Are Blue Zones real? One researcher finds the data deeply flawed
The data behind Blue Zones might not be that strong
Saul Justin Newman, a senior research fellow at University College London and the University of Oxford, is the author of the book "Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science." He joined the show to discuss his skepticism regarding the concept of Blue Zones, regions where people purportedly live to be 100 years old or more. Newman's interest in studying longevity arose unexpectedly when a friend sent him a flawed paper in Nature questioning the existence of a limit to human lifespan.
The paper, which claimed that human lifespan improvements had stopped at around 115-125 years, was found to have significant errors, including the use of rounded-off data and faulty statistical methods. Despite the low quality of this initial study, the concept of a maximum lifespan remained popular, leading Newman to investigate further.
He discovered that many subsequent studies in the field of longevity science lacked robustness and had similar methodological flaws. The author's new book aims to debunk these claims, highlighting the lack of concrete evidence in the field and questioning the billions of dollars spent on longevity research.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
