Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Every living thing – humans, animals, plants or a single cell – eventually dies, but why? How do cells know when to die? What controls the ageing process and could we ever halt it? Developmental biology and genetics give us new insights into how cells work and what happens when genes switch on and off.
Can we use this knowledge to improve or even extend life? And what are the ethical issues if we do? Would you really want to live forever?
About the 2013 CHRISTMAS LECTURES
Life is the greatest show on Earth from the lowliest worm to the mightiest mammal. Yet from the moment of conception to the formation of limbs, to the development of brains there’s something that all living things depend on: cells.
Cells grow, multiply, change, move, communicate and ultimately die. They are the very essence of life, but how do they work together to form it? Gradually we are beginning to unravel their secrets. Life is fantastic and full of questions, but as we reveal the answers more questions emerge.
The 2013 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, presented by Alison Woollard from the University of Oxford, will explore the frontiers of developmental biology and uncover the remarkable transformation of a single cell into a complex organism. What do these mechanisms tell us about the relationships between all creatures on Earth? And can we harness this knowledge to improve or even extend our own lives?
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Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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Chapters Below:
00:00 – Could Humans Live Forever?
01:15 – The 437-Year-Old Scientist (Lecture Introduction)
02:20 – How Long Do Animals Really Live?
07:20 – Watching an Entire Human Life in Minutes
09:40 – Predicting What You’ll Look Like When You’re Old
12:40 – Your Body Is Constantly Replacing Its Cells
25:10 – Why Cells Eventually Stop Dividing
27:30 – Apoptosis: Why Cells Are Programmed to Die
36:50 – The p53 Protein: Your Body’s Cancer Guardian
40:10 – How Mutations Can Lead to Tumours
43:20 – Naked Mole Rats and Their Anti-Cancer Secret
49:00 – The Tiny Worm That Helps Scientists Study Aging
55:40 – Is Lifespan Written in Our DNA?
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The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Every living thing – humans, animals, plants or a single cell – eventually dies, but why? How do cells know when to die? What controls the ageing process and could we ever halt it? Developmental biology and genetics give us new insights into how cells work and what happens when genes switch on and off.
Can we use this knowledge to improve or even extend life? And what are the ethical issues if we do? Would you really want to live forever?
About the 2013 CHRISTMAS LECTURES
Life is the greatest show on Earth from the lowliest worm to the mightiest mammal. Yet from the moment of conception to the formation of limbs, to the development of brains there’s something that all living things depend on: cells.
Cells grow, multiply, change, move, communicate and ultimately die. They are the very essence of life, but how do they work together to form it? Gradually we are beginning to unravel their secrets. Life is fantastic and full of questions, but as we reveal the answers more questions emerge.
The 2013 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, presented by Alison Woollard from the University of Oxford, will explore the frontiers of developmental biology and uncover the remarkable transformation of a single cell into a complex organism. What do these mechanisms tell us about the relationships between all creatures on Earth? And can we harness this knowledge to improve or even extend our own lives?
---
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
---
Chapters Below:
00:00 – Could Humans Live Forever?
01:15 – The 437-Year-Old Scientist (Lecture Introduction)
02:20 – How Long Do Animals Really Live?
07:20 – Watching an Entire Human Life in Minutes
09:40 – Predicting What You’ll Look Like When You’re Old
12:40 – Your Body Is Constantly Replacing Its Cells
25:10 – Why Cells Eventually Stop Dividing
27:30 – Apoptosis: Why Cells Are Programmed to Die
36:50 – The p53 Protein: Your Body’s Cancer Guardian
40:10 – How Mutations Can Lead to Tumours
43:20 – Naked Mole Rats and Their Anti-Cancer Secret
49:00 – The Tiny Worm That Helps Scientists Study Aging
55:40 – Is Lifespan Written in Our DNA?
---
The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
