C. T Murphy

Youth can be poured into test tubes. That is exactly what researchers at Princeton did: they took young Caenorhabditis elegans worms, gently broke their cells apart, and got a liquid resembling a nutrient broth. Then they added this broth to living worms and watched how long they lived. The result was unexpected: average lifespan rose by 21%. The secret is not in pheromones.

Every cell has a sensor that keeps tabs on energy levels, the way a smart meter keeps tabs on the electricity in your house. When energy runs low, it switches to saver mode: the cell spends less and stores more. Scientists have long suspected that aging is tied to this sensor gradually losing its touch.