Surprising Science — December 3, 2009

Why We Age

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

While others struggle to combat the aging process, Dr. Leonard Guarente, director of MIT’s Institute on Aging, seeks to understand it. A forty-year veteran of the university, he is best-known for discovering the gene that governs aging through his painstaking studies on yeast.

While his research suggests that eating fewer calories can extend human life, he also notes that general discontent that accompanies a restrictive diet may very well do more harm than good. Guarente believes that innovations in his field could soon extend life by up to 50 years, and he also offers tips on how to live longer now.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Collage of social media icons and pixelated images in a grid layout, featuring Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook logos on a red background.

The Present

Internet freedom is fading in the new era of social control

“The evolution of digital media makes stricter regulation of online behavior not only feasible but inevitable,” writes media ecologist Andrey Mir.

Starts With A Bang

Political realities do not change scientific ones

In partisan political times, recognizing the scientific truth is more important than ever. Scientists must be vocal and clear about reality.

Overlay of hands with abstract purple and black lines in the background.

Health

The exciting research that may cure Parkinson’s

“The field is endless, but my life is limited, as are all of ours. But you do what you can with your time,” says CSO Mart Saarma.

A close-up image showing a crack in the ground, revealing a narrow, dark crevice between layers of brown, sandy soil with hints of biocrusts forming along the edges.

Life

The dirt on biocrusts: Why scientists are working to save Earth’s living skin

Think twice before stepping on that crunchy top layer of soil.

Close-up of a hornet with black and yellow stripes on its body, perched on small white flowers against a green background.

Life

The hornet has landed: Scientists combat new honeybee killer in US

Researchers are working nest by nest to limit the threat while developing better eradication methods.

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