It was like stepping on to an escalator; I could do anything. I was just made for science.

The idea that ageing was subject to control was completely unexpected.

I eat some fruit every day, but not too much and almost no processed food. I stay away from sweets, except 80 per cent chocolate.

Carbohydrates, and especially refined ones like sugar, make you produce lots of extra insulin. I've been keeping my intake really low ever since I discovered this. I've cut out all starch such as potatoes, noodles, rice, bread and pasta.

You would think that UV just causes mutations, but it doesn't, you need a gene to be active for it.

It was like stepping on to an escalator; I could do anything. I was just made for science.

In principle, if you understood the mechanisms of keeping things repaired, you could keep things going indefinitely.