Human lifespan record unchanged

For over 150 years, improvements in medicine, vaccines, and antibiotics have increased the average human lifespan. However, the maximum recorded age—122 years and 164 days, set by Jeanne Calment—has not been surpassed, even nearly 30 years after her death.

Nobel laureate on aging

Venki Ramakrishnan, a 2009 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, has suggested that breaking the current lifespan record would require directly targeting the biological mechanisms of aging. He explained this during an interview with the University of Chicago, noting that while average life expectancy has risen, the maximum human lifespan seems to be a fixed limit.

Rising risk with age

Ramakrishnan highlighted that the risk of dying increases sharply with age. For example, the risk is 0.1% per year at 25 years old, but it rises to 16% at 100 years old. Those who reach 108 years old have only a 50% chance of surviving another year, according to his analysis.

Theoretical limits of human lifespan

Ramakrishnan stated that no physical law prevents humans from living up to 150 or even 200 years. However, the body’s gradual wear and tear, including the decline in cellular repair mechanisms, presents a major challenge. These issues are further discussed in his book Why We Die.