it goes back to, as you say, at least as far as gilgamesh.eligions, this dissatisfaction we are in these fleshy human body —— bodies and we die. we say, why is that? it's difficult to accept the fact we die. we've always been uncomfortable with it, understandably. do you think in the next century or two it will be enough to be human, or will humans be second—class citizens? this is one of the ideas of the transhumanist movement, the idea we have to merge with technology or become obsolete. i think part of the thinking of the movement comes from, i think, and over—identification with machines. this sort of idea that we are already machines and we have to become more sophisticated machines. now it's been taken one stage further, because in a way fiction and sci—fi lead to a lot of scientific research. there are now organisations trying to cheat mortality, were you surprised to the extent of that? yes, i knew this stuff was there and then i investigated it. i kept seeing peter teal‘s money, again and again, he's involved ina lot of this stuff. a

and in the centuries since gilgamesh's tale was told, that quest has remained as urgent as ever.all want to know that our lives amount to more than the sum of our experiences. we all need a why to help us get through the good and the bad of life. so what is a meaningful life? there is one defining feature. you connect and contribute to something beyond yourself. that could be your family, your work, nature, or god. when people say their lives are meaningful, it's because three conditions have been satisfied: they believe their lives matter; they have a sense of purpose that drives them forward; and they think their lives are coherent and make sense. it sounds like a lot, but that last point is something you can do right now. people tell me the simple act of storytelling gives meaning, or can at least clear the path to it. that, i think, might explain the rise of rap and hip-hop and the popularity of the radio series "storycorps" and "the moth." making a narrative out of the events in your life provides clarity. it offers a framework that goes beyond the day-to-day. it's the act i