An old Ginkgo tree located in Guizhou province, China. It has a trunk circumference of 50 ft. (15.3 meters) and is over a thousand years old. Photo by Liang Tian/ Courtesy of Li Wang, Yuan Ze UniversityUNT's Richard Dixon, Distinguished Research Professor and Associate Director of UNT's BioDiscovery Institute, is making headlines worldwide with his stunning research into the longevity of the Ginkgo biloba tree. Dixon found that, unlike you and me, these trees are not programmed to die and, unless acted upon by an outside force, could live forever.

It's not the first time Dixon's work has been recognized internationally. In 2018, he was elected into the United Kingdom's Royal Society, the oldest scientific organization in the world dedicated to the understanding and advancement of science. The Royal Society is similar to the United States' National Academy of Sciences, of which Dixon also is a member. Headlines from around the world include: