Image of Longevity

Longevity

Topic

The central theme of Bryan Johnson's work, focusing on the science and practices of extending human healthspan and lifespan.


First Mentioned

10/15/2025, 4:28:52 AM

Last Updated

10/15/2025, 4:29:20 AM

Research Retrieved

10/15/2025, 4:29:20 AM

Summary

Longevity, distinct from life expectancy, refers to the state of living a longer and healthier life, often beyond the average lifespan. This concept has fascinated humanity for centuries, appearing in ancient tales like Herodotus's mention of the Fountain of Youth, as well as in science fiction and utopian novels. Authenticating extreme human lifespans remains challenging due to incomplete historical records. In contemporary discourse, entrepreneur Bryan Johnson is a prominent advocate for optimizing longevity, positing that high-quality sleep is the most impactful health intervention. He promotes practices like lowering one's resting heart rate before bed to enhance sleep, which he argues improves willpower, mental health, and cognitive function, all within his overarching 'Don't Die' philosophy. A life annuity also serves as a practical form of longevity insurance.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Definition

    Exceptionally long-lived individuals within a population; typical length of life; living a longer and healthier life; living beyond average life expectancy

  • Distinction

    Different from life expectancy (average number of years remaining at a given age)

  • Insurance Form

    Life annuity

  • Historical Mention

    Fountain of Youth mentioned by Ancient Greek historian Herodotus

  • Historical Fascination

    Topic for scientific community, travel, science fiction, and utopian novels

  • Authentication Challenge

    Difficult due to inaccurate or incomplete birth statistics

  • Bryan Johnson's Philosophy

    'Don't Die'

  • Bryan Johnson's Core Thesis

    Optimizing for high-quality sleep is the most impactful health intervention for longevity

  • Key Advocate (Contemporary)

    Bryan Johnson

  • Cultural Impact (Bryan Johnson)

    Challenges 'grind' culture

  • Bryan Johnson's Sleep Optimization Tactic

    Lowering resting heart rate before bed

  • Benefits of Improved Sleep (Bryan Johnson)

    Enhanced willpower, improved mental health, mitigated anxiety and depression, better performance, optimal prefrontal cortex function

  • Bryan Johnson's Recommended Sleep Practices

    Finish final meal four hours before sleep, avoid screens for an hour before bed, stop caffeine intake around noon

Timeline
  • The Ancient Greek historian Herodotus mentions the legendary Fountain of Youth, reflecting an early human fascination with extending life. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBpedia)

    circa 450 BCE

  • Entrepreneur Bryan Johnson delivers a presentation on his personal quest for longevity, emphasizing optimizing high-quality sleep as the most impactful health intervention. (Source: Summary, Related Document: Bryan Johnson’s Best Health Hack...)

    Contemporary

Longevity

Longevity may refer to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas life expectancy is defined statistically as the average number of years remaining at a given age. For example, a population's life expectancy at birth is the same as the average age at death for all people born in the same year (in the case of cohorts). Longevity studies may involve putative methods to extend life. Longevity has been a topic not only for the scientific community but also for writers of travel, science fiction, and utopian novels. The legendary fountain of youth appeared in the work of the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus. There are difficulties in authenticating the longest human life span, owing to inaccurate or incomplete birth statistics. Fiction, legend, and folklore have proposed or claimed life spans in the past or future vastly longer than those verified by modern standards, and longevity narratives and unverified longevity claims frequently speak of their existence in the present. A life annuity is a form of longevity insurance.

Web Search Results
  • What is Longevity and How Can You Live Beyond Your Life ...

    The definition of longevity is living a longer and healthier life. It means how long a person is going to live, and how healthy his later life will be. You can also understand the term longevity as the description of the state when a person lives beyond their average life expectancy (1). ‍ Longevity includes three concepts: ‍ [...] The definition of longevity is living a longer and healthier life. It means how long a person is going to live, and how healthy his later life will be. You can also understand the term longevity as the description of the state when a person lives beyond their average life expectancy (1). ‍ Longevity includes three concepts: ‍ [...] The definition of longevity is living a longer and healthier life. It means how long a person is going to live, and how healthy his later life will be. You can also understand the term longevity as the description of the state when a person lives beyond their average life expectancy (1). ‍ Longevity includes three concepts: ‍

  • Exploring the Factors That Affect Human Longevity

    Longevity refers to the length of a person’s life from birth until death. In today’s world, we often use the term more loosely to describe an individual’s potential for a longer life. To better understand longevity, it’s essential to explore three of the main factors that play a role in a person’s ability to live a healthier and longer life. ## #1 Lifestyle

  • Longevity: Lifestyle strategies for living a healthy, long life - Harvard ...

