From Isaac Newton's alchemy to Walt Disney's cryogenics, Genghis Khan's elixir of life to Jeff Bezos' rejuvination lab, human history is littered with quests for immortality. And now, the anti-aging market is estimated to be worth a staggering $60 billion. But while we continue to strive for longevity, studies show that the people who live longest die the least content.
Should we give up attempts to live forever as a fool's fantasy that will never be delivered and which would in any case be undesirable? Without death would we undermine creativity and paradoxically lose the will to live? Or are claims of the possibility of overcoming aging not only credible but a central hope for all currently alive and the future of humanity?