Category Archives: Transhuman News

I called Asselborn to ask him what he thought about all of this. He apologized for his English (I have to speak Luxembourgish in the morning, read the papers in German, talk to diplomats in French and now to you in English. Its a lot.) and was somewhat bemused by the fuss, but agreed to a brief interview. The following transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Anne Applebaum: So what happened?

Jean Asselborn: Nothing, really. The U.S. ambassador in Luxembourg told us that Pompeo has a meeting with [NATO Secretary General] Jens Stoltenberg on the 14th, and that he would like to stop by Luxembourg too. We were waiting to hear details. And then Sunday evening we were told Pompeo will not come.

Applebaum: Do you know why?

Asselborn: Nobody spoke with me, but The New York Times seems to think it was my comments, so that must be the reason. We also heard that in Brussels they were planning to meet with him, but without any press conference or public statement; maybe that bothered him too? I did call Trump Brandstifter, pyromaneI think it means pyromaniac in English. From my side, this is correct, and I will not correct this.

Applebaum: Had you met Pompeo before?

Asselborn: I met him once in Washington and saw him several times in Europe. It was never easy with him.

Applebaum: What does that mean?

Asselborn: I heard Trump twice at the UN General Assembly, both times speaking about this wrong idea of patriotism. It wasughawful. In the 1930s, in Europe, we learned where this wrong patriotism can go. We never understood it. A big majority in the EU never understood it. But Pompeo was always repeating this too.

Applebaum: He was an emissary of Trumpism?

Asselborn: He was somebody who defended the positions of Trump. Very difficult cooperation with him. Pompeo is really one of the last pillars of Trump. In a week, it will be better.

Applebaum: What lasting damage did the Trump administration do?

Asselborn: I am not defending Iran. On human rights, Iran is catastrophic. But we negotiated with them for 13 years, and finally in 2015 we got the deal that Iran could not build nuclear weapons. The idea was to engage and change this regime. I was twice in Iran, in 2015 and 2016young people expected something from the free world; now that is all destroyed. Trump destroyed this. He destroyed solidarity with the Paris climate agreement. He did all of these aggressive things on trade. He left the World Health Organization.

I dont know of one positive thing on foreign policy that has come out of EU-U.S. cooperation during the past four years. I dont see one single positive thing. It would be healthy to have again a president and a secretary of state who understand the past, the history of the European Union, who know that before World War II we had exactly this wrong sort of patriotism, nationalism, racism. The EU was created to help us to overcome this wrong patriotism.

More here:
Europeans Recognize Trumpism for What It Is - The Atlantic

Watching frontline health care workers and other volunteers receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, there is reason to believe after months of uncertainty that this pandemic will indeed end. The challenge now, though, is to keep ourselves safe until enough of us have been inoculated and possess protective immunity.

It will not be easy. As we write this, more than 21 million Americans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and more than 365,000 have died. Across the nation, hospital intensive care units are at or even beyond capacity. In California, state officials have ordered thousands of additional body bags and refrigerated storage units to serve as portable morgues. San Diego County escaped the worst of the summer COVID-19 surge, but the current situation is not good. Case and mortality rates in the county continue to rise, each day seemingly worse than the last. Our hospitals and health systems are stressed to the breaking point.

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But we are fortunate that the countys hospitals have a long history of close cooperation and coordination and that they have worked through these difficult times to provide and process lab tests, review predictions for hospital needs and revamp in-patient processes to effectively meet ever-increasing patient loads and needs.

In addition to its strong Health & Human Services Agency, San Diego County enjoys abundant public health expertise at San Diego State University, University of California San Diego and other local institutions. Experts at these institutions have been involved from the beginning in helping predict and map viral spread and supporting county contact tracing efforts, and they have offered guidance and services to other institutions, such as local school systems. The pandemic has strengthened and deepened these inter-institutional partnerships and called on us to find new ways to prioritize the needs and health of those most vulnerable.

But more can be done, and more could be better coordinated, including nationwide public health efforts to provide messaging aimed at reducing transmission through early diagnosis, case investigation and contact tracing. We offer some suggestions on how.

