THE RACE TO LIVE FOREVER

One festival probably not on your radar is RAADfest – or the Revolution Against Aging and Death. But, since this annual event started in 2016, the $2000 VIP passes have been snapped up with the kind of gusto usually reserved for Coachella tickets. AI innovators, researchers and anyone angry about the “unnecessary evil” of growing old gather to learn about the latest in stem cell therapy, at-home oxygen chambers and cryogenic preservation. RAADfest attendees include top scientists, as well as those with the means to fund cutting-edge living-longer experiments.

Indeed, understanding how humans can live longer and healthier lives is a goal that both scientists who specialise in ageing – called gerontologists – and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are racing towards, with the sector forecast to be worth $960 million by 2023. “I’m hesitant to compare gerontology’s importance in magnitude with other urgent priorities, such as pandemics, climate