share

The Pursuit of Immortality

By Rachel VanCott

Posted 08.26.10

NOVA scienceNOW

What if there were a potion that you could drink to double your life span? How about a pill or a genetic tweak that might allow you to live for centuries? Sure, the average human life span in the West has increased by more than 50 percent over the past century, but that was largely a matter of decreasing childhood mortality. We've never found one simple way to counteract the aging process, but that doesn't mean that we haven't tried. In this time line, see some of the ideas that people have devised and explored in our quest to live longer, healthier lives.

Launch Interactive Humans haven't found a way to counteract or block the effects of aging, but we've tried. See how in this time line.