We would all love the gift of eternal youth. That remains a dream, but there are things we can actively do to resist the effects of ageing. One proven approach is to protect our telomeres, the short chains of DNA that cap our chromosones. The telomere effect by Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel tells the story of why telomeres matter and what activities cause their degredation. Hear a reading from the book, an interview with Elissa Epel and the views of Royal Society of Chemistry deputy editor, Aurora Walshe, Chemistry World’s  content editor, Jennifer Newton, and host Emma Stoye.