João Pedro de Magalhães, longevity scientist, entrepreneur, and sci-fi author
"Average human life span would be more than 1,000 years"
Longevity Hound
August 02, 2023
João Pedro de Magalhães, calculating how many thousands of years are left to you to live
Who we're talking about: João Pedro de Magalhães, a professor of molecular biogerontology at the University of Birmingham in England. De Magalhães has also started his own biotech company, and he works as the chief scientific officer of yet another biotech firm. In his spare time — because of course he has spare time between his top-flight academic career his entrepreneurial double duty — de Magalhães writes science fiction.
And the news is: De Magalhães was recently interviewed by Scientific American. In the interview, he made a bold claim, based on his study of long-lived species such as bowheaded whales and naked mole rats. In de Magalhães' own words:
I actually did some calculations years ago and found that if we could “cure” human aging, average human life span would be more than 1,000 years. Maximum life span, barring accidents and violent death, could be as long as 20,000 years. This may sound like a lot, but some species can already live hundreds of years—and in some cases thousands of years.
The bigger picture: We have reached a stage where longevity science has become a hot topic. But the most fundamental question still remains unresolved — is “curing” aging actually possible, and if so, what does it really mean?
I've previously covered different perspectives on this issue, from a highly skeptical biochemist to a highly enthusiastic “rejuvenation athlete.” De Magalhães presents another perspective, informed not so much by laboratory research or theory, but by what is already happening in nature in other species. If de Magalhães can figure out how to adapt any of that to humans, our future will be bright, and long.
What's next? De Magalhães is one of the speakers at this year's Longevity Summit Dublin, which is happening later this month. It seems like most of the longevity world will be gathering there. And I will be there as well, reporting from the ground live. If you're interested in attending yourself, you can find more info here.