Turn Back Time

Billionaires are investing in body optimisation, biohacking and other advancements in medical technology that promise to turn back the clock on ageing. But should we really want to grow younger?

- Coco Marett

Dr Jonathan Seah remembers watching as a young boy The Six Million Dollar Man, a television series from the 1970s about the world’s first bionic man. It tells the story of United States Air Force colonel Steve Austin (played by Lee Majors) who, after a Nasa test flight gone wrong, is rebuilt with superhuman strength, speed and vision.

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology,” Seah says, putting on his best impression of Harve Bennett, who narrated the series’ intro. He reverts to his regular voice: “But really, it’s true: we’re living in a time where we have the technology.”

In recent years, and with astonishing speed, the subject of body optimisation through emerging medical treatments has transformed from the stuff of sci-fi fantasy into promising reality. Doctors, and subsequently their patients, are optimistic that a rise in new technologies will enable people to live healthier, more fulfilling lives at any age, with a broader push for positive thinking around seeking longevity that is at the heart of what is being described as the “pro-ageing” movement. As the global population is generally living longer, couples are also choosing to have children later in life, and more people are seeking to remain engaged in their careers and reduce social isolation for as long as they can.