Star Trek Human Longevity Theory.

TV As an apology for inferiority of tonight's distracted Class review, here's a special bonus post about Star Trek instead.

One of the elements of Star Trek going forward has been the longevity of some of the characters, who seem to have lived or are living way past the expected norms.

Human longevity has already increased due to medical advances and to be sure that would presumably continue into the 22nd, 23rd and 24th centuries. Apart from McCoy reaching 137, Picard is still in fine fettle in Nemesis at the age of 74 giving no indication of retirement. Despite being half-human, Spock Prime managed 162. His father Sarek went at 203. Between Encounter at Farpoint and Nemesis, Riker's only supposed to have aged fifteen years.

Only some of which can be explained by medical advances.

Here's my theory.

Warp travel.

The theory goes, traveling beyond the speed of light would mean an astronaut would stop aging, time continuing around them, as demonstrated to great effect in Interstellar.

Imagine what travelling at warp speed does.

What if, during the various spurts of warp speed star ship crews experience, time stops inside the ship? What if, as a result, they stop aging during those periods which has a cumulative effect on their longevity?

Of course it doesn't quite work. Time passes within the confines of the ship and chronologically matches whatever's happening outside. In the speed of light theory, the traveler doesn't notice that time has passed on the outside of the ship.

But it's possible there's some technological compensation for that which can't take into account human biology.

Still, the upshot would be the longer you spend travelling in space at warp speed, the longer you'll live.