Published August 15, 2016

Last week, I celebrated my 70th. I started the party at 6:30 in the morning, as I set out on my bike from Genoa, Nevada. Then, over the next two days, I rode over the Sierras to Jackson, California. The trip was 95 miles and involved 4,500 feet of climbing. When I finally got to Jackson, I had a couple of beers and a big steak with a baked potato (and, yes, all the trimmings). Oh yes, and a couple of Advil! Why did I do it? For three reasons.

Read More

Published August 12, 2016

I've written a lot about telomeres before. I'm fascinated by these little DNA caps, which shrink as we age. In fact, every time our cells divide, the telomeres get a little bit shorter. If they get too short, they disappear altogether, and then our DNA can begin to unravel. This is a key part of the aging process, as age-related stressors cause our cells to divide. Shortened telomere length has been implicated in a number of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's, and even the common cold.

Read More

Published August 10, 2016

Researchers are constantly seeking to develop drug treatments for issues such as Alzheimer's disease. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as finding any solution to this issue would be welcome. But you and I both know that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to find something they can make massive profits off of — and that they likely won't care much about the side effects that accompany those profits.

Read More