Venki Ramakrishnan on Ageing, Death & Immortality

This event took place on 26 March 2024. The information below is correct as of the publication date.
We are living in a revolution in biology. Giant strides are being made in our understanding of why we age and die, and why some species live longer than others. Immortality, once a faint hope, has never been more within our grasp.
At this special event, in conversation with science writer Anjana Ahuja, Venki Ramakrishnan explores the themes of his new book Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality. He examines social and cultural issues and recent breakthroughs in scientific research, the cutting edge of efforts to extend lifespan by altering our natural biology and considers how these raise profound questions. Although we might not like it, does death serve a necessary biological purpose? How can we increase our chances of living long, healthy and fulfilled lives? And what are the social and ethical costs of attempting to live forever? As science advances, we have much to gain. But might we also have much to lose?
Venki Ramakrishnan received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the structure and function of the ribosome. He leads a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. He served as president of the Royal Society from 2015 to 2020, and was appointed to the Order of Merit in 2022. His previous book, the scientific memoir Gene Machine, was published in 2018 to critical acclaim.
Anjana Ahuja writes on global science, health and technology for The Financial Times, and was previously a feature writer and columnist at The Times. She is the co-author, with Professor Mark Van Vugt, of Selected: Why Some People Lead, Why Others Follow, and Why It Matters. With Sir Jeremy Farrar, she co-authored the bestselling Spike: The Virus Vs The People on the inside story of the Covid-19 pandemic. Spike was shortlisted for the 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Writing and the 2022 Royal Society Science Book Prize.