• Question: how long will the human life span be extended?

    Asked by 12swanb to Lyn, Katy, Paul, PB, Ruth on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Peter Balfe

      Peter Balfe answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      We fall apart in stages, for example your immune system is essentially worn out by the time you’re 90-95. Slowing each part is possible but getting much past 120 for the whole human is probably a big ask!

    • Photo: Katy Brown

      Katy Brown answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      Some scientists think that aging could essentially be cured, allowing people to live much longer.

      This talk about a cure for aging is by a biologist called David Sinclair – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCCdmGKtxPA. He has found a chemical which can make mice live 15% longer.

      This guy – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAwnA5WvLc – Aubrey de Grey, thinks that people will very soon be able to live for 1,000 years, although his research is a bit more controversial!

    • Photo: Paul Waines

      Paul Waines answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      I think there must be a limit, but that we can push this limit a fair way yet. after all, tortoises can live for 150 years. However, if I had to move as slowly as a tortoise to live that long then I’m not sure I’d want to…

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