    If longevity runs in your family, you have a better chance of living longer. But genetics is only part of the equation: the lifestyle choices you make play a big role in living longer, staying healthy, and being able to continue doing the things you love. ## What is longevity? Longevity simply refers to long life. In the U.S., life expectancy has increased dramatically since 1900, when the average lifespan was 47 years. Today, people born in 2022 can expect to live 77.5 years. [...] Staying Healthy # Longevity: Lifestyle strategies for living a healthy, long life By Lisa Catanese, ELS, Health Writer Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing Share Share this page to Facebook Share this page to X Share this page via Email Print This Page [...] Think positive. You may be surprised that your outlook on life can contribute to longevity. Two recent studies found that optimism is linked to a longer lifespan in women from diverse racial and ethnic groups, and to better emotional health in older men. These studies suggest that positive thinking may have powerful benefits.

  • Human Lifespan Definition & What To Know - Cleveland Clinic

    Longevity is the term for living longer than the average life expectancy. And around the world, the number of people living longer than average is going up. In 2000, the number of people over 75 was about 152 million. As of 2023, that number has almost doubled to 300.8 million. #### Healthspan Advances in modern medicine mean people are living longer. But living longer isn’t the same thing as being alive and healthy. That’s where the concept of healthspan comes in. [...] Life expectancy Longevity Healthspan #### Life expectancy Life expectancy is an average age that a group of people are likely to survive to. It’s common for people to use this term interchangeably with “lifespan.” There’s no way to predict how long a single person is going to live with any accuracy. So, experts calculate an approximate average based on population statistics. [...] Lifespan, life expectancy and longevity are all words you might use to refer to the length of a person’s life, but they aren’t always the same thing. You might not always need to use these terms as precisely as an expert or researcher, but it can still help to know their meanings. And while these concepts can’t predict how long you’ll live, they can help you better understand some of the context of your health. That knowledge can help you live a life that’s healthier, longer and, hopefully,

  • Unlocking the Power of Healthy Longevity: Demographic Change ...

    Healthy longevity means a state of good physical, cognitive, and social functioning throughout a person's lifespan. There is an opportunity to leverage population aging for health, societal, and economic gains by investing today in health and wellbeing across peoples’ lives. This includes measures to control non-communicable diseases and their risk factors which contribute to a large and growing burden of avoidable mortality. Investing in healthy longevity could save 150 million lives in low- [...] Governments need to take a life-course approach which has implications well beyond health to include child nutrition, girls’ education, and taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks. Healthy longevity means reducing avoidable deaths and serious disability throughout the life of a person, including better physical, mental, and social functioning through middle and older ages. [...] If done right, healthy longevity could save 150 million lives in low- and middle-income countries and extend millions more lives by 2050, resulting in significant economic benefits. But this requires bold actions by governments to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.

  • Instance Of
  • Inception Date
    1/1/1948

The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography. However, the term longevity is sometimes meant to refer only to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas life expectancy is always defined statistically as the average number of years remaining at a given age. For example, a population's life expectancy at birth is the same as the average age at death for all people born in the same year (in the case of cohorts). Longevity is best thought of as a term for general audiences meaning 'typical length of life' and specific statistical definitions should be clarified when necessary. Reflections on longevity have usually gone beyond acknowledging the brevity of human life and have included thinking about methods to extend life. Longevity has been a topic not only for the scientific community but also for writers of travel, science fiction, and utopian novels. In fact the legendary fountain of youth appeared in the work of the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus. There are many difficulties in authenticating the longest human life span ever by modern verification standards, owing to inaccurate or incomplete birth statistics. Fiction, legend, and folklore have proposed or claimed life spans in the past or future vastly longer than those verified by modern standards, and longevity narratives and unverified longevity claims frequently speak of their existence in the present. A life annuity is a form of longevity insurance.

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Location Data

Longevity, 故宫西门外, 智德社区, 东华门街道, 首都功能核心区, 东城区, 北京市, 100010, 中国

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Coordinates: 39.9195271, 116.3900068

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