Will you live to 100? The numbers don’t add up

Saul Newman’s book ‘Morbid’ debunks the science behind the longevity industry and the claim that people in blue zones live longer

The data suggesting that blue zones, such as Sardinia, have more centenarians is flawed, says researcher Saul Newman. Picture: iStock 

Saul Newman’s new book, Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science, has ruffled quite a few feathers. It critiques everything from notions of expanded human lifespan to the blue zones (where centenarians are said to be more common) to the scientific claims underpinning the booming longevity industry.

Morbid pulls no punches. Why did Newman write it? “Sheer bloody-mindedness,” the scientist tells me over Zoom from his home in Australia.