In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen Venki Ramakrishnan: The Science and Hype of Living Longer
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Jul 22, 2026 
Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel laureate in Chemistry and former Royal Society president, speaks as an expert on the biology and ethics of ageing. He separates science from hype about longevity. Conversations cover what ageing really is, limits of extreme lifespan gains, cellular reprogramming risks, key molecular drivers, where research money flows, and simple habits that matter.
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Aging Defined As Cumulative Damage
- Aging is the gradual loss of function across molecules, cells, tissues and organs caused by accumulating damage.
- Venki Ramakrishnan explains manifestations like reduced strength and infection susceptibility trace back to molecular damage and repair failure.
Why Immortality Is Technically Open But Improbable
- No physical law fixes human lifespan at today's maximum (~110–120 years), but dramatic extensions to hundreds of years face huge practical barriers.
- Venki compares radical longevity to the difficulty of colonizing other galaxies.
Reprogramming Can Reset Cells But Risks Tumors
- Cellular reprogramming can reset development toward pluripotency using Yamanaka factors but risks tumors if taken too far.
- Venki highlights the challenge: reverse aging just a little without losing cell identity.
