What if we could stay young forever?

I have spent the past few months compiling a series of reports looking at the latest science and thinking in our quest to live longer, healthier lives.  The BBC's What if...? series has been looking at how we will all live in the future - from cars to technology and global politics. I was curious to explore the human body of the 21st century. Will living to 130, without suffering from major diseases, in our latter years, become a reality?   This is what I came up with. 

What if...we could stay young forever?
TV documentary - available now for UK viewers via BBC iPlayer

BBC World Service Documentary: Discovery 
What if we could stay young forever? Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

"I want to live to be 100"

The science of a long life: 
If we are lucky, we will grow old. Most of us have grey hair, wrinkles, frailty, loss of memory and degenerative diseases to look forward to - if we do not have them already. It is not all bad news. With aging, we can acquire wisdom and often become more emotionally stable and at ease with life. But the downsides seem to far outweigh the perks. or do they? Full story on the BBC website

Dr Jeffry Life

Testosterone: Can it make you live longer?

Dr Jeffry Life, a Las Vegas-based age management doctor, is 74. He has the body of a man half his age. In fact he has a level of muscular definition that many men never achieve. Life believes that the right kind of exercise and nutrition are important - but correcting hormone deficiencies are the key to his success. "I got my blood checked and I found that I was profoundly deficient in testosterone," he says.
Full story on the BBC Website

Can you use your brain to 'change your age'?
Is mental infirmity an inevitable consequence of getting old? Or could we enjoy a more clear-headed old age? In California it's common to see advertisements promoting brain training or brain workouts which claim to help reverse the effects of aging. Full story on the BBC Website

Rachel Cosgrove

Can an intense workout help you live longer?
Are you a jogger or a weight lifter? Do you run marathons or take part in triathlons. When it comes to breaking a sweat, each to their own. But what kind of exercise is best if you want to live longer? Short bursts of activity, such as sprinting or pedaling all-out on an exercise bike for as little as 30 seconds, may result in the body getting rid of fat in the blood faster than exercising at moderate intensity, such as taking a brisk walk.
Full story on the BBC Website

Can extreme calorie counting make you live longer? 
What if we could feel more alive and more alert by just eating smaller meals? Extreme calorie restriction may hold the secret to the a longer live. According to some scientists, living to 120 and beyond could be possible - but is it worth a life of hunger and food deprivation?  
Full story on the BBC Website

Smartphone ECG monitor

Digital Medicine: Machines for living
Prevention not cure has always been good health advice but the trick has been to diagnose early enough. Now a range of medical technologies for use both inside and outside the body may give prevention the upper hand and close the gap between diagnosis and cure. Sensors, such as heart monitors or other implanted devices, can send data via smart phones to hospitals and health professionals to help them spot problems before they occur. But in the future this growing area of medicine may go from the edge to the centre of medicine and have an impact on human longevity.
Full story on the BBC Website

Living Longer, Better: 

Every year, the number of elderly people increases in both developed and developing countries, thanks to modern medicine's genius for pushing back the frontiers of death. But is longevity necessarily a good thing?   Full story on the BBC Website

Susan Jacoby, the author of Never Say Die," offers an alternative view of human longevity: "In the US it's almost taken for granted that longevity is a good thing," she says.  "A lot of this irrational belief that there are things that you can do to buy insurance against getting older and diseased has to do with our real dislike, in America, of growing older." Jacoby, who is 67, argues against the "lifestyle garbage" and "supplement garbage" that she says the age-management business is promoting.

listen to ‘LISTEN TO: Susan Jacoby’ on Audioboo

Bitcoins and Pizza in LA

The Bitcoin has seen a dramatic rise in its value this week - but how does it work, what's the link to pizza in LA and why should we embrace this cash-less, internet currency?  I spoke to Matt Burkinshaw and Riley Alexander from pizzaforcoins.com on BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night

listen to ‘Bitcoins’ on Audioboo

Patrick Moore

So sorry to hear of the passing of a broadcasting legend. Sir Patrick Moore was one of the first people I interviewed, as a student broadcaster, in 1984.  He personally responded, on typed postcards, to my requests.  He had been willing to travel to me, but blamed his "infernal leg" for his not being very mobile, at the time. "Sorry to be elusive - not my fault," he wrote.  We eventually met at his home in Selsey, Sussex. To say that I was excited and thrilled to meet such a childhood hero is an understatement. He was gracious and generous with his time - despite knowing that my radio interview was for a student exercise and would probably never be broadcast.  Sir Patrick had an infectious enthusiasm for his subject but he was not interested in the fluff of show business.  He was my first 'big get' interview, and I will always be grateful.

RIP Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman was a special person. I interviewed him many times - at his impressive solar powered ranch in California - on the 'Southfork' set of his beloved Dallas - and he was always engaging, honest and proud to be 'JR.'  He enjoyed the devilish nature of the character and relished the opportunity to reprise the role last year. The solar ranch  - which he named Heaven - atop a hill in the California town of Ojai, was his dream home.  When we visited for a BBC feature, Larry and his lovely wife Maj were warm and hospitable.

A far cry from his on-screen image, Larry was a keen environmentalist. He drove himself to interviews in his Prius, always sporting his trademark Stetson and carrying an ample wad of signed $10,000 bills to throw around like confetti. 
JR's Dallas memorabilia auction
Rest in Peace Larry - I am proud to have got to know you.

listen to ‘Larry Hagman’ on Audioboo

Transforming fitness and farewell Beckham

I had a great time with the team at Results Fitness yesterday, filming interviews for my series on the future human body and the quest for eternal youth. It was interesting to hear that the desire to live a longer, healthier life often revolves not around the individual, but their family. It is a desire to be alive and vital to care for others, which drives so many people. Fitness coach and gyn co-owner Alwyn Cosgrove has some fascinating thoughts about the muscular potential of the aging human body (the 70 year old triathlete really can be as strong as the 30-year old) - as well as the role the brain plays in total body fitness.  As I continue to work on this series, the links between traditional physical fitness - less say the brawn - and the brain - are becoming more obvious.

Farewell Beckham.  A last minute change of topic for my 5 Live segment last night focussed on David Beckham's decision to leave the LA Galaxy.  He arrived with a huge fanfare, but did he transform US soccer? Fox Sports Radio anchor Isaac Lowenkron reflected on six roller-coaster years in LA for the former England star.

listen to ‘Beckham to leave the LA Galaxy’ on Audioboo