Is life after 75 worth living? This UPenn scholar doubts it

What makes a life worth living as you grow older?

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  • Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel revisits his essay on wanting to die at 75 years old.
  • The doctor believes that an old life filled with disability and lessened activity isn't worth living.
  • Activists believe his argument stinks of ageism, while advances in biohacking could render his point moot.
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Biohacking: Why I'll live to be 180 years old

From computer hacking to biohacking, Dave Asprey has embarked on a quest to reverse the aging process.

  • As a teenager, founder of Bulletproof, Dave Asprey, began experiencing health issues that typically plague older adults.
  • After surrounding himself with anti-aging researchers and scientists, he discovered the tools of biohacking could dramatically change his life and improve his health.
  • He's now confident he'll live to at least 180 years old. "It turns out that those tools that make older people young make younger people kick ass," he says.
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Is self-actualization a biological need?

We think of self-actualization as a lofty goal, but research suggests it may just be another way of obeying our biological programming.

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  • Maslow's hierarchy of needs sets self-actualization apart from many of the "baser" needs, like needing food or belonging.
  • However, research in evolutionary psychology suggests that self-actualization may not be so different after all.
  • Instead, it may simply be another way of attaining status, ensuring that the self-actualized individual can acquire a mate and care for offspring.
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This optical illusion plays tricks on your brain

Check out these mysterious optical illusions that affect our visual perception.

  • Troxler's effect or "fading" causes images to disappear from your field of vision.
  • Scientists don't have a full understanding yet of how this works.
  • The effect is linked to the way neurons are adapted by the visual system.
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Schadenfreude turns us into temporary psychopaths, according to a new model of the emotion

Ever taken pleasure in someone else's misfortune?

Schadenfreude – which literally means "harm-joy" in German – is the sense of pleasure derived from others' misfortune.

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