Category: Your wellness

A brief history of human longevity

Here’s a narrative you’re probably familiar with: During the Stone Age, back when our cavemen and cavewomen ancestors were roaming the world and fighting off saber-toothed cats with big ole’ clubs, the typical person would be lucky to live past his or her teenage years. And only as humans began developing agriculture, civilizations, and more […]

How to age without getting old

Age is just a number. While one 93-year-old may cook, visit friends, and take her dog for long hikes, her 83-year-old neighbor might require 24/7 care. As we age, it’s important not to focus on a number, but on maintaining quality of life, no matter how many candles are on our cakes. Some people are […]

The science of immortality

Humanity has been obsessed with immortality for millennia. We’ve been so obsessed, in fact, that one of humanity’s very first pieces of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh (written in 2100 BCE), finds its hero on a search for the secret of eternal life. Flash forward to Ancient Greece around 300 CE and alchemists begin trying […]

Winning at life: meet the oldest people in history

Hoping to live as long as possible? You can start with our post on the science of living to 100, but it might also pay to take advice from the people who went a step further. Here are the five oldest people who ever lived, plus their tips for living a long and healthy life. […]

How to live to 100

We’re all gonna die! It’s a sad truth. But just because death is the final destination, it doesn’t mean we need to hurry on our way. If, like most of us, you’d rather delay the inevitable, there are some proactive steps you can take to improve your chances of hitting the century mark and beyond. […]

Sleep hygiene 101

We all know sleep is important, but you may not realize just how important it truly is. The consequences of a sleepless night go way beyond some grogginess or irritability. According to a Guardian interview with neuroscientist and sleep researcher Matthew Walker, just one night without sufficient rest can have serious consequences for your health: […]

Why do women live longer than men?

The notion that women—on average—live longer than their male counterparts has been floating around for centuries. But far from being some urban legend, the data confirms it: when it comes to human life expectancy, women live longer. Today, in the United States, the average woman will live to age 81, while the average man will […]