Wracking my brain for some humorous topic to write about, I came up with diddly squat, zero, naught, nada, zilch. Unless you think it's funny that sometime during the past year I concluded, for some unknown curious reason, that I was a year older than I actually am!
I credit my daughter for adding this unexpected year to my life when she phoned on my birthday, asked what year I was born and did the math. I just lose track of the years which seem to have decreasing significance to me as I get older. So, go ahead and laugh at my expense. What do I care? I'm a year younger than I've been thinking!
Old Folks -- FOUR FRESHMEN. Vocal by Don Barbour
This seems a good time to consider the reports of a new study should we all continue to live through the coming decades -- Human Mortality at Extreme Age, recently released by The Royal Society Publishing you can read HERE.
"The first human could live to 130 within this century" as Victor Tangermann at Futurism's Neoscope reports in his summary of the study's conclusion HERE.
"The researchers also found that past a certain point, the risk of dying as a supercentenarian plateaus, and remains constant at a 50/50 chance of dying within a given year. The implication, seemingly, is that sufficiently advanced medicine could provide many people with Methuselah-esque lifespans."
"Beyond age 110 one can think of living another year as being almost like flipping a coin," Anthony Davison, lead researcher and professor of statistics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), told Agence France-Presse."
This blog has no centenarians, those 100 years of age, or even in their 90's reading, writing here, including me, to the best of my knowledge currently. (Some do have living parents in their 90's and Millie, a 96 year old long time blogger is on my blogroll), Some of us are getting closer with the present years having a way of rapidly flying by, so I find some of these statistics and projections to be of greater interest to me now than when I was much younger.
Pew research reported in 2016:
"In 1990 there were 2.9 centenarians for every 10.000 adults ages 65 and older around the world. That share grew to 7.4 by 2015 and is projected to rise to 23.6 by 2050. That's only 28+ years from now! Some of us may still be around then.
The research continues, "Since 1990, the population of those ages 80 and older -- the oldest segments of the 