End Of Ageing: Do You Want To Live To 1000? (Aubrey de Grey)

Ageing is often viewed as an unavoidable part of life - and death - but Aubrey de Grey believes it should be treated as a medical condition that can be cured, thus extending our lives potentially by hundreds of years. He argues that ageing is responsible for the vast majority of human suffering and death, and that rather than accepting growing old as inevitable, scientists should focus on repairing the cellular damage that accumulates in our bodies over time. Aubrey, a gerontologist and president of the Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, tells Gabriel how close he thinks we are to future generations routinely living far longer than people do today, and why the first person to reach the age of 1,000 may already have been born. But what would a world of dramatically extended lifespans actually look like? Would longer lives deepen inequality, strain resources and concentrate power in the hands of a fortunate few? Would the global economy need to be completely reshaped? Would people want to live that long anyway? Producer: Ivana Davidovic Series Producer: Simon Tulett Technical Producer: Stephen Bailey Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham LISTEN: Listen to Radical every Thursday on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen on your smart speaker. Just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radical". WATCH: You can also catch Radical with Gabriel Gatehouse on YouTube at www.youtube.com/bbcnews. GET IN TOUCH: • WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 • Email: [email protected] • Or join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #BBCRadical