Hacking Humanity: How technology can save your health and your life

New longevity book by Lara Lewington (BBC Journalist, television presenter)

Thirteen years have flown by since I published The Ageless Generation. That book warned of the coming “Silver Tsunami” and explored early longevity science and aging economics, but in truth, my most actionable advice boiled down to what I call “Do What Your Mother Told You” (DYMT). A decade later, despite amazing advances, we’ve essentially circled back to DYMT as the surest path to a few extra years of health.

A new crop of longevity books has arrived since. David Sinclair’s brilliant Lifespan makes the case for extending healthspan, but its practical tips largely retreat to the usual suspects. The same pattern holds for books by Peter Attia, Nir Barzilai, and others. They dazzle with futuristic science, but when asked, “So, what can I do today?” the answer rarely ventures beyond DYMT. This leaves me pondering a key question for my own new book: how can I provide something truly new?

Enter the latest major entry: “Hacking Humanity” by technology journalist Lara Lewington. My initial question was simple: Does this one finally break the mold? Or is it another volume of brilliant science that ultimately defaults back to eat your veggies and hope for the best?

Having now consumed it, the answer is a resounding and refreshingly clear: Hacking Humanity is not another book in the genre; it is the genre’s essential translator. It is a work of remarkable clarity that demystifies the health-tech revolution for the audience that matters most: everyone.

It is also quite different from David Sinclair’s masterpiece “Lifespan” and Eric Topol’s recent book “Super Agers”.

Deconstructing the Content: A Decisive Move Beyond DYMT

A common failing of popular health books is showcasing futuristic science while offering only basic lifestyle advice. Hacking Humanity skillfully avoids this trap by using lifestyle as a gateway to the frontier, not a final destination.

I would estimate the book’s content breakdown as follows: 25% Tech-Enabled DYMT and 75% Frontier Technology and Societal Implications.

• Part 1: "It's All About You" (roughly 25% of the book) serves as a brilliant on-ramp. It covers exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mental health, but frames them immediately through a technological lens. This isn't just DYMT; it's DYMT supercharged with data from wearables, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), and AI-driven apps. It uses the familiar to introduce the power of personal data.

• Part 2: "Dodging Disease" (nearly 50% of the book) is where Lewington leaves the familiar behind. This section is an extensive, story-driven exploration of the technologies shifting medicine from reactive to proactive. It is almost entirely dedicated to new technologies, providing clear explanations of at-home genetic testing, liquid biopsies like GRAIL’s Galleri test, and the transformative role of AI in radiology, where algorithms now augment the human eye in spotting tumors.

• Parts 3 & 4 ("Who Wants to Live Forever Anyway?" and "Making it Real") tackle the philosophical and societal implications. Here, Lewington explores the absolute frontier of longevity science and confronts the immense challenges of health equity, regulation, and data privacy.

The book decisively moves beyond lifestyle advice to offer a comprehensive survey of the tools that will define the next era of medicine.

A Balanced Report from the Absolute Frontier

A key measure of a book like this is its willingness to engage with the truly cutting-edge—and often controversial—ideas. Lewington excels, acting as a balanced and discerning guide. She covers:

• Cellular Rejuvenation: She discusses the ambitious work of companies like Altos Labs, which launched with $3 billion to pursue "cellular rejuvenation programming" to reverse disease at a cellular level.

• Gene Editing: CRISPR is explained not as a far-off concept but through its real-world application in the first FDA-approved treatment for sickle-cell disease, grounding the revolutionary in the tangible. She also explores one-off gene-editing treatments to permanently lower cholesterol by deactivating the PCSK9 gene.

• Advanced Organ Engineering: The book delves into "organs-on-a-chip" technology and the work of companies like LyGenesis, which is trialing methods to regrow liver tissue within a patient's lymph nodes.

