Some creatures, like mayflies, live for just a day. Others, like Greenland sharks, can survive over 400 years.
But what about us? Could science one day unlock human immortality? And if so, should we even want it?
That’s the question explored by Nobel Prize–winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan in his new book Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality.
Speaking at Harvard, he explained that while death is certain for humans today, there’s no fundamental law of nature that fixes when life must end.
The Science Behind Aging
According to Ramakrishnan, aging boils down to the buildup of molecular and cellular damage over time.
Research has exploded in recent decades, with billions poured into finding ways to slow or even reverse the process.
One promising avenue is rapamycin, a drug first discovered in the 1960s on Easter Island.
Originally valued for antifungal and anticancer properties, it now shows potential to reverse cellular aging by targeting key signaling pathways.
Other studies focus on mimicking the anti-aging effects of caloric restriction or experimenting with cellular reprogramming — essentially turning back the biological clock on fully developed cells.
The most famous step forward came from Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka, who discovered that four transcription factors could reprogram adult cells into stem cells, a breakthrough that still drives longevity research today.
The Moral Question
But even if immortality were possible, should we pursue it? Ramakrishnan compared it to colonizing Mars or other galaxies: “It would require huge breakthroughs, but it’s not physically impossible.”
He stressed that while science may be advancing fast, false promises are also multiplying.
From supplements sold online claiming to lengthen telomeres to billion-dollar private investments, the anti-aging industry is booming — but often without clinical proof.
The Bottom Line
Ramakrishnan says the field is moving so quickly that any book can only capture a snapshot of current progress.
And while breakthroughs may one day extend human life far beyond what we imagine, the bigger question remains: What would it mean for humanity if death wasn’t inevitable?