Extending the human lifespan is a long-held dream of science, but there have been few concrete methods for retarding the ageing process so far. The latest suggestion from Oxford University here in the UK is that food fortified with deuterium, the ‘heavy’ isotope of hydrogen, might strengthen the chemical bonds in the cells of our bodies and give us longer healthier lives in the process. Other scientists in the field are not so enthusiastic about the idea, so aspiring transhumanists may wish to wait for further research before changing their diet.