Ageing is inevitable. Yet for centuries people have tried to slow or stop it, from bathing in the blood of virgin girls to concocting an elixir of life. These days, anti-ageing research is on a more scientific footing. And while we are no closer to finding the fountain of youth, humans - for a variety of reasons - are living longer than ever before (page S2).Hitting the biologically arbitrary 100-year milestone used to be the preserve of the lucky few, who would often reach it in rude health. In theory, studying these centenarians might reveal the secrets of healthy ageing. But as life expectancy increases, more people are reaching their eleventh decade, muddying the gene pool. Might more valuable data be gleaned from the supercentenarians who reach 110 (S6)?
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