A Father & Son Go Looking for the Secret to Longevity

Everyone’s talking about longevity. Few actually understand it. Some see it as billionaire biohacking. Others picture a future filled with gene editing and age-reversing pills. But what does it really take to live longer — and better? That question inspired our father-and-son quest for longevity around the world, taking us across five continents to find the real answers.

In 2023, I decided to take a year off to pursue a project that had been on my mind for a long time: a global journey to explore what science, medicine and culture can teach us about healthy aging and longevity. A few years earlier, I had invited my son, Alek, to travel the world with me, but he hadn’t been ready. Now he was — and we decided to connect our journey to something bigger than ourselves: a shared quest for longevity.

Together, we blended the science of healthy aging with adventure, discovery and cultural exploration. Along the way, Alek didn’t just meet leading scientists but also many of my friends around the world. It became a year of personal growth, learning, and deepening our relationship.

We sat down and started mapping out potential destinations on a… napkin. Cities like San Francisco, Dublin, Boston, Singapore and Tokyo came up — places where research on longevity, biotechnology or preventative medicine was actively evolving. What started as a casual idea quickly turned into a serious project. We weren’t just planning a father-son trip. We were building what would become The Longevity Quest.

More than miles

The idea of the Longevity Quest had deeper roots. My real eureka moment came several years earlier at the Extreme Future Technologies and Forecasting Conference in San Francisco. At the time, I was running a large advertising agency, working for big consumer brands. But that event opened my eyes. I met people working on 20–30-year visions — projects that could truly change the world. I no longer wanted to use my skills just to sell more products. I wanted to help tell the stories of those trying to solve real problems.

We weren’t looking for magic pills or silver bullets. We were looking for clarity. What’s real, what’s hype, and what’s actually possible if we take healthspan and prevention seriously? Over time, some of the people we met became more than interviewees — they became friends. One of them, Nicole Gibson, captured something early in the journey that stuck with us throughout.

“Reconnect all the dimensions — length of life, quality of health, and the actual experience of living. Otherwise, we’re missing the point.”

That became a kind of compass for us. This quest was never just about living longer — it was about learning how to live better, with more agency, energy and awareness. The journey officially started in August 2023 at the Longevity Summit Dublin. That event set the tone. We met scientists and experts like Brian Kennedy, Aubrey de Grey, Andrea B. Maier, Steve Horvath, Evelyne Bischof, Tina Woods, Max Unfried, Max More, Michael Lim and Liz Parrish — people who have been shaping the field of aging research for years.

From there, we spent over a year on the road, visiting dozens of cities across five continents: Boston, New York, London, Copenhagen, Singapore, Shanghai, Bali, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Chile and more. Originally, we planned to collect content for social media. But our friend, filmmaker Kamil Rydzewski, encouraged us to think bigger. With cinematic gear and a clearer sense of purpose, we began shaping the material into a full-length documentary — one that could make longevity science accessible and engaging to a global audience. We decided that to really reach the masses, we need to create emotional stories that inspire, not just another movie with talking heads.

Landmarks of the body and mind

Some places became emotional and symbolic anchors. Dublin wasn’t just our starting point — it was the first time we felt part of a real longevity community. Bali offered a pause, both mentally and physically: where we shifted from thinking about performance and optimization to thinking about rhythm, balance, and how to feel at home in your own body.

We weren’t working with a big crew. We organized everything ourselves — bookings, transportation, gear, scheduling. In New Zealand we lost our luggage for nearly two weeks. In other places, interview setups had to be built from scratch in hotel rooms, or we slept in a car when there were no rooms during Chinese New Year. But all of it added to the experience.

What became obvious was that longevity isn’t a narrow field. It’s not about supplements or genes. It’s a cross-disciplinary effort that connects biology, psychology, diagnostics, nutrition, culture, economics and technology. No single expert has the full picture. That’s exactly why we kept asking questions. As longevity expert and author Oz García told us during a long conversation in New York:

“Life keeps surprising us in beautiful ways. As long as you nurture your curiosity and stay in flow, you’re not just living a long life — you’re living a meaningful one.”

Growing together, not just growing older

Throughout the year we encountered complex scientific ideas, logistical challenges, and the pressure of documenting everything on the move. But the hardest part wasn’t the travel or the research. It was navigating the evolving father-son relationship under constant pressure and proximity.

Sharing a room, a bed, or even a car for a year brought out everything: the good, the difficult and the unexpected. There were tensions, especially early on. Alek didn’t always want to be on camera. There were moments when I questioned whether we should continue. But I’m utterly grateful we kept going, and I slowly began to shift my approach — letting go of expectations and giving him more space to define his role.

That shift made all the difference. Alek started to take real ownership. He became our main videographer, learning the gear better than I did. His confidence grew. He wasn’t just along for the ride anymore — he was shaping the story with me. Eventually he even started speaking at conferences in Shanghai, Singapore and Copenhagen. Watching that transformation was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire year.

Brendan Coates, one of the people we met, captured it well: “You get to be like brothers — father and son, yes, but also friends, co-pilots on the same mission.” And Leslie Kenny put it in more biological terms: “That emotional connection… it’s biochemical. And it will serve you both well.” She was right. Longevity isn’t just about genes and diagnostics — it’s also about relationships.

Mapping the landscape of longevity

As the journey progressed, we realized how fragmented the longevity space really is. Experts often focus on one domain — nutrition, biomarkers, genetics, supplements, diagnostics, cell reprogramming, emotional healing, movement — but it’s rare to find anyone who connects the dots. That’s why I started building what I called the Longevity Map — a simple visual framework to help make sense of the complexity. Not a scientific model, but a tool for orientation.

The map has three main levels, plus one critical bridge. The first is Longevity Basics — the low-cost, low-tech strategies almost anyone can adopt: real food, quality sleep, consistent exercise, managing stress, good relationships, staying in flow, cultivating purpose. My one thought describes it all: “Treat your heart, mind and body as a temple and not as a trash bin.” The second is Biohacking Upgrades — wearables, advanced diagnostics, red light, hyperbaric oxygen, saunas, cold plunges, stem cells, targeted supplementation. The third is Radical Life Extension — partial epigenetic reprogramming, gene therapy, 3D bioprinting, cellular rejuvenation. And across them all runs the Bridge of Prevention. As I always say: “Don’t die from something stupid.”

We shared the map with many of the people we met. Eric Verdin, CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, responded with enthusiasm: “People need frameworks, they need context, and they need hope — and what you’re offering is all three.” At the end, I added one more level to the map: starting a movement — changing the rules of the game. And that’s actually my mission.

The real definition of longevity

One thing became clear over time: longevity is often misunderstood. Somewhere along the way, we began to see it not just as a science or a lifestyle — but as a kind of game. It was Dr Sandy Kaufmann who first introduced us to that mindset: you earn points for every smart intervention, and lose points for the unhealthy ones. That framing stuck.

For us, longevity is not about living forever. It’s about staying healthy and functional for as long as possible — keeping your mind sharp, your body strong, and your relationships meaningful, whether you live to 90, 120 or beyond. As Allison Duettmann, CEO of the Foresight Institute, told us at Harvard:

“We should liberate people to claim this number one human right: the right to live.”

Andrea B. Maier framed the other half of it: “Without joy and purpose, it doesn’t matter how good your blood work looks.” If there’s one definition of longevity that stuck with us most, it’s this: it’s not just about lifespan or healthspan. It’s about truly living. It’s about Living Beyond.

The ripple effect: this is just the beginning

We set out to learn, to ask questions, to better understand how to live longer and better. But along the way, the journey started to resonate with people far beyond our immediate circles. Many of the scientists we interviewed opened their doors — not just professionally, but personally. We were invited into homes, labs, clinics, family dinners. What made the difference wasn’t just the subject — it was the format. A father and son, travelling together, asking real questions.

We’re now turning the experience into a documentary, a docuseries, a book and a podcast — not to position ourselves as experts, but to keep the conversation going. Srikumar Rao said something that stayed with us long after the cameras were off: “The only journey that truly matters is the inward journey. The happiness you seek is already within you.”

What I wish for you

If you’ve read this far, thank you. What I wish for you — whoever you are, wherever you’re reading this — is not perfection. Not optimization. Not a new supplement stack. I wish you clarity. I wish you the ability to pause and ask: what do I actually want more time for?

We started this whole thing with a sketch on a napkin. That map is long gone now, but what we mapped together — in experience, in perspective, in purpose — will stay with us. Matt Kaeberlein, one of the world’s leading aging researchers, gave us a parting message that felt just right: “Joy and connection. That’s healthspan in action.”

In the end, this wasn’t a quest to live forever. It was a quest to live now — with clarity, courage and love. And that, we’ve learned, is what true longevity is. It’s time to Live Beyond.

Marek Piotrowski, Longevity Advocate ↗

The film and the book are coming in 2026 — the story behind this journey.

The Film · The Book · More articles →