(FORTUNE Magazine) – Here at FORTUNE we tend to focus more on matters of profit and loss than life and death. But starting in this issue, we will be publishing a groundbreaking three-part series of stories by our award-winning science writer, David Stipp, on a subject that will sooner or later interest us all: longevity. An unusually gifted reporter and writer, Stipp has uncovered some extraordinary developments in the research of aging. Because he is so methodical in his reporting, and because he keeps on top of so many fields, he has been able to piece together a larger pattern that even some of the researchers themselves haven't recognized. Conclusion: After centuries in the backwater of medical quackery, a new science of aging is emerging, one that through the relatively simple manipulation of a small number of genes may extend human life spans further than most have dared consider. In other words, we may be about to redefine the meaning of "old."

David, who put FORTUNE in front of the pack with his reporting on the Viagra phenomenon, has a way of spinning science yarns that helps those of us who didn't perform that well in the lab to grasp their true meaning in nonclinical terms. But he takes great pains to ensure the correct scientific context of his stories; thus, they are never sensational--but often remarkable. The first of the stories will focus on the science of aging--wherein you will meet an unusual possum family--and the next two will examine the demographic and business implications of aging. You may need to change your retirement plans.