On 15 October, the 2026 GESDA Anticipation Summit opened its doors to over 500 members of the public for ‘Les Nocturnes de GESDA’, an event which explored the ethical, economic, and social issues emerging from extreme human longevity.

“The prospect of significantly extending human lifespan raises fascinating scientific questions, but also profound challenges for society,” said GESDA Director General, Marilyne Andersen. “Through Les Nocturnes, we set out to engage the general public in conversations about ethical boundaries, required investments, and the need to prepare for a world in which centenarians are the norm, rather than the exception.”

During the event, attendees participated in workshops led by Virgil Health, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Clinique La Prairie, Julius Baer, Urbaplan, ETH Singapore and the University of Lausanne, which explored a wide range of health, ethical, economic and urban planning implications of longevity.

Issues relating to healthspan extension were also discussed during the 2026 GESDA Anticipation Summit, which featured the latest insights from GESDA’s Science Breakthrough Radar. The GESDA network has also recently produced a report on Augmenting Sleep to Slow Down Biological Ageing.