A Portuguese farm worker who never learned to read or write, her only
claim to fame was that, for a few short weeks, she held the title of
the world’s oldest person, aged 115.
Now some scientists believe the first human to survive to 200 or
beyond may already be alive somewhere on the planet. A century ago the
average age for men in Britain was just 49 and for women 52.
Today it’s 71 for men and 77 for women. Improved sanitation and
lifesaving medicines mean lifespan has increased dramatically in the
past century.
Yet until recently, scientists thought there was a natural “ceiling”
on human existence of about 120 years, beyond which the body could not
cope.
