Life Extension and Longevity

Best Videos and Films on Longevity

Are you interested in finding out the secrets of the longest-lived and healthiest populations in the world? Over two years, filmmaker Jason Prall created a documentary series shot in over fifty locations in nine countries and on three continents. This series explores lifestyle, environmental, and physiological components to avoid chronic disease and increase healthspan in our modern world.

As you watch, remember that although the longest-lived people look physically old today, this may not be the case in the future.

1. Scientist Daisy Robinton’s speech on whether we should pursue science to create longer, healthier and better lives.  (9 minutes)
2. George Church, A Harvard geneticist’s goal: to protect humans from viruses, genetic diseases, and aging. (13 minutes)
3. What Centenarians Can Tell Us About the Secret to Living Beyond 100 (29 minute free introduction)
4. A Short  History of Living Longer How collective efforts doubled the lifespan of the human population in under a century. (PBS 4 episodes) by Steven Johnson
5. Limitless (DisneyPlus), Chris Hemsworth explores ways to increase longevity. (6 episodes)
6. Fable of the Dragon Tyrant, Swedish Philosophy professor Nick Bostrom’s analogy on the daily impact of death and aging on society.
7. The Human Longevity Project, the nine episode online documentary film series that interviewed 24 elders from around the world. Episode 1 is free to watch.
   • Featuring interviews from premier scientists, physicians, healers, and health experts – along with real-world footage from around the globe, The Human Longevity Project examines the daily routines and lifestyle practices that range from preconception to geriatrics, with observational and scientific scrutiny. The Human Longevity Project attempts to  demonstrate the scientific recipe for a long, healthy life – and how to apply these lessons in our modern environment.
   • And yes, even though the website does push a bunch of Microbiome Labs supplements and has some questionable marketing, the documentary series is still worth watching.
   • At a minimum, read this eight point summary of episode 1

Best Books on Longevity

See our list of Recommended Reading for the best books on longevity and life extension.

Best Web Articles on Longevity

Here are some excellent articles on ideas to increase your lifespan and what that life might look like for you in the future. At a minimum, we suggest you read the first one.

• The Top 100 Ideas to Increase Longevity include 90+ good ideas from The Longevity Project and other sources. However, the authors included a couple recommendations which aren’t good science.
  • Idea #45 is to “Smile Like You Mean It.” For a 2010 study published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers examined smile intensity among a series of photos of baseball players from the 1950s. Those who didn’t smile in their pictures lived an average of 72.9 years, while the biggest smilers lived seven full years longer. Unfortunately, this research was debunked as a bigger follow-on study determined the original research hadn’t adequately factored in birth year.
  • Idea #86 is drinking apple juice each day. That comes from a short 1-month study of only 21 people. More comprehensive studies have shown that the sugar intake from juice isn’t good for you. Enjoy an actual apple each day instead!
• Can We Live Forever? Talks with leading researchers seeking to increase our healthspans and lifespans.
• The Secret to Long Life? It May Lurk in the DNA of the Oldest Among Us Nonprofit BetterHumans is gathering the DNA of centenarians and making it available to researchers.
• Male and Female Aging Differences in Life Expectancy and Response to Supplements Males benefit more from drugs which boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Growth hormone IGF-1 extends the healthy life span of female mice by 9 percent, while doing little for male mice.
• Anti-Aging Drugs are Coming that Could Keep You Healthier for Longer “The gap between what scientists know (about age reversal) and what the educated public knows is huge.” Michael West in New Scientist (Subscription Required)
• Are SuperCentenarians Lying About Their Age? The percentage of SuperCentenarians who were born before birth certificates is significantly higher than those born after accurate record keeping began. That said, the Blue Zones researchers did check ages carefully.

Best Web Articles with Detailed Science on Longevity

• How Long We Live Has More To Do With Our Brain Than Our Body
• Dramatic Lifespan Extension Can Be Achieved by Targeting Multiple Evolutionary Aging Pathways and Mechanisms Using Drug Combinations
• Altering the Insulin Signaling and TOR Pathways Extends Lifespan in Roundworms by 500%
• 25 Genes for Extending Life
• See also, Keep Health’s “What Causes Aging?”

At the end of our articles, we post a way to reward yourself, so take a few minutes to enjoy some clean jokes about growing old. Most of them are funny.