What Shall It Profit?

"What Shall It Profit?" by Poul Anderson is a science fiction story that looks at what happens when science figures out how to make people live much longer. The story, likely from the mid-20th century, follows Arnold Radek, a newsman who finds himself sniffing around secrets at the Institute of Human Biology. It all starts after a night out with a fired clerk when Radek hears whispers of experiments to make people live almost forever. Curiosity and worry push him to confront Dr. Marcus Lang, head of the Institute, and what Radek finds is a hidden project aiming for immortality. But there’s a dark side: staying young forever means giving up freedom and messing with society's rules. Ultimately, the book makes you think about what life really means, what's important in our existence, and what scientists should be responsible for when they come up with big discoveries.