Efforts must shift to prioritizing the rapid identification of cases among those who have symptoms or have known exposures, so they can be isolated and treated if positive. The focus needs to be on making sure that those who have positive tests are quickly informed and appropriate actions taken to prevent further spread of the disease, with contact tracing performed only for cases with a high risk of spread to multiple individuals. Finally, but no less importantly, we must reimagine the public health messages about facial coverings and distancing so that they resonate in a time when we are grappling with frustration and fatigue.

Public health professionals at UCSDs Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and the SDSU School of Public Health urgently call for a convening of stakeholders to discuss how we can pool and reallocate resources at institutions across San Diego County to meet the current crisis. We must prioritize our needs based on the most acute stresses to systems, institutions and communities. We must come together with tangible offers of available capacity to test, trace and treat our families, friends and neighbors and new, innovative ideas for effective prevention strategies and public health messaging that connects us all.

We can do this. UC San Diego alone has the capacity to conduct at least 10,000 COVID-19 tests per day. It conducts routine testing of thousands of on-campus students and staff every week and, under contract from the county, has traced thousands of COVID-19 contacts. Similarly, SDSU, which has developed exceptional skills in community health worker-led contact tracing and testing through its Communities Fighting COVID! program, could expand it to meet near-term needs throughout the region. Immediate efforts should be directed to reaching positive cases within 24 hours. This may require shifting of staffing priorities to ensure prompt containment of COVID-19. Our local universities have deep knowledge about public health messaging and communication, which could be leveraged to create new connections to populations at greatest risk.

It is critical that we identify and consider possibilities now before we find ourselves overwhelmed. Lets bring our strengths to a virtual table so that we those of us with the most protections and those of us with the least outlast these dark times and reach a brighter future of immunity.

Anderson is dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity at UC San Diego and lives in Del Mar. Madanat is a distinguished professor of public health and interim vice president for research and innovation at SDSU. She lives in Sabre Springs.

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Commentary: Health experts and other San Diego leaders must unite to better coordinate pandemic response - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Sow mortality has been making the headlines as producers grapple with rising sow death loss in the U.S. pork industry. Although the topic deserves discussion, some experts believe it is time to focus on gilt retention.

Sow mortality has been scrutinized ad nauseum, but gilt retention hasn't been focused on quite as much. I think it may be the top of the bottleneck when it really comes back to what we can do to improve things downstream in production, said Hyatt Frobose, USA commercial director at Jyga Technologies-Gestal, during a recent webinar.

In a 2003 study published by Ken Stalder at Iowa State University that was reiterated in 2017, it showed on average, replacement females failed to generate a positive return on investment until parity three to four, depending a little on farm size and conditions, Frobose explained.

In general, our females aren't really paying for themselves until they've stayed in the herd for three parities, he said. What's concerning to me is we know that the parity averages for the U.S. sow herd, as represented by Agristats and Swine Management Systems, are only averaging about 2.4 to 2.6. So somewhere, we're not really matching up with when these sows are paying for themselves. It seems to me we're leaving opportunity on the table.

How can we get these animals into their most productive parities?

In North America, most growing gilts are housed in similar housing environments compared to their growing-finishing counterparts. Ad libitum feed access is provided until just prior to breeding, with most gilts receiving diets with marginally elevated levels of amino acids, vitamins and trace minerals. While this rearing strategy is prevalent due to convenience, consistency and availability, recent research suggests it may not necessarily be best for sow longevity. Frobose suggests its time to rethink how gilts are raised and developed.

Limit-Feed GiltsMost of the farms Frobose works with provide ad libitum feed access for gilts from the time they enter the gilt development unit (GDU) until they move into breeding stalls. He said a common issue in commercial GDUs is that gilts grow too fast and are bigger than ideal. Research indicates these gilts are more likely to prematurely exit the herd.

Frobose offered producers two suggestions to help optimize gilts, as they move into breeding.

1. Change feed presentation method. Change feed presentation method to moderately restrict gilts from the end of the nursery period by targeting gains of 1.65 lb/day to1.76 lb/day until flushing two weeks prior to breeding.

2. Change the feed composition. If ad libitum feeding is the only option, add fiber, increase micron size and adjust energy and lysine targets downward by 10% to 15% in order to slow growth rate.

