Durk Pearson (born August 1943) is a research scientist best known for coauthoring a series of books on longevity, beginning with Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach.
Durk Pearson | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1943 Illinois |
| Occupation | writer and life extension advocate |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Notable works | Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach |
| Spouse | |
Early life
editWhile a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was a member of the MIT Science Fiction Society and one of the writers for the early underground comic God Comics. Pearson graduated from MIT with a triple major in physics, biology, and psychology.[1]
Career
editPearson has patents in the area of oil shale and tar sands recovery,[2] lasers, holography and supplement formulations.[3] Pearson assisted with equipment design and experiments for NASA's Space Shuttle.[4] Pearson is also an International Society for Testing and Failure Analysis honoree.[5]
Publications
editPearson and his wife, Sandy Shaw, are the authors of Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach[6] (ISBN 0-446-51229-X, Warner Books, 1982), The Life Extension Companion[7] (Warner Books), The Life Extension Weight Loss Program, and Freedom of Informed Choice: FDA v. Nutrient Supplements, (Common Sense Press, 1993). The couple have written numerous articles on life extension, cognitive enhancement, anti-aging, weight loss, and other aspects of nutrition.[citation needed]
Television, film, and video
editPearson and Shaw wrote, designed the stunts, and acted as technical advisors for a 1978 episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, called "Black Holes, Monsters That Eat Space and Time."[8] They acted as scientific and technical advisors and received screen credits for the Clint Eastwood film Firefox.[9] They received screen credits for acting as technical advisors for Douglas Trumbull's film Brainstorm, starring Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood.[10] In 1988, Steve Sharon, Pearson, and Shaw wrote the thriller The Dead Pool, which was later sold to Warner Bros. and made into a film.[11] Pearson and Shaw make a cameo appearance in the funeral scene. They are standing directly behind the bereaved.
Court case on dietary supplements
editPearson and Shaw in a civil action challenged the constitutional validity of several U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") regulations that require sellers of dietary supplements to obtain FDA authorization before labeling such supplements with "health claims." In ruling against the FDA, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found that the supplement health claims were constitutionally protected free speech.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Weight loss without dieting, exercise?"
- ^ "Recovery System for shale deposits"
- ^ "Free Patents Online:Durk Pearson"
- ^ "Two Fitness Faddists Have a No. 1 Best-Seller, but Are They Stretching Life Spans or Truth?"
- ^ "BP negligence condoned by Obama administration" Archived 2010-12-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Review/Television; "On Aging, or Rather Avoidance of It"
- ^ "Recent Titles Focus on Diet, Training"[dead link]
- ^ "Tremendous nothing made interesting"
- ^ "Two Fitness Faddists Have a No. 1 Best-Seller, but Are They Stretching Life Spans or Truth?"
- ^ "New York Times: Brain Storm (1983) Production Credits"
- ^ "This Dirty Harry fails to make his day"
- ^ "164 F. 3d 650 - Pearson v. E Shalala"