Saul Justin Newman has published Morbid, a book that exposes fraud in longevity science. With humor and data, it reveals that many stories of centenarians are false, such as Irma Borgoglio, who was dead while her son collected her pension. It also deflates the myth of blue zones and criticizes anti-aging medicine.
The statistical flaw that overturns supercentenarian databases 📊
Newman applies statistical rigor to show that supercentenarian records are full of errors. In blue zones like Okinawa, many supposed long-lived individuals had poor birth records or had been removed from censuses. The author points out that the lack of documentary verification and economic incentives (pensions) generate inflated data. His work earned him an Ig Nobel Prize in 2024 for exposing these flaws in registration systems.
No, resveratrol won't make you immortal (nor will your pension last that long) 💊
Newman also takes aim at drugs like resveratrol, that miracle molecule that promised eternal youth. Spoiler: it doesn't work. The book demonstrates that the anti-aging industry sells smoke with poorly designed studies. Meanwhile, someone in a blue zone was collecting their dead grandmother's pension. Perhaps the secret to longevity isn't diet, but having a child with good accounting skills.