Controlling gilt weight at breeding may also offer downstream diet savings, by moderating mature sow size and reducing annual maintenance costs. Simple math would suggest that reducing gestation feed by as little as 150 g/d could reduce annual feed costs by USD $9/sow/year, Frobose said.

Revisit GDU DesignGDU design is often an afterthought in sow farm design, Frobose said.

It's human nature to lay out your ideal floor plan and equipment and technology. Then, when you get down to the price tag, we try to figure out where we can shave off some dollars and cents to make it more palatable, Frobose said. Unfortunately, in my experience, the GDU becomes a target area that gets the axe on some extra dollars and cents. I think that's unfortunate, because we really should be treating that as the proving ground for the next gilts that are going to be entering the herd.

GDUs are often designed like a grow-finish environment. Frobose said this may be convenient and easier, but he argued it may not be best for the gilt long-term.

Clearly, were getting these gilts to grow fast enough, and we don't really need them to grow any faster than they already are, he said. So, if we're ad lib feeding in the GDU (which I think needs questioned), are wet-dry feeders the right way to go to maximize growth, or would we be better off with a dry feeder that can maybe help us slow down that growth just a little to keep gills from getting too big?

Frobose suggested producers implement these ideas into GDU design.

1. Mimic the environment of the sow farm. Frobose suggested using the same flooring and maintaining the same type of ambient temperature environment and air quality to prepare gilts for moving into the actual sow farm flow. Avoid creating new stresses as they move into the breeding environment.

Waterers are a big thing that Ive seen messed up, Frobose said. Its easy to make the mistake of having a different waterer type in the GDU pens, or even in gestation, than what those gilts will experience in farrowing. I can count too many times where I've seen a gilt that didn't find the water or know how to drink when she got into farrowing. That can really set her on the wrong path as she enters production.

2. Maintain group cohesiveness. If possible, maintain the hierarchy of a group of gilts that were raised together by keeping them together as they move from breeding into pen gestation to minimize aggression and lameness. Research shows grouping gilts or even gilts and P1s separately from older sows can increase farrowing rates and help improve retention of those animals in the herd, he added.

GDUs are continuous flow and that's one of the key differences from most grow-finish environments that are managed all-in, all-out. It's always a challenge of how to optimize stocking density with our different age groups, he said. But its something we've got to continue to think about.

3. Consider precision feeding technology. Most would agree its best to give gilts multiple diets throughout the grow-finish period, Frobose said.

Unfortunately, in my experience, the in-herd nutritionists are usually the last people asked on pen design or barn design for GDUs, and so they end up kind of effectively hamstringed by whatever the construction folks decide is the best thing for the GDU, he added.

Additional feed systems usually require more gilt movement, increasing labor requirements that are already lacking in the GDU. Frobose said blending technologies, however, can enhance pen flexibility and help deliver multiphase diets to a pen of gilts based on their age and weight while reducing diet cost and increasing feed efficiency.

Invest WiselyGilts may have historically been thought of as a cheap investment, but as an industry, we have become accustomed to introducing gilts at an average of 70% to breed at a 55% annual replacement rate, Frobose explained.

In a 2019 study, Derald Holtkamp, Iowa State University, showed that implementing a gilt management program yielded a 10% reduction in annual gilt replacement rate (62% to 52%) on a 2,400-head sow farm and resulted in 829 additional marketed pigs and 222,310 additional pounds of pork produced per year, ultimately yielding a benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.41:1.

Once you account for genetic premiums, overhead costs and the currently low value of cull sows, isnt it worth realigning your gilt development programs to improve herd retention? Frobose asked.

More from Farm Journal's PORK:

A Look at the Unknown Factors in Sow Mortality

No Magic Bullet to Reduce Pre-Wean Mortality in Pigs

Remodeling Facilities: You Have Options

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Is it Time to Rethink Gilt Development? - Pork Magazine

Chlorophyll is a pigment present in all green plants and a few other organisms. It is required for photosynthesis, which is the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy. According to health experts, chlorophyll should be part of our daily lives and with the numerous health benefits its easy to see why.

Chlorophyll contains vitamins, antioxidants, and therapeutic properties that all majorly benefit the body.

