Culture | Eternal life

Who wants to live for ever? Quite a lot of people

In “The Price of Immortality”, Peter Ward shows how they are going about it

The Price of Immortality. By Peter Ward. Melville House; 288 pages; $28.99 and £20

ETERNAL LIFE, in heaven or through reincarnation on Earth, is promised by many faiths. For a simple reason: it eases the fear of death. The idea of living for ever has other devotees, too. It is now pursued by a motley crew of fringe scientists, cultish groups and tech billionaires, united by a conviction that a way to make humans immortal will eventually be found. Meanwhile they pin their hopes on experimental, often fraudulent therapies that promise rejuvenation.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline "Who wants to live for ever?"

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