Would you want to know?
The idea of knowing the date of your death is, in our opinion, extremely intriguing. It raises the question:
“𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡?”
It may be less far-fetched than it sounds. Advances in epigenetics and biomarker science mean we can increasingly estimate health risks in the near, or not-so-distant, future.
For some, this knowledge could be empowering. It could motivate healthier choices and a life lived to the fullest. For others, it could lead to anxiety, overthinking and an obsession with the inevitable.
In the end, the decision to explore the science of longevity is a personal one. But one thing is clear: a significant part of your health and lifespan is in your hands.
Through mindful lifestyle choices, you can influence your epigenetics and potentially add years to your life, without ever needing to know when your time is up.
“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤”
We thought it would be interesting to put this to the test. So we ran some numbers through our DNA methylation algorithm, Methylpace, and gave it an aptly sinister new name: the “Death Clock” (imaginative, we know!).
Methylpace measures the mean methylation of CpG sites that correlate strongly with chronological age and are also associated with mortality. As a thought experiment: if it can work as a life clock, could it also work in reverse, as a death clock?
Across more than 11,000 individuals, scores ranged from a clear starting point (the youngest) to a maximum (the oldest):
▪️ Our youngest cohort, aged 11–17 (n=56), had a mean score of 0.11.
▪️ Our oldest cohort, aged 89–103 (n=126), had a mean score of 0.55.
▪️ The highest score we have recorded is 0.56.
Scores close to this maximum appeared in the very elderly. Intriguingly, we also saw them in middle-aged people with terminal illness, where we would expect scores closer to 0.3.
This leads us to a hypothesis: the clock may act like a timer from birth to death ☠️. Approaching the maximum may coincide with a sharply increased risk of death.
Reaching that point doesn’t depend on time alone. Disease, lifestyle, environment and medication may all speed up the process.
So rather than only telling you how old you are biologically, a reversed clock might one day estimate how much time you have left if you continue on your current health path. Tick, tock.
So, our question to you is:
Would you want to know the possible year of your death?
