Andrew Steele

It's a really fascinating subject. And so the record for longevity is 122 years held by a French woman called Jeanne Calment. And she set that record in 1997, I think, which is really quite incredible. I think the fact is that people who make it to these exceptionally old ages, they're just so rare that it's very, very hard for that record to be pushed back and back.

But also, I think you are right that, you know, with the current state of You know, no matter how well you live, no matter what medical care you have access to, it's very, very unlikely with the current state of medicine that you're going to be able to live longer than that. The only way that you can stop your body falling apart on that schedule is to intervene in the aging process itself.

But also, I think you are right that, you know, with the current state of You know, no matter how well you live, no matter what medical care you have access to, it's very, very unlikely with the current state of medicine that you're going to be able to live longer than that. The only way that you can stop your body falling apart on that schedule is to intervene in the aging process itself.

But also, I think you are right that, you know, with the current state of You know, no matter how well you live, no matter what medical care you have access to, it's very, very unlikely with the current state of medicine that you're going to be able to live longer than that. The only way that you can stop your body falling apart on that schedule is to intervene in the aging process itself.

Because as I sort of alluded to earlier, you know, say you're 110 and you get cancer and we cure that cancer, there are still loads of other things wrong with your body that are going to probably take you out in the next few years.

Because as I sort of alluded to earlier, you know, say you're 110 and you get cancer and we cure that cancer, there are still loads of other things wrong with your body that are going to probably take you out in the next few years.

Because as I sort of alluded to earlier, you know, say you're 110 and you get cancer and we cure that cancer, there are still loads of other things wrong with your body that are going to probably take you out in the next few years.

Whereas if we could actually slow down aging, that would mean you could make it to 110 in a much healthier state, and that would completely change the game in terms of the limit on human longevity.

Whereas if we could actually slow down aging, that would mean you could make it to 110 in a much healthier state, and that would completely change the game in terms of the limit on human longevity.

Whereas if we could actually slow down aging, that would mean you could make it to 110 in a much healthier state, and that would completely change the game in terms of the limit on human longevity.

I mean, I think the best counter to that is just to look at these negligibly senescent animals. I already mentioned tortoises have this property, but it's not just tortoises. There are actually loads of animals out there. So there are various kinds of fish are negligibly senescent. There's a salamander. There's a tiny little water creature called a hydra.

I mean, I think the best counter to that is just to look at these negligibly senescent animals. I already mentioned tortoises have this property, but it's not just tortoises. There are actually loads of animals out there. So there are various kinds of fish are negligibly senescent. There's a salamander. There's a tiny little water creature called a hydra.

I mean, I think the best counter to that is just to look at these negligibly senescent animals. I already mentioned tortoises have this property, but it's not just tortoises. There are actually loads of animals out there. So there are various kinds of fish are negligibly senescent. There's a salamander. There's a tiny little water creature called a hydra.

There's a bit closer to us on the evolutionary tree, something called a naked mole rat, which is a rodent, a bit like a rat or a mouse. But whereas mice live, you know, maybe two or three years in the lab, naked mole rats live to 30. They seem to be almost immune to cancer. They're almost immune to neurodegeneration.

There's a bit closer to us on the evolutionary tree, something called a naked mole rat, which is a rodent, a bit like a rat or a mouse. But whereas mice live, you know, maybe two or three years in the lab, naked mole rats live to 30. They seem to be almost immune to cancer. They're almost immune to neurodegeneration.

There's a bit closer to us on the evolutionary tree, something called a naked mole rat, which is a rodent, a bit like a rat or a mouse. But whereas mice live, you know, maybe two or three years in the lab, naked mole rats live to 30. They seem to be almost immune to cancer. They're almost immune to neurodegeneration.

But most importantly, their risk of death is basically constant throughout their adult lives. And then, you know, they suddenly basically fall off a cliff when they get ill toward the very end of their lives. And so, you know, this isn't a biological impossibility. The fact is that we aren't cars. We've got these incredible self-repairing capacities inside ourselves.

But most importantly, their risk of death is basically constant throughout their adult lives. And then, you know, they suddenly basically fall off a cliff when they get ill toward the very end of their lives. And so, you know, this isn't a biological impossibility. The fact is that we aren't cars. We've got these incredible self-repairing capacities inside ourselves.

But most importantly, their risk of death is basically constant throughout their adult lives. And then, you know, they suddenly basically fall off a cliff when they get ill toward the very end of their lives. And so, you know, this isn't a biological impossibility. The fact is that we aren't cars. We've got these incredible self-repairing capacities inside ourselves.

And if we can just learn how to augment those with medicine, there's no reason why we couldn't keep ourselves going healthier for longer.