You were very lucky to be born in an era of unprecedented innovation in which if you invest in your health, you can anticipate living long enough to live as long as you want.

Throughout history, death was the great equalizer. We flocked to priests, preachers, gurus, churches, and temples to assuage our fear of the inevitable. The most powerful kings and queens built giant monuments of stone, brick, and metal to try to cement their immortality.

There's a chance that you may escape what has long been regarded as utterly inescapable thanks to the two greatest creations of the rational, critical, questioning western mind...

• The free market
• The scientific method