It seems that everywhere you look there is bad news when it comes to what causes cancer, what causes heart attacks, and simply what types of things will kill you the fastest. It can be downright depressing and make people think that death is coming for them faster than it really is. Despite all the bad news, people are living longer than ever and that number continues to go up on a global scale.

Sure, the average length of life in first world countries has started to grow at a slower rate, but it is still going up. The lifespan of people living in poorer places globally are starting to catch up to those in more modern countries as well, which is helping to push the global average up further.

This begs the question, how long can humans live?

According to a new (not yet peer reviewed) study available on bioRxiv, there is likely no biological limit. With the right lifestyle choices and medical advancements, humans could, in theory, live for ever.

Specifically, the authors predict that by 2063, the average lifespan for women will be 100 years old (up from 87.75 today). While it will take longer for men to reach that milestone, things are moving in the right direction for them as well. Currently, according to the Human Mortality Database, male lifespans have increased at 1.96 years per decade from 2000 to 2020. This is somewhat slower than the 2.03 years per decade that was recorded from 1840 until 2000, but it is still a good level of improvement. This database tracks data from 41 countries around the world.

The authors of the study explain that when discussing things like longevity, it is important to realize that the gains aren’t going to be constantly made in same places. They wrote:

“The underlying logic is straightforward and applies to countless contexts. The energy efficiency of combustion engines, processing speed of microchips, or even the standard of professional tennis underwent undeniable progress over the last decades; nonetheless, the world’s best car engine manufacturer, microchip producer, or professional tennis player have successively changed. By the same token, successive advances in medicine and social welfare may not occur in the same country.”

So, it may be that countries with lower life expectancies will surpass those that are currently the longest. This can help to drive the average up, while also providing important data when it comes to studying what leads to a longer life. The more information that can be gathered, the better choices people can make to help push their lives to be as long as possible.

Of course, when it comes to life expectancy, it is also important to look at the quality of life. Very few people want to live forever if it means they will be in constant excruciating pain and experience a loss of mental faculties. Fortunately,  people today are not only living longer, but they are remaining sharp and active for longer than ever before.

Hopefully this trend continues.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.