• Radical Longevity Figures: Lewington doesn't shy away from the field's more extreme personalities. She interviews Bryan Johnson, documenting his multi-million-dollar "don't die" project, and engages with gerontologist Aubrey de Grey and his concept of "longevity escape velocity." Her journalistic framing presents these as fascinating case studies, not endorsements. Sadly, she did not cover my research or advances made by some of the prominent scientists in the field.

• Brain-Computer Interfaces: The book features a compelling interview with Noland Arbaugh, the first human recipient of Elon Musk's Neuralink implant, who describes the transformative power of controlling a computer with his thoughts.

• The Perfect Companion to Super Agers: This is the most illuminating comparison. Topol’s book is a brilliant but often technically dense "exhaustive and occasionally exhausting resource". Topol, the physician-scientist, provides the definitive clinical and scientific rationale for the new era of medicine. Lewington, the journalist, takes these same concepts and makes them breathe. She tells the human stories behind the data. If

  Super Agers is the essential textbook, Hacking Humanity is the indispensable documentary film that accompanies it.

• The Broad Survey vs. The Singular Thesis of Lifespan: Where Sinclair’s Lifespan is built around a powerful, singular argument—aging is a disease to be cured—Lewington offers a panoramic survey. She reports on the world of NAD+ boosters and epigenetic clocks but does so from an observational distance. Her book doesn't ask you to subscribe to a single theory but invites you to understand the entire ecosystem of ideas.

• The Guide vs. The Coach (Outlive): Peter Attia’s Outlive is a tactical manual. It gives you specific exercise and nutritional strategies. Hacking Humanity is not a "how-to" guide. Lewington’s purpose is not to be your personal coach but your trusted guide, equipping you with the knowledge to understand the tools and trends so you can engage with experts like Attia more effectively.

Final Verdict

Hacking Humanity is a triumph of scientific communication. Its primary strength is its journalistic voice, which translates complex subjects into accessible, engaging, and human-centered stories. Lewington successfully "separates the nonsense from the evidence" while maintaining a sense of wonder and optimism.

As I work on my new longevity book, Hacking Humanity has given me a lot to chew on. It’s a very different approach from Super Agers, and it presents a healthy challenge: How can I write something that goes even further or adds unique value? Topol has raised the bar for rigor, and Lewington has masterfully claimed the role of the public's translator.

To differentiate my work, I realize I’ll need to dive even deeper into the trenches of longevity biotech—exploring the business and investment side of these therapies and scrutinizing which moonshot ideas might actually deliver results. I can’t just rehash DYMT advice; I’ll have to seek out fresh, credible strategies beyond what these excellent books have already covered.

That will take time. Until then, you couldn't ask for two better companions for your own exploration. Read Super Agers for the pragmatic, data-driven roadmap of what's possible now. And read Hacking Humanity to understand the stories, the people, and the incredible breadth of the revolution that is already underway.

Learn From The Best and Get Involved

This brings us to a final, crucial point. The longevity revolution, as detailed in the works of Lewington, Topol, and Sinclair, will not happen in a vacuum. It will be shaped by public understanding, policy, and personal engagement. Reading these books is a vital first step, but to truly grasp the velocity of change, we must engage with the science as it unfolds. This is why events like the Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) conference are so profoundly important. It is at gatherings like these—the upcoming 12th ARDD in Copenhagen in 2025 is a prime example—where the world’s top scientists, biotech leaders, and investors converge to debate the very breakthroughs that will define our future health. Being informed isn't merely an academic exercise; it is a civic duty and a personal necessity. It allows us to advocate for a future where these technologies are developed equitably, to distinguish between credible science and cynical hype, and to become active participants, not just passive recipients, in the quest to extend our healthspan. This is our story being written in real-time, and we all have a role to play.

ARDD is where the big pharmaceutical companies that are very active in longevity like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk convene with over 50 startup companies including Insilico Medicine and top academic scientists and present the state of art in aging research and drug discovery. This year’s ARDD will transpire 25-29th of August in Copenhagen at the epic Grand Hall in the center of Copenhagen. The building and the overflow areas can not fit over 750 delegates so register early to get your spot at www.AgingPharma.org .