Why astronauts age faster  

A common challenge raised online: If gravity accelerates aging, why do astronauts show signs of accelerated aging in microgravity? 

Goyal argues humans evolved specifically for 1G, and microgravity triggers other stressors — muscle atrophy, fluid redistribution, radiation exposure — that accelerate aging through different pathways. 

“The challenge isn’t escaping gravity,” he wrote. “It’s learning how to live longer within it.” 

More questions than answers 

In an extended follow-up post, Goyal pushed the debate even further, firing off a series of questions that he said “the world’s scientists must now explore”: 

• Is the miracle of exercise simply that it temporarily restores hydraulic balance? 
• Is Alzheimer’s partly a vascular disorder that unfolds too slowly to notice? 
• Is hypertension the brain demanding more pressure because gravity is choking its blood supply? 
• Is depression partly a perfusion problem? 
• Are meditation, breathwork and yoga beneficial because they enhance cerebral perfusion? 
• What does this mean for human life on Mars or other low-gravity worlds? 
• If bats live 10x longer than expected, can we? 
• What else is hiding in plain sight? 

Goyal said he hopes the questions “spark global research” far beyond what he personally can fund — adding that he plans to “promote the f out of this tweet so scientists everywhere see it.” 

He makes clear that the Gravity Aging Hypothesis does not claim gravity is the sole cause of aging — only that it may be an upstream, rate-limiting factor. 

If even partly true, he suggests, counteracting it could help humans stay cognitively sharp and physically vital for decades longer. 

“Sometimes,” Goyal concluded, “the hardest discoveries are the ones right in front of us.” 

Scientific community reacts 

Though unproven, the hypothesis has drawn early interest from leading neuroscientists, gerontologists and gravitational biologists across Harvard, Stanford, the Salk Institute, CNIC, MGH, EPFL and Texas A&M. 

• Dr. Satchin Panda, Salk Institute: “A new conceptual frontier.” 

• Dr. Rachael Seidler, University of Florida: “A novel and provocative hypothesis.” 

• Dr. Meher Juttukonda, Harvard: “It offers testable predictions — the hallmark of good theory.” 

Experts stress that the idea is highly speculative but biologically plausible — and worth rigorous testing.