How Old Can We Get?

TL;DR

Humans are living longer, and the first person to live to be 150 has likely already been born. Animals like the Hydra can have negligible senescence, and the Methuselah Tree is over 4,600 years old.

Transcript

Hey, Vsauce. Michael here. And today we are going to talk about time, specifically, how much time we have. What's the oldest a person can ever be? Well, the world record for the world's longest living person belongs to Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122. Right now, at this very moment, there are only 37 people alive who were born in... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥹 Jeanne Calment holds the record for the longest-living person, living to be 122 years old.
• 😷 Medical advancements and biology understanding are increasing human lifespans.
• 🤕 Animals like the Hydra exhibit negligible senescence and do not age.
• 🥶 The Methuselah Tree is over 4,600 years old.
• 🪘 Clonal colonies can have even longer lifespans.
• 🤑 Intense and novel experiences feel like they last longer because the brain forms deeper and richer memories of these events.
• 🐢 Time feels slower when more novel experiences occur.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who holds the record for the longest lifespan?

Jeanne Calment, a French woman, holds the record for the world's longest living person at 122 years.

Q: How many people born in the 1800s are still alive?

Currently, there are only 37 people alive who were born in the 1800s.

Q: Will the first person to live to be 150 be someone currently alive?

While statistics suggest that the first person to reach 150 has already been born, it is more likely that this person was born in recent years.

Q: Do any animals exhibit negligible senescence?

Yes, there are certain animals, like the Hydra, that do not show signs of aging and have negligible senescence.

Q: How old is the Methuselah Tree?

The Methuselah Tree, the oldest living individual tree, is over 4,600 years old.

Q: How long can organisms live through clonal colonies?

Clonal colonies, like the Quaking Pines, can have significantly longer lifespans. Experts estimate that one male Quaking Pine has been around for at least 80,000 years due to continual growth from its root system.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The world's longest-living person was Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122. Only 37 people alive were born in the 1800s.

• Medical advancements and improved understanding of biology are increasing human lifespans, with scientists predicting that the first person to live to 150 has already been born.

• Certain animals, like the Hydra, exhibit negligible senescence and do not age. The Methuselah Tree is over 4,600 years old and clonal colonies can have even longer lifespans.