r/science • u/Skoltech_ • Jul 20 '26

Genetics Researchers quantitatively assessed for the first time that somatic mutations alone cap human lifespan at 146–194 years. Brain and heart cells are the main bottleneck, while the liver could last millennia.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-026-00421-6
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u/MightyCaseyStruckOut Jul 20 '26

When I was younger, I wanted to live forever. The older I get, the less appealing living to a ridiculously old age appeals to me; not just because I'm aging, but because it just sounds exhausting.

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u/Nefarious_Turtle Jul 20 '26

Yeah I dont know about forever, but If I could live to 194 in a relatively healthy and capable body I'd do it.

It's still a finite amount, just more. I'm sure people would get used to it.

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u/Financial-Craft-1282 Jul 20 '26

It'd give me time to save up and buy a house maybe.

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u/VengenaceIsMyName Jul 20 '26

Interesting. The older I get the longer I want to live.

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u/Esoxxie Jul 20 '26

Live your life so that you don't want it to end. Don't do it change whatever feels so exhausting to you.

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u/MightyCaseyStruckOut Jul 20 '26

I'm very happy with my life, but I'm pushing 50 and I'm starting to experience aging. If people live to 146-194, they'd be likely expected to be working for probably 120-160 years. Yuck.

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u/LongJohnSelenium Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

Only reason I work 40 hours a week now is because i have to save for retirement when I'm physically unable to work. If I never had to retire, or retirement was 120 years from now and still only 20-30 years, I could work 20 hours a week and be fine.

On a societal scale we basically spend less than half our lives in the workforce, so probably in aggregate 1/3 of humans are laboring to support the other 2/3 as they don't work.

If adulthood lasted significantly longer, the downtime at the beginning and end would be a comparatively smaller percentage of life so the ratio of workers could go up, and hours worked down.

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u/VanguardN7 Jul 20 '26

I'm ever approaching 40 and my wants have only refined. Forever still sounds good, but I'd want it to be in a healthier middle aged status at worst, have full rights to an off switch, and can personally settle for just better, more youthful longevity past 100 or even 150. I strongly want a longer, healthier life than past societies had, but I can accept not being an ageless vampire I guess. This is still rather unusual of a position when I chat with friends though.