Over the past century, the average human lifespan has doubled. That astonishing statistic is the subject of a new book and PBS series by acclaimed science writer Steven Johnson called “Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer.” In this episode, he tells Rufus about the renegades who shamed milkmen, spiked public reservoirs, and rode rocket-powered sleds ... Show More
Oct 29
Danny Meyer on "What Could Possibly Go Right"
What does it take to turn a money-losing hot dog cart into a global empire? Surprisingly, it starts with how you treat your employees. Danny Meyer, the legendary restaurateur behind Shake Shack, Union Square Cafe, and Gramercy Tavern, has built an empire on a deceptively simple i ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 22
Musk, Bezos, and the Battle to Control Space
For the last few years, the global space race has been dominated by two billionaires: Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. They’ve launched thousands of satellites, designed lunar landing modules, and drawn up ambitious plans to build AI data centers in space. We wanted to understand why th ... Show More
54m 17s
Jun 2021
The doubling of life-expectancy
Steven Johnson, author of Extra Life, tells the fascinating history of life expectancy, and the extraordinary achievements of the last century, in which it has practically doubled.It’s a story that has data at its heart, from the ground-breaking invention of the category itself i ... Show More
8m 58s
Aug 2025
Living Longer, Aging Smarter [Sponsored]
Life expectancy has risen dramatically since 1900, reshaping how we understand aging. Scientists now view skin not just as a surface indicator, but as a biological marker of systemic health. In this podcast episode, Scientific American Custom Media explores how longevity science ... Show More
8m 32s
Sep 2022
Longevity, Immortality and the quest to defeat death with Aubrey De Grey
How do you eat an elephant? One spoon at a time, right? Well It's the same with living forever. No one is going to find a magic potion that will make you 20 again but over the years we are slowly, consistently and incrementally improving patient health and preventing diseases ass ... Show More
39m 59s
Oct 2019
How can I live a longer life?
Human life expectancy has been increasing for decades. In many developed countries, we can now expect to live into our 80s, and it isn’t uncommon to live to 90 or even 100 years old. But eventually our bodies fail, old age is undoubtedly a clear indicator of approaching death. Th ... Show More
26m 28s