The longest any human has lived is 122 years, according to Guinness World Records. But the September 13, 2013 issue of Time magazine announced that Google and its CEO Larry Page are funding a company that will try to extend human lifespan and solve the diseases of aging. The weekly's next newsstand cover asks, in huge letters, "Can Google Solve Death?"

The death-curing company Time is referring to is Calico. According to a press release put out at the same time as the article, Calico "will focus on health and well-being, in particular the challenge of aging and associated diseases." Calico's CEO and founding investor is Arthur D. Levinson, the former CEO of Genentech, the biotech corporation. Levinson has been given a new role to alter the basic nature of human existence.

But if you're looking for more details about Calico from Time's exuberant cover story, don't bother. All Google offers is the following about all-knowing data. Google CEO Larry Page wrote on his blog:

OK … so you're probably thinking wow! That's a lot different from what Google does today. And you're right. But as we explained in our first letter to shareholders, there's tremendous potential for technology more generally to improve people's lives. So don't be surprised if we invest in projects that seem strange or speculative compared with our existing Internet businesses.