Lucinda Holdforth

Well, for most of human history, your average life expectancy was about 35 years old.

Now, a big part of that factor was obviously women and babies dying young, women in childbirth, babies and childhood illnesses.

So actually, it's funny because often in the statistics, they act like that doesn't matter.

But of course, that does matter.

So the big burst that affects us now came after the Second World War in Australia, where we suddenly had a long period of peace and prosperity because war is another factor which takes a lot of lives.

Peace, prosperity, huge advances in public health.

and in medical science.

And that medical science is still accelerating with genetic treatments, immune treatments, and we're seeing this sort of bonanza of ways in which we can be kept alive.

So after the Second World War, people would be, you know, expected to live to about 68.

By 2019, it was about 81.

And now today, it's 85.

So this is massive.

Yes, absolutely.

When I was growing up, you know, I saw a lot of these things happen.

So it was in the 70s in the suburbs.

So the sewerage came on.

Who would have thought?

We had these awful warm milk bottles at school that the kids were all given.

There was no debate about vaccines.

You just got them.