The Science of Immortality

Life expectancy in America increased over 30 years in the twentieth century. Could we ever live forever?

Let’s think about life, and how much of it you want. Would you like to live to 80? 90? 100? What about two hundred? Five hundred? Maybe a thousand years?

Suddenly, the relatively young science of gerontology – of aging – is rubbing noses with the ancient dream of immortality. Or at least very, very long life.

Should we accept aging as a part of life? Could we banish aging? And if we could, should we?

This Hour, On Point: we talk with Pulitzer prize-winning writer Jonathan Weiner about science dreaming big of super-longevity, maybe of immortality.

Guests:

Jonathan Weiner, professor at the Columbia School of Journalism and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Beak of the Finch." His latest book is "Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality." Read an excerpt here.

Judith Campisi, professor at the Buck Institute for Age Research, and senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.