The Fight for Eternal Life

All you need to know about the life-prolonging industry...

• The life extension movement has been around for ages, but it has rapidly gained steam in recent years as a growing number of people are willing to go to great lengths to increase their lifespan.
• While many people are attempting to boost their life expectancy through a healthy lifestyle or improved medicine, some are trying to extend it dramatically, or even become immortal.
• The maximum human lifespan is considered to be 125 years, but so-called “life extensionists" or "immortalists" - people who wish to live longer themselves - believe this can be pushed.
• Researchers explore a wide array of approaches, ranging from tissue regeneration over the manipulation of stem cells to artificial organs old ones may be replaced with.
• Google's secretive Calico and Human Longevity Inc. are some of several companies attempting to combat ageing, and billionaires like Peter Thiel and Larry Ellison have funded longevity projects.
• Some companies may strive for immortality, but many others have dedicated themselves to the lucrative market of anti-aging products such as supplements and hormone replacement.
• The ethical ramifications of dramatic life extension are hotly debated by bioethicists and academics, particularly against the backdrop of themes such as overpopulation and the climate crisis.