Don't Grow Old

For centuries scientists have been attempting to come up with an elixir of youth. Now remarkable discoveries are suggesting that ageing is something flexible that can ultimately be manipulated. Horizon meets the scientists who are attempting to piece together why we age and more vitally for all of us, what we can do to prevent it. But which theory will prevail? Does the 95-year-old woman who smokes two packets of cigarettes a day hold the clue? Do blueberries really delay signs of ageing or is it more a question of attitude? Does the real key to controlling how we age lie with a five-year-old boy with an extraordinary ageing disease or with a self-experimenting Harvard professor? Could one of these breakthroughs really see our lives extend past 120 years?

Other episodes for this season

Do I Drink Too Much?
Episode 1 - Do I Drink Too Much?
The Secret You
Episode 2 - The Secret You
Fix Me
Episode 3 - Fix Me
Who's Afraid of a Big Black Hole?
Episode 4 - Who's Afraid of a Big Bla...
Why Do We Talk?
Episode 5 - Why Do We Talk?
How Long is a Piece of String?
Episode 6 - How Long is a Piece of St...
The Secret Life of the Dog
Episode 7 - The Secret Life of the Do...
Why Do Viruses Kill?
Episode 8 - Why Do Viruses Kill?
Pill Poppers
Episode 9 - Pill Poppers
Don't Grow Old
Episode 10 - Don't Grow Old
To Infinity and Beyond
Episode 11 - To Infinity and Beyond
What Makes a Genius?
Episode 12 - What Makes a Genius?
Did Cooking Make Us Human?
Episode 13 - Did Cooking Make Us Human...
Is Everything We Know About the Universe Wrong?
Episode 14 - Is Everything We Know Abo...