Image: Buddhika WeerasingheSource: Getty ImagesScientists may have found the ceiling for how long a human being can actually live, and the number is both remarkable and sobering. The culprit: somatic mutationsThe research centres on what scientists call somatic mutations, which are changes to the DNA of ordinary cells that accumulate gradually from birth. The result pointed to a median life expectancy of 146 years, with an upper limit approaching 194 years. The study identified these as ‘critical lifespan bottlenecks,’ meaning when these cells fail, the organs fail, and life ends. A young South African man surprised his grandmother with a thoughtful morning delivery of pink pyjamas and matching slippers.