Is there a limit to human life?

The question of human longevity has fascinated people for a long time. Despite a few frauds claiming to be older than 150, the consensus of scientific opinion is that there is.

The life expectancy of an American at birth had increased from 47 in 1900 to 68 in 1954. Babies avoiding death before their first birthday made most of the advances. In the days of the Roman Empire, the chances of living to 100 were better than they are today.

We have done better since then: average life expectancy reached nearly 79 years in the US before declining in recent years, largely as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. But as this issue of TR reveals, the quest to keep extending the upper limit on our years lives on.