A booming longevity industry wants to sell us ‘immortality’. There could be hidden costs

If you could, would you pay to live forever? Some Silicon Valley billionaires aren't just making tech products — they've set their sights on immortality.

- BY SAMUEL CORNELL, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Brooke Nickel NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, University of Sydney, and Sean Docking Research Fellow, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Social media is flooded with influencers promoting peptides, “functional” mushroom powders and other (often non-evidence-based) hacks said to maximise your lifespan. Some even claim to reverse your “biological age”.

The quest to live longer, look younger or just live one’s “best life” has become a booming industry, encompassing treatments as diverse as ice baths, saunas, cryotherapy chambers and even red light therapy.

But behind much of the marketing and social media posts are commercial interests willing to cater to a population fearful of ageing and dying.

Nobody lives forever

The key reason humans aren’t immortal hinges on evolution. This process favours genetic traits promoting successful reproduction and adaptation over those promoting unlimited lifespan for individuals.

The ancient Greeks told cautionary tales about life extension. Those who reached for immortality mostly found this came at a terrible cost. The mythical Tithonus, for example, was doomed to endless ageing and decline after being granted eternal life without eternal youth.

Fast forward to today, the longevity industry has the backing of venture capital funds, celebrity investors and pharmaceutical companies.

But much of this money is being funnelled into products and services with little or no evidence for how they actually improve health or lengthen lifespan.