Humans could live to 130 and beyond by end of the century

Kane Tanaka from Japan has just turned 119, making her the oldest person alive
Kane Tanaka from Japan has just turned 119, making her the oldest person alive
REUTERS

People could live to 130 by the end of the century and there may be no upper limit on the human lifespan, scientists have suggested.

In 1873 the British writer William Thoms published Human Longevity, Its Facts and Its Fictions and argued that 100 was roughly the hard limit of life expectancy.

He has been proved wrong, however, by more than a dozen people alive today who have verifiable ages of 110 and above, including the oldest person alive, Kane Tanaka of Japan, who celebrated her 119th birthday on January 2.

The oldest person ever was Jeanne Calment, a Frenchwoman who died in 1997 at the age of 122.

That record could be smashed by 2100, if scientists are to be believed.

Léo Belzile,