Episode Details

China is betting big on living longer—maybe forever. In this episode, we explore the country’s booming longevity and anti-aging industry, where serious science, bold ambition, and a long history of immortality quests collide. From startups selling anti-aging pills to state-backed research racing Western labs, talk of extending life to 150—or beyond—has gone mainstream, even echoed in conversations between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. We trace this obsession back to China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and ask where genuine biomedical breakthroughs end and modern quackery begins. Is China on the brink of radically extending human lifespan—or just repackaging an ancient dream for a new age?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/world/asia/china-aging-longevity-science.html