Even if every other cause of aging were eliminated, irreversible somatic mutations in neurons and heart cells (which don't regenerate) would still cap median human lifespan at roughly 146-194 years, according to a recent mathematical model.

noli's read

The Daily Mail's summary is faithful to the source study (Efimov et al., npj Aging, 2026, Skoltech/AIRI): the model starts from a hypothetical non-aging organism (theoretical median lifespan of 1,759 years), then introduces only somatic mutations as the limiting factor, which drops the median to 146-194 years (156 years in the central scenario) — with neurons and cardiomyocytes, which cannot divide, identified as the bottleneck. This is a theoretical mathematical modeling exercise, not an empirical measurement of real-world longevity or a therapy: it says nothing about what to do day to day, and the authors themselves note it isn't a prediction of what humans will actually reach. The fact cited is accurate and honestly reported; it simply carries no actionable takeaway for a reader.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.