Leo Houlding

World-renowned rock climber Leo Houlding shares jaw-dropping tales of scaling cliffs with his young kids, blending adventure with the daunting concept of mortality. The conversation shifts to the provocative topic of radical life extension. Together, they explore whether living to 150 or beyond is feasible and the ethical dilemmas it raises. Houlding emphasizes the value of discomfort in nature, while questioning what it truly means to thrive as we confront life’s limits. A thrilling dive into adventure, life, and our future.

This weekend, we ask the question: what does it mean to defy death? Rock climber Leo Houlding tells us about his terrifying family holidays, scaling vertical cliff-faces with his two young kids. We also explore radical life extension with science writer Anjana Ahuja. How close are we scientifically to extending the human lifespan to 150 or 200? What are the implications when we get there? And do we really want to live forever? PLUS: inside the luxury life extension market, with How to Spend it writer Tiffanie Darke. Links from the episode: — Leo Houlding’s extreme family holiday in Wyoming’s wild west: https://www.ft.com/content/0bcba30a-bb46-4bc1-8a7d-9166dc43a5e8  — Anjana Ahuja on whether we can live forever: https://www.ft.com/content/60d9271c-ae0a-4d44-8b11-956cd2e484a9 — Inside the life extension market, with Tiffanie Darke: https://www.ft.com/content/867e647b-c0e8-4aeb-9777-fedff7ec3476 Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.