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Currently, the oldest human being ever recorded was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who died in 1997 at the age of 122. Average global life expectancy is currently 73. In 1950 it was 47.
The steady increase has contributed to a belief among some that it can be pushed ever higher through health and fitness initiatives.
Loss of resilience cannot be avoided
Numerous wealthy individuals and companies have begun looking at ways to increase lifespan.
Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, has funded anti-ageing research and declared himself “against death”.
Google has also backed a company aiming to extend longevity. The Gero study said: “Healthy human subjects turned out to be very resilient.”