Is Data on Human Longevity Failing Us?

In a Conversation article titled "The Data on Extreme Human Ageing is Rotten from the Inside Out," Saul Justin Newman, an Ig Nobel Prize winner, critiques the reliability of data on extreme old age. Newman argues that many claims of extreme human longevity, particularly those surpassing 110 years, are flawed due to poor data management and record-keeping. His analysis raises questions about the validity of studies on supercentenarians and the statistical anomalies that arise.

With the Greeks, by my estimates at least 72% of centenarians were dead, missing or essentially pension-fraud cases.

‘The data on extreme human ageing is rotten from the inside out’ – Ig Nobel winner Saul Justin Newman

Saul Newman’s research suggests that we’re completely mistaken about how long humans live for.

The ConversationSaul Justin Newman