News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by burnto on Thursday April 30, 2026 @09:14PM (#47970296)
Is this an investment that disease and genetics researchers believe will be valuable?

Or is this primarily tax deductible funds flowing back into the AI industrial complex?

(Honest question! If it’s a truly promising path that’s great)

Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by jghn on Thursday April 30, 2026 @09:53PM (#47970527)
They already donate a lot of useful money via the Chan Zuckerberg Institute so there’s a good track record at least
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by randycupertino on Thursday April 30, 2026 @10:10PM (#47970624)
Chan Zuckerberg Institute doesn't produce much actual research it's mostly fancy dinners, global travel for congresses and conferences and big opulent parties. They actually got in trouble in the building with the landlord for too many parties, there was a problem drunken individuals peeing in the hallways when they had Justin Bieber and other celebs on site (seriously).
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by walletdrainer on Friday May 01, 2026 @06:09AM (#47972992)
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by jghn on Friday May 01, 2026 @09:00AM (#47974287)
Purely anecdata but I know many people who have had their work funded through CZI. And no, this wasn't drunken parties.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by chermi on Friday May 01, 2026 @12:34PM (#47976735)
Lol cool anecdote. Guess karma for hating on billionaires is more important than saving lives.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by d_silin on Thursday April 30, 2026 @09:40PM (#47970454)
It is a valuable initiative, regardless of Zuckerbergs personas.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by Tostino on Thursday April 30, 2026 @09:23PM (#47970333)
An attempt to live forever IMO.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by adamandsteve2 on Thursday April 30, 2026 @10:57PM (#47970882)
Is that an issue?
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by vibrio on Friday May 01, 2026 @03:30AM (#47972122)
Just in that it’s not gonna work.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by adamandsteve2 on Friday May 01, 2026 @10:22AM (#47975138)
Why not? No law of physics prevents it and we already have examples of (albeit simpler) organisms that can live forever. Worst case scenario, we grow a clone of your body, transplant your brain into it, then somehow repair the spinal cord and slowly replace your brain tissue piece-by-piece. Might be a difficult engineering challenge but it’s 100% possible.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by Onavo on Thursday April 30, 2026 @09:23PM (#47970338)
They will probably do a rugpull like what they with their children school funding.
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by OutOfHere on Thursday April 30, 2026 @10:03PM (#47970593)
It's also what they did with meta.org (a trademark grab followed by a rugpull): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_(academic_company)
Re:$500M for Virtual Biology Initiative, Funded by Zuckerbergs by apparent on Friday May 01, 2026 @01:10AM (#47971497)
Alternate theory: part of the reason they stopped funding the school is to allocate their philanthropy to projects like this one.