Dr Keith Kantor, nutritionist and dietician and CEO of the Nutritional Addiction Mitigation Eating and Drinking program said: Chlorophyllsuppresses appetite, aids in weight loss, decreases spikes in insulin which lessens cravings, helps with skin healing, helps in detoxifying the blood, reduces the risk for cancer, increases energy, helps in eliminating odours (as a natural deodorant), and helps in boosting the immune system.

People have used chlorophyll as a health supplement for many years.

A variety of medical studies have suggested that it may be helpful for skin conditions, body odours, and fighting certain kinds ofcancer.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Consume this spice to reduce heart disease risk and inhibit cancer

In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, chlorophylls ability to extend lifespan was investigated..

Results of the study indicate that chlorophyll is absorbed by worms and is thus bioavailable, constituting an important prerequisite for antioxidant and longevity-promoting activities inside the body, noted the study.

It continued: Our study thereby supports the view that green vegetables may also be beneficial for humans.

In conclusion, our experiments demonstrate that chlorophyll exhibits substantial antioxidant activity and significantly improves antioxidant resistance ofC. elegans.

Therefore, dietary chlorophyll derivatives support the recommendation of nutritionists to eat green vegetables and salads containing high contents of chlorophyll, as this could also help to improve human health and prevent diseases.

In another study published in Science Alert, the effects of chlorophyll on body functioning and blood glucose levels were analysed.

The study noted: Blood glucose levels can be affected by the various types of chlorophyll.

Experiments have proven that chlorophyll has antioxidant activities that are present in various foods.

A diet rich in chlorophyll led to a slight decrease in the number of white blood cells, haematocrit, haemoglobin and an increase in red blood cells compared with control.

It is concluded that chlorophyll is likely to have important implications regarding blood sugar and has benefits in body weight with further studies being warranted.

In addition to its neuroprotective and appetite-suppressing effects, chlorophyll promotes liver health and balances the gut flora.

A recent study posted in Frontiers in Physiology in 2018 has found that chlorophyllin may help relieve hepatic fibrosis symptoms by reducing harmful gut bacteria.

The study also indicates that chlorophyllin may reduce liver inflammation and protect the small intestine in mice with hepatic fibrosis.

Its beneficial effects on the gut microbiota hold promise for future research.

Originally posted here:
Live longer: Chlorophyll reduces cancer risk and promotes liver health to boost longevity - Express

WISeKey develops WISeToken utility token, a blockchain-based asset for drones and robots to secure IoT interactions (drone-to-drone or people-to-drone), recognize and trust each other

WISeTokens will not be listed on secondary markets, will not be subjected to price fluctuations, and will be sold on a fixed price basis

Geneva January 13, 2020 - WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey, SIX: WIHN / Nasdaq: WKEY), a leading cybersecurity, AI and IoT company, today announced that it has developed WISeToken utility token, a blockchain-based asset to be used by drones and robots to secure IoT interactions (drone-to-drone or people-to-drone) and to recognize and trust each other. The WISeKey Validation Service (the certificates validation authority), using the WISeKey Public Key Infrastructure, analyses WISeToken digital certificates to recognize and trust the identity of the drone and other parties these drones interact with, and mitigate malicious actors and hackers from compromising interactions.

According to the FAA, commercial and recreational drone market continues to increase. The number of commercial drones in use in the U.S. is expected to reach 835,000 aircraft in use by 2023. Commercial drones, which are used for research, pilot training, filming, building inspection and a slew of other professional activities, are typically more expensive and robust than the model aircraft used by hobbyists. The number of recreational drones in use across the U.S. is expected to reach 1.4 million by 2023.

WISeKey offers a service to authenticate and validate each drone to allow the exchange of information or value with each other. This Tokenization capability is a way to answer the regulatory FAAs Remote ID requirement that will require every drone sold in the U.S. that weighs more than 0.55 pounds to be equipped with secured and trusted capabilities to broadcasts its location and identification to local authorities. One way to think of the technology is as a digital license plate for drones.

WISeTokens are sold directly by WISeKey as a utility token and generates revenue as a hybrid product/service offering. WISeTokens will not be listed on secondary markets, will not be subjected to price fluctuations, and will be sold on a fixed price basis.

The WISeKey Validation Service offer objects the ability to send the validation authority the third partys Public Key and the Digital Certificate for validation. WISeKey checks that the corresponding Public Key holds a valid WISeToken and if so, the identity is verified. In order to get the verification, the object making the request needs to hold at least 1 WISeToken in its wallet, which is valid for 12 months or 100 requests. WISeKey can, over time, adjust the number of utility tokens required to get verified, the longevity of the token and entitled verifications per token.

The WISeKey Validation Service is used for the verification of the validity of digital identity of the drone in real time, thus ensuring secure use of digital identities for authentication of any drone connected to the internet and the activation of attributes such as digital signing, transactions, or sending data.

The WISeKey Validation Service is suitable for all e-services that can be used with a WISeToken. Each validation will be charged with a WISeToken that will represent a fraction of the transaction validation fee equivalent to 0.001 cents of dollar.

The WISeKey platform is Blockchain neutral and allows Blockchain configurations to benefit greatly by the use of secure private keys instead of public keys currently used. Private keys secure data and transactions which can be only conducted between authenticated parties thus making it a very viable option for any sort of IoT transaction imaginable. Drones equipped with WISeKeys Secure Element, called VaultIC184, consists of a tamper resistant silicon chip, based on a state-of-the-art secure microcontroller chip which can be easily integrated to the device by its manufacturers.

For more information on WISeKeys IoT security offerings please visits: https://www.wisekey.com/solutions/iot-connected-devices/iot-security/

About WISeKey

WISeKey (NASDAQ: WKEY; SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey microprocessors secure the pervasive computing shaping todays Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.). WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens.

Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKeys Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visitwww.wisekey.com.

Press and investor contacts:

Disclaimer:This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

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WISeKey develops WISeToken utility token, a blockchain-based asset for drones and robots to secure IoT interactions (drone-to-drone or...

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Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep, nine if youre ugly," jokes Betty White.

Mel Brooks promotes outrageous humor. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

Ive never been particularly aware of my age," says actress Angela Lansbury, age 95. "It's like being on a bicycle I just put my foot down and keep going. (Photo by Richard Shotwell, Invision/AP)

I actually look for things to smile about," says Dr. Ruth Westheimer. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

For a long and good life, Dick Van Dyke suggests that you sing, dance and laugh everyday. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File)

Iris Apfel, age 99, is a businesswoman, interior designer, model and considered the worlds oldest fashion icon. (Magnolia Pictures)

In 2017, HBO presented a documentary entitled If Youre Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast that confronted stereotypes about life after age 90. In the film, Carl Reiner has a conversation with several of his friends from show business, challenging what it means to really live in your 90s.

Reiner, the legendary comedian, director and screenwriter, offers himself as Exhibit A at age 95. (Reiner died in June 2020 at age 98.) He spoke with other legendary comedians: Filmmaker and funnyman Mel Brooks, age 90; TV icon Norman Lear, age 95; and beloved performer Dick van Dyke, age 91.

Comedy is part of these mens work. Humor can be used as a teaching tool, although it is unlikely that is the intention of these notables. Yet, here are some messages we can extract from these talented funny men, taken from the HBO documentary, and some wisdom from four dynamic women in their 90s.

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner celebrates humor.Reiner had a running quip about being in his nineties. Every morning, I pick up my newspaper, get the obituary section and see if Im listed, he said. If Im not, I have my breakfast.

What we know: A sense of humor is related to longevity. Adults with an average sense of humor live longer than those who dont find humor in life, according to researchers. Benefits include decreased blood pressure while laughter boosts the immune system by decreasing the stress hormone cortisol and minimizing inflammation.

Norman Lear

Norman Lear talks about cultureand flexibility.I think the culture stereotypes everything, said Lear. Because Im 93, Im supposed to behave in a certain way. The fact I can touch my toes shouldnt be so amazing to people.

What we know: Society seems to have some unrealistic expectations about ones age and respective appearance, activities and capabilities. Not to be overlooked is Lears ability to touch his toes, demonstrating flexibility typically achieved with physical activity. Such activity improves our ability to perform daily physical activities, improves our range of motion and increases our sense of balance, helping us avoid falling and injuries.

Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke suggests dance and song.For a long and good life, Van Dyke suggests that you sing, dance and laugh everyday. Without knowing his daily routine, we do know in 2018 Van Dyke played the older cantankerous banker, Mr. Dawes in the movie Mary Poppins Returns. He not only danced and sang but jumped on a desk, did a tap dance number and jumped down with a spring and a bounce. Dancing has been found to have results comparable to formal exercise improving emotional, psychological and physical well-being. And its fun!

Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks promotes outrageous humor.During the HBO show, Brooks stood up and told the crowd, Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest cat sound in the world, as he broke out into the loudest yowl. As the audience howled, he said, What the hell do you want? Youre not paying a penny here.

Reiner refers to him as the funniest human being in the world. Age and outrageous are terms typically not paired together., but there is a book titled, Be an Outrageous Older Woman by Ruth Harriet Jacobs. Sometimes outrage is needed to get attention.

At the time of this HBO program, all four men continued to work at a craft and art they loved. And herein lies a message. Having a sense of purpose is a lifesaver; humor is a healer helping us keep a perspective. And laughing is healthy. So, think about ways to do something you love to do, keep your sense of humor, have a good laugh and even do a little dance while taking a break from the news.

Angela Lansbury

Age doesnt matter according to Angela Lansbury. Lansbury, age 95, has been on stage, television and in films for more than 70 years, never permitting her chronological age to hold her back. She has said, Ive never been particularly aware of my age. Its like being on a bicycle I just put my foot down and keep going.

What we know. During childhood, there are expected age-related milestones in a childs development, such as when the child walks, talks and can read. Thats not the case for older adults. Expectations about how older adults look, behave and think are not based on developmental stages but on social expectations which often is an excuse for ageism. Most older adults keep going regardless of their age.

Betty White

Betty White advocates getting enough sleep. As a 98-year old actress and comedian, White has a television career spanning 80 years and has worked longer in the industry than anyone else. In promoting sleep, she says, Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep, nine if youre ugly.

What we know: Sleep is considered an important part of our routine and is essential for survival as is food and water. Recent research suggests that sleep has a housekeeping role by removing toxins in our brain that accumulate when we are awake. For older adults, less than seven hours of sleep a night generally is considered insufficient.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine refers to a study by UCLA researchers who discovered that just a single night of insufficient sleep can make older adults cells age quicker. For a good read on sleep, see The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington (Harmony Books, 2017).

Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel believes in authenticity. Apfel, age 99, is a businesswoman, interior designer, model and considered the worlds oldest fashion icon. She describes herself as a geriatric starlet, known for her brightly colored clothing, layered jewelry and oversized glasses. There is even a Barbie doll modeled after her. She says, When you dont dress like everyone else then you dont have to think like everyone else. She adds, I always dressed for myself and dont care what anybody thinks.

What we know:With age we have the opportunity to become more of ourselves and less reliant on fulfilling expectations of others. Authenticity refers to the characteristics, roles or attributes that define who we are, even if they are different from how we may act.With age there is a tendency to see ourselves as more authentic, according to researchers Elizabeth Seto and Rebecca J. Schlegel.

Dr. Ruth

Dr. Ruth views life in a positive way. Ruth Westheimer, age 92, is a sex therapist, author, media personality and talk-show host. She says, I actually look for things to smile about. In a 2019 interview she indicated as a Holocaust survivor, she defused anxiety and shame by focusing on the present and using humor and charm.

What we know: Having a positive attitude not only makes us feel good, it effects our longevity. A study from the Boston University School of Medicine found that after decades of research, those who were more optimistic about life lived longer, often to age 85 and older. Researchers suggest several reasons. More optimistic people may be able to regulate their emotions and behavior more effectively as well as their ability to bounce back from difficult situations. Furthermore, they may have healthier lifestyle habits.

These men and women in their 90s have lived and seen a lot. During the current climate, some of their tips might be useful: Dont let age hold you back, stay positive and authentic and of course, get enough sleep. Above all, stay safe and be well and kind to yourself and others.

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8 celebrities in their 90s share thoughts on living a fulfilling life - Marin Independent Journal