Meet the people who tried to live forever from biohackers to drinking gold
It’s that time of year when we all make unlikely promises to ourselves about healthy new lifestyles. Most of us will have made half-hearted promises to lead cleaner, healthier lives. However, some folk go to the extreme in an effort to beat the ever-ticking clock, even attempting to achieve immortality. Here’s a reminder of some other people who’ve tried to live forever. They include fascinating figures from over the centuries who tried, or are trying to find the secret to eternal life... READ MORE: 'Fred West asked me a disgusting question while trying to groom me in his house' READ MORE: New evidence shows that 'Jesus was never crucified' – and AI can prove it 'without doubt' You’ve got to hand it to Bryan Johnson. He put his money where his mouth is. The tech entrepreneur and biohacker – star of Netflix doc Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever – apparently forks out $2m a year to evade the grip of the Grim Reaper. At one point, Bryan, now 48, attempted to freeze his biological clock by using blood plasma transfusions from his teen son.
In This Article:
- Bryan Johnson spends $2 million a year to dodge death
- Qin Shi Huang sought the elixir of life
- Pope Innocent VIII and the blood drinking myth
- Diane de Poitiers and the gold that promised youth
- Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard's bizarre testicle experiments
- Alexander Bogdanov and the fountain of youth by blood transfusion
- Closing note
Bryan Johnson spends $2 million a year to dodge death
You’ve got to hand it to Bryan Johnson. He put his money where his mouth is. The tech entrepreneur and biohacker – star of Netflix doc Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever – apparently forks out $2m a year to evade the grip of the Grim Reaper. At one point, Bryan, now 48, attempted to freeze his biological clock by using blood plasma transfusions from his teen son.
Qin Shi Huang sought the elixir of life
More than 2,200 years ago, Qin Shi Huang – the first Chinese emperor – tasked his subjects to uncover the elixir of life. His quest led him to consume cinnabar, made up of mercury sulfide, in a desperate bid to live longer. By no means a winning, or Qin-ing, formula, this might be what killed him in the end at the age of 49. Irony has never been so cruel.
Pope Innocent VIII and the blood drinking myth
No wonder folk had a cross to bear against Pope (not-so) Innocent VIII, a rascal religious figure who reportedly (ahem) Pontiff-icated about the virtues of drinking children’s blood. In 1492 he fell seriously ill and was fed the claret of pre-teen boys. The poor lads were sacrificed for no reason as the Pope met his maker just days later anyway.
Diane de Poitiers and the gold that promised youth
Diane De Poitiers, a 16th-century French noblewoman and lover of King Henry II, perished in her pursuit of everlasting beauty. She guzzled drinkable gold (gold chloride mixed with diethyl ether) to remain forever young. Centuries after her death, at 66, experts found metal traces in her hair, suggesting she died of chronic intoxication. Carat-and-stick, indeed!
Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard's bizarre testicle experiments
Scientist Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard provided the blueprint for truly bizarre experiments. At the top of the scrotum, sorry, totem pole was his belief that the ageing process could be avoided with the help of dog and guinea pig testicles, extracts of which he injected himself with. The bonkers brainiac hit the sack – permanently – aged 76 in 1894.
Alexander Bogdanov and the fountain of youth by blood transfusion
Russian revolutionary and physician Alexander Bogdanov thought he had found the fountain of youth. The boff claimed that blood transfusions, using the red stuff of younger peeps, rejuvenated his appearance and also improved his declining eyesight. However, in 1928, ol’ Bog pegged it after being infected with the blood of a student who had malaria and tuberculosis.
Closing note
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
