The Melatonin Miracle by W Pierpaoli and W Regelson, with C. Colman (Simon & Schuster $20.50, ISBN 0 684 81335 1) is book that does a disservice to science. Its primary claim is that human lifespan can be extended by 30 per cent or more by daily ingestion of the hormone melatonin. This is a totally unjustified extrapolation of some experiments in mice performed by one of the authors.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Orangutan mothers seem to plan playdates for their offspring
2
A volcano has erupted remnants of Earth's primordial magma ocean
3
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
4
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
5
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
6
What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet
7
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
8
The 4 must-watch science-fiction films of the year so far
9
We may have finally solved cosmology's chicken-or-the-egg problem
10
‘Hobbit’ hominins scavenged meat left over by Komodo dragons
