The Next Big Idea Daily What Can Animals Teach Us About Longevity?
Mar 13, 2026
Steven Austad, a biologist who studies extreme lifespans, and Nicholas Brendborg, a molecular biologist who studies organisms that reverse aging. They compare wildly different aging patterns across species. They explore repair vs. damage, tiny animals that live long, rejuvenating jellyfish, and surprising clues from whales, bats, and clams.
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The Jellyfish That Reverts To A Polyp
- The tiny jellyfish Turritopsis can revert from adult back to polyp under stress, effectively rejuvenating itself.
- Brendborg compares it to a butterfly turning back into a caterpillar and notes no observed limit to repeated cycles.
Use Beneficial Stressors To Trigger Hormesis
- Use controlled stressors to trigger hormesis and strengthen the body rather than avoiding all stress.
- Brendborg recommends exercise, sauna, cold-water immersion, fasting, and blood donation as practical hormetic strategies.
Floss Regularly To Reduce Disease Risk
- Keep oral bacteria in check to possibly reduce risk of age-related diseases.
- Brendborg points to periodontitis links to Alzheimer's, heart clots, and cancers and recommends flossing to remove food that feeds harmful mouth bacteria.