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I won't be adopting Bryan Johnson's methods for achieving longevity, partly because, at the age of 83, I already have a shot at living to 100, but, more importantly, also because life isn't a rehearsal or a research project. Life is for living. I have had a long career, travelled widely, conducted published research, served …

Your special issue reminds me of the words of 20th-century Lancet editor Theodore Fox: "Life itself is not the most important thing in life. Some cling to it as a miser to his money and to as little purpose. Some risk it for a song, a hope, a cause, for wind in their hair."

While it may appear attractive to readers in the prime of their lives, the reality of living to 100 doesn't appeal to me. Healthy living may be extending lifespan, but not quality of life. My 89-year-old mother is now trapped in a body that has no strength, and my father's memory is failing, so he …

Blueberries are mentioned in many articles on ageing due to the possible beneficial effects of their anthocyanin content. However, I do wonder whether other types of fruit, such as blackcurrants and damsons, should also be considered. These are often cooked, which seems to release the anthocyanins from their skin into solution, whereas blueberries are more …

One more tip for living long is to "go to the doctor". Beyond 50 or so, a regular health check is a good idea. An annual medical with blood tests helps spot illnesses early and builds up a set of data that makes future problems more obvious. Periodic checks on anything that is higher risk …

Are we really going to store thousands of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in geological formations? There are real doubts about whether the required technology will become sufficiently developed and whether the energy needed for it would be available. At present, only a few million tonnes per year are being pumped underground and much of this …

Some views on global warming targets reveal a continuing fantasy: the belief that any such target is achievable without climate engineering. Nobody, their governments included, is going to tell people in low-income countries that they can't have air conditioning or cars (or toasters, microwave ovens, etc.). Global warming is unstoppable, and the adverse consequences will …

Drilling through polar ice to pump out liquid water from beneath won't work for several reasons that weren't mentioned. At the depths and temperatures of the buried water, it is close to the equilibrium between being ice or water. A slight change could drive it either way. Water, whether in an artesian well or pumped …

Chamkaur Ghag says that dark matter is probably made of weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs. The article talks of a dark matter WIMP hitting a xenon nucleus, which sounds like a microscopic game of snooker. However, at the quantum level, it means that a WIMP interacted with a xenon nucleus via exchange of a …

When astronomers say that, sooner or later, we will come across an exoplanet with a nitrogen/oxygen-rich atmosphere, or that, by 2060, we are likely to have discovered planets where it is hard to explain the data without there being life, they are assuming, with no good reason, that life can easily arise if the conditions …