Telekom Lecture | The Future of Our Health in the Measurable Present | May 8, 2025

At the Telekom headquarters, just moments before a lecture, we were talking behind the scenes with Dr. Bertalan Meskó, a medical futurist.

It's my turn soon.

I'm more nervous than usual.

Although I have no reason for concern, as I've given more than 100 lectures in Hungarian, and occasionally in English, in recent years, this time the other Berci is standing next to me, who is an internationally known and recognized medical futurist.

Moreover, he is already closer to 1,000 lectures than 100.

„No pressure – stay calm is important.”

I keep saying to myself, but my stress level is through the roof.

I even told Berci that I'm actually very introverted, and I should be alone in the depths of a forest in trail running shoes right now.

We were laughing about this in the speakers' lounge.

– It'll be fine, just stay tough! – he encouraged me.

I'm up next.

I walk up onto the stage.

Watching gazes.

Cameras are rolling.

Cameras are clicking.

On the Telekom stage, the topic of my lecture is:

the science of a long, healthy life – specifically approaching it from the direction of sports, technology, and biosensors, looking through the lens of a biomedical engineer,

spiced with biosensors, complemented by evolutionary theories.

And topped with a little personal story:

this part of the lecture is occasionally dramatic and tragic,

but most of the time it's life-affirming and fits into a modern-day Hungarian folk tale.

The personal story leads into the science of longevity:

reaching the topic of movement, I couldn't bring a better example at Telekom than the spring Vivicittá running festival – why do more than 30,000 of us run on Margaret Island?

I don't think everyone is running away from something – from trauma, obligations, or themselves.

There are also evolutionary reasons for our efficient movement, specifically for long-distance running.

During the lecture, I elaborate on this topic as well. It's one of my favorites.

There are many other topics, but this time I condense many hours of content into 30 minutes:

I have several messages that I certainly didn't learn while researching the science of a long, healthy, full life, but from my own experience.

For example, that it's not necessarily life that is short, but the wasted time that is plenty.

And that is exactly why a long life in itself is not worth much.

We don't just need more years of life.

Here, the question is much more what we do with the time that was given to us?

This is what I talked about last week at the Telekom headquarters.