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Nicklas Brendborg On the New Science of Anti-Ageing

Science &
Technology

What exactly can science tell us about anti-ageing? What works and what doesn't? And what can we do to help ourselves live a long and healthy life.

‘The secret to a long life is not to live without difficult times, but to be able to withstand the onslaught.’ – Nicklas Brendborg

Today’s scientists are getting ever closer to cracking the code to longevity. But what exactly can science tell us about anti-ageing? What works and what doesn’t? And what can we do to help ourselves live a long and healthy life?

In August 2022 molecular biologist Nicklas Brendborg came to Intelligence Squared to talk about the themes of his bestselling book Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature’s Secrets to Longevity. Taking us on a journey from the most remote places on Earth to the most hi-tech of labs, he talked about zombie cells, backwards-ageing jellyfish, a man who fasted for a year and a woman who successfully edited her own DNA. And he explained what he sees as the master key to fighting ageing: hormesis – the idea that short, intermittent bursts of certain stressors can trigger a response that enhances overall health and slow down the ageing process. Hence the longevity benefits of taking exercise, of saunas followed by cold dips, of eating foods such as berries and dark chocolate rich in polyphenols, which are actually mildly poisonous to humans, and even of giving blood – all of which challenge the body in small ways and have a positive effect. 

Brendborg also explained why you should floss your teeth, why getting vaccinated can help you look younger, why multivitamins could actually be harmful and why, despite their much-touted benefits, fish oil supplements and red wine may not do you any good at all. 

Join us for a myth-busting and enlightening deep dive into the science of ageing.  

Praise for Nicklas Brendborg’s Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature’s Secrets to Longevity.

‘In a field characterised by overclaiming and wishful thinking, it is judicious, sensible and refreshingly clear. And fascinating.’ ― The Sunday Times

‘Nicklas Brendborg takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the science of ageing … he navigates this bustling discipline with graceful clarity, dispelling common myths along the way.’ ― New Scientist

‘I loved it. Bursting with insight and fabulous facts. The brain boost it gives you is enough to make you feel ten years younger on its own!’ – Matt Warren, editor of The Conversation

Event Name

Nicklas Brendborg On the New Science of Anti-Ageing

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Speakers for the motion

  • Nicklas Brendborg

    PhD student of molecular biology at the University of Copenhagen and author of Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature's Secrets to Longevity.

Chair

  • Helen Czerski

    One of the UK’s most popular science presenters

Speakers are subject to change.

Speakers

Speaker

Nicklas Brendborg

PhD student of molecular biology at the University of Copenhagen and author of Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature's Secrets to Longevity.

PhD student of molecular biology at the University of Copenhagen and a rising star in the field. He was a featured young scientist at the Novo Nordisk International Talent Program and was awarded the Novo Scholarship. In 2015, Brendborg published his first book, Top Student. He also co-authored Lars Tvede's bestseller Supertrends. His new book is Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature's Secrets to Longevity.
Chair

Helen Czerski

One of the UK’s most popular science presenters

Oceanographer, physicist and television presenter. Her many programmes for radio and TV include Radio 4’s Inside Science, Orbit: Earth’s Extraordinary Journey, numerous Horizon documentaries, The Sky at Night, and Dara O Briain’s Science Club. She is a Research Fellow at University College London, and holds a PhD in experimental explosives physics. She is the author of books including Storm In A Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life and the new title Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World.