Gilgamesh undertook a dangerous journey across ancient MesopotamiaA historical region of the Middle East, mostly centred on modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria and Turkey. The name "Mesopotamia" in Greek means "between rivers" because of the Tigris and Euphrates that run through it. and walked the very bottom of the sea bed in pursuit of immortalityStaying alive forever. and eternalLasting forever. youth. A Hungarian woman bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth. The Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang was serious about his search for an "elixirA medicinal or magical potion.  of life", but died due to mercury poisoning.

Sigmund FreudAn Austrian psychoanalyst who was one of the world's foremost authorities on psychology in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Although his ideas have been discredited in the scientific community, he remains influential for literary scholars. called death "the aim of all life" - but it is also our most prevalent fear. Throughout history, people have done everything in their power to put it off, including trying to preserve their youth indefinitely.

But only now does it seem like it may be possible. We have gone to space, created artificial intelligence and edited our genetic codes.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is investing huge sums in a biotechnology startup aiming to add 50 years to the human lifespan. Fellow billionaire Peter Thiel signed up with a cryonicsThe practice of freezing the bodies of people who have just died in the hope that future medical treatments will be able to save them. company which freezes bodies and brains indefinitely for an annual payment.

If you think that is pretty gnarly stuff, meet Bryan Johnson. The 45-year-old tech millionaire is determined to be a teenager again. He has gone so far as to take blood from his own adolescent son, take part in experimental treatments only tested on mice and make 33,537 images of his bowels.

Life expectancy has doubled over the last 150 years. We are starting to talk not of lifespans, but of "healthspans": the number of healthy years we experience before our ultimate demise. But living longer in an aged and uncomfortable body may quickly transpire to be more of a curse than a blessing.

Many have criticised Johnson and other anti-agers for what they see as a hubristicOverly proud or self-confident. vanity project. Ageing is not only natural, they say, but necessary: new generations take up the mantle from their parents and carve a new path for humankind with new ideas. It is the basis of progress.

But is looking for a cure to age really such a bad idea? Age is the highest risk factor for disease. Postponing the ageing process could work as a treatment for age-related illnesses like dementiaA syndrome associated with memory loss and other declining brain functions.  and cancer.

Whether pursuing Dorian GrayThe character created by Oscar Wilde whose wish to stay young and beautiful is granted.'s fantasy or simply looking to expand your longevity in a healthy body, the question remains of how far we are willing to go to sip from the fountain of youth - and how much it is worth.

Yes: Youth is not just a social construct - it is also the time that our bodies are at their healthiest and we can develop new skills more easily. So many diseases are caused by ageing.

No: We should try to optimise health at every age, but not by stigmatising ageing. Many of the people trying to stay "eternally young" are doing so because of social pressures.

Or... It is hardly worth discussing a recipe for eternal youth as things stand, because at this rate it will only be in the hands of tech billionaires. We should take advantage of any valid medical advancements, but they must be in the hands of everyone.