The hunt for immortality is as old as life itself. But in the last decade, the once niche longevity field has exploded into the mainstream — drawing in scientists, biotechs, longevity clinics and wellness influencers, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

• The offerings now veer into sci-fi: reprogramming cells to a younger state ... tweaking genes ... whole-body MRIs ... and blood plasma cocktails.

But the real game-changers are already here, says Eric Topol, a physician-researcher and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.

💰 The money quote: Lifestyle factors are "the biggest thing we have right now, and essentially, they're all free," he said.

• In his new book, "Super Agers" (out this week), Topol writes that the answer to anti-aging doesn't lie in turning back time, but in harnessing our improved capabilities to predict and prevent the chronic diseases that shorten our lives.

We asked Topol about some of the things he's begun doing to improve his own healthspan:

1. 🏋️ Strength training: "As a cardiologist, I've only been stressing aerobic exercise," Topol told Axios. "But as I got into it, I realized the data for resistance strength training as we get older is really important and extraordinary. So I got into that in a big way."
2. 🛏️ Quality sleep: "I really worked hard on sleep because as we get older, we lose our deep sleep. And so I've been tracking that ... learning how I could get more deep sleep and steadily improving that. It's fundamental to slow your brain aging."
3. 🍽️ Simpler diet: "I completely changed what I eat as far as ultra-processed food," Topol said. "Usually I don't need to read labels because if it's got a package, it's probably bad to start with."
4. 😎 Social connection: Time with others and time in nature can also have major impacts on our health, he said.

Share this story ... Get the book.

For the Finish Liners who love reality TV: Axios' Neal Rothschild spent his Saturday shuffling around D.C.'s Rock Creek Park, attempting to channel 25 years' worth of lessons from "Survivor" into a day-long replica of the long-running reality show.

• Survivor DC: Rock Creek Park held its 15th "season" this weekend with 18 players from mostly near, but some far, including LA.

💭 Neal's thought bubble: Modern-era "Survivor" is much more about social politics and strategy than the survival aspect. That means even a condensed, low-budget version at a local park can create the same dynamics, dilemmas and decision points as the real thing.

• That goes a long way toward making it feel like you're actually playing "Survivor" — even if the prize money is $250 instead of $1 million, and it's being documented on Instagram Stories instead of broadcast TV.

I relished the high highs of lying to tribemates about a decision, to get an extra vote advantage, and the low lows of being lied to about voting plans before I was the game's sixth boot.

• Share this story.