Am I going to die? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Phil Daoust

Every day millions of internet users ask Google life's most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries

Are you going to die? You shouldn't have to ask, but yes, of course you are. Of the 107 billion or so humans who have walked the Earth, 100 billion have already gone to meet their maker. Not one has survived longer than 122 years and 164 days. And if what you really want to know is "Am I about to die?" because you've accidentally drunk weedkiller or your chest hurts and you're short of breath, stop Googling, you numpty. Call an ambulance.

In the UK, the Office for National Statistics puts life expectancy at 79.1 years for a baby boy, and 82.8 years for a baby girl. What's likely to kill you? Illness, rather than accident or violence. If you're male, the number one cause of death is heart disease, followed by lung cancer and dementia or Alzheimer's; if you're female, dementia or Alzheimer's, followed by heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases.

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