The writer is a science commentator

The dreams of billionaires are something to behold. Their ultimate travel fix is not a luxury round-the-world jaunt but, in the case of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, a ride to the edge of space, albeit as publicity stunts for their respective commercial space ventures.

And when it comes to staying young, a hair transplant and facelift no longer suffice. Why not try to defer death by hacking the ageing process? That is the prospect behind Altos Labs, a Silicon Valley company that has poached some of the best-known scientists in the field of ageing. Amazon founder Bezos is one reported backer. Another is Yuri Milner, a billionaire tech investor who set up the Breakthrough Prizes with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, among others. Up to six prizes, worth $3m apiece, are awarded across the life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics, making them the most lucrative individual gongs for science (the Nobel Prizes are each worth a shade over $1m).