There is a fantastic chart that shows the remarkable increase in life expectancy over the last half-century. In Australia it has increased from 71 years in 1960 to 83 years in 2016. It is easy to assume that this these gains are the result of remarkable one-off discoveries that will not be replicated.

However, the uptrend in longevity shows few signs of abating and many of us will live longer than our parents. Interestingly, much of the recent increase in life expectancy in developed countries has not been through the reduction of infant mortality, which is now quite low, but in extending the lives of the oldest in our communities.

A World Health Organisation report suggests that “the 85-and-over population is projected to increase 351 per cent between 2010 and 2050, compared to a 188 per cent increase for the population aged 65 or older and a 22 per cent increase for the population under age 65”.

The longer that we live, the closer we come to achieving what researchers term “longevity escape velocity”. That is, for each additional year of life, we benefit from further medical breakthroughs which materially extend life.

Entrepreneurs such as Peter Diamandis, futurists like Ray Kurzweil and respected physicians including Dr Peter Attia MD suggest that lifespans well beyond the oldest recorded age of 122 years may become the norm. They also suggest that medical advancements and greater understanding of human biology will not just result in more years of life, but improved health span, meaning more time to be active and engaged.