What do we know about the length of human life? How long can humans live? Does anybody know? See here what scientists have discovered in this matter.
Since the beginning of time, everybody has dreamed about living forever. But not like vampires! With an active and possibly healthy brain, heart, and kidneys, all three are essential for living. Although life expectancy has grown exponentially in the past century, the elixir of forever living hasn’t been discovered yet. Sad, isn’t it?
However, the number of “supercentenarians,” or those who survive to be 110 or even longer, is far lower. The world’s oldest person right now is 118-year-old Kane Tanaka of Japan; the oldest person alive was Jeanne Calment of France, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 122.
According to a recent study from the University of Washington, such extreme longevity will probably continue to increase gradually by the end of this century. Scientists suggest that the length of human life can go further than 125 years. Wow, that’s a lot!
1. Women generally outlive men
With each year passing, people are asking themselves repeatedly the same question: “How long can humans live?” But this answer depends on each individual. Some may have good genes, while others have a good life with fewer stressful events.
The intriguing fact is that, on average, women outlive men in 195 of the 198 nations. The largest gender disparities, according to several studies, are seen in Eastern Europe and Russia, where relatively short male life expectancies have been attributed to drunkenness and unfavorable working circumstances. Mauritania, Kuwait, and the Republic of the Congo are the only three nations in the world where males outlive women.
2. By the end of the year of 2100, we may live up to 132 years
…But not “we” per se but the next generations for sure! According to scientists, the lifespan in the year 2100 will be far more than it is now and we won’t ask about the length of human life we will ask how healthy will we be at that age!?
Experts have questioned the potential limitations of what is known as the maximum recorded age at death in light of current studies into aging, the likelihood of future medical and scientific breakthroughs, and the very limited number of individuals who have officially reached age 110 or beyond.
Some researchers argue that fundamental cell aging and illness impose a natural limit on the human lifespan, while others point to supercentenarians as evidence that there may be no such limit. What do you think about this?
We say that no matter how much we want to live forever and even if the length of human life will “stretch” in the future, we can’t be sure if we will function as properly as we used to by the age of, let’s say, 70 or 80.
3. Still, why has the length of human life increased exponentially in the past century?
You are undoubtedly well aware of the genetic predisposition to longevity. Many people who don’t smoke, eat well, and have a regular schedule yet pass away at an early age On the other hand, some people have wonderful genes and live longer than others, despite having many vices and enjoying life to the fullest. You can argue that life is unfair, but there is a scientific reason for this.
This increase in lifespan has been made possible by innovations in medicine, improved living conditions, improved knowledge of genetics, and, of course, a dramatic improvement in our ability to diagnose, detect, and treat both common and rare diseases.
But why is everybody so keen on increasing the length of human life, and why is this so important? Besides that, it would be amazing to live longer and be close to your family and friends for more than a couple of years. Longevity also means we will be able to travel in space.
If Earth dies one day, where will we be living if life as we know it is gone? Moon and Mars are two viable options if we increase the length of human life, and who knows maybe the next generations will be able to see this with their own eyes.
4. Some animals can live up to 200 years
Even though in the past few years the length of human life has increased, we still have to cope with awful diseases such as cancer. However, animals, for example, because of better DNA repair, can fight these diseases better than us.
Elephants, for instance, have the p53 gene, which is extremely closely linked to the suppression of cancer. They are therefore resistant to cancer because of this. The interesting thing is that scientists have found a few additional potential genes in rodents like the naked mole rat as well as whales.
Curious about some insights into human behavior and why we do things the way we do? We recommend you to check out this book written by Marty Jopson named The Science of Being Human: Why We Behave, Think, and Feel the Way We Do. With a pretty good rating on Goodreads as well, this book is definitely a must-have in any science lover’s bookcase!
5. Life expectancy fell in eight countries
Sub-Saharan Africa has had some of the greatest increases in life expectancy, but it also includes four of the eight nations where the average lifespan has decreased since 1990. South African babies born in 2016 should expect to live to 62, two years less than their countrymen born in 1990, 25 years earlier. The impacts of a severe HIV pandemic have plagued the nation throughout this time.
6. Can we cheat death?
Let’s be honest here: no matter how hard we try, we can’t cheat death and say, “Nope, you won’t take me. Not now, not ever!” There is no possible pill that “cures” aging the way an antibiotic cures infections in our bodies. Scientists have indeed worked on various medicines that can extend the length of human life, but the “invention” of a pill anytime soon is just a rumor.
On the other hand, probably everybody has heard about a compound called “rapamycin.” It has been licensed for use in humans, including organ transplant patients, and is said to increase life expectancy in animals by 10 to 15%. However, there are negative side effects, but it’s an ongoing process to improve it in a couple of years.
Maybe we will be able to swallow a pill once a day that will slow down the aging process, and we will age about every two years. Now, that would be an amazing thing for humanity!
7. If we get rid of the aging process, the length of human life can reach up to 20,000 years
Wow! This is something, but we can’t still think about it more than just a distant dream. There are indeed a lot of species that have lived hundreds of years without dying or getting sick, but is this possible for humans too?
However, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. But we can still read science-fiction novels and let our imagination take us far, far away. Perhaps in another galaxy, people feel youthful at 100…
You may also be interested in reading about Anesthesia and unusual things that happen when we’re under its effect.
One Response
I found this article
to be quite informative & very interesting.