Beyond The Headlines: On World Population Day, how science can help people live longer

Every year on July 11, the world marks World Population Day, designated by the UN to raise awareness about global population issues. It serves as a reminder of the significant challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing number of people on our planet.

Longevity, or the length and quality of human life, has become a subject of great interest and importance in recent years. Advances in health care, improved living conditions and technological innovations have contributed to a remarkable increase in life expectancy worldwide. However, as the global population continues to rise, what is the future of aging and longevity?

The average lifespan has been shorter in the past because of the risk of dying at birth, in childhood, in the middle of a raging battle or being mauled to death by wild animals, or poor nutrition. However, taking out those threats, an average human has long been capable of reaching a 70th birthday.

And now, with breakthroughs in our understanding of genetics and billions of dollars being poured into life sciences research, we may find ways to extend our lives even further, maybe to even double that number, in the next few decades.

This episode of Beyond The Headlines was previously aired on June 23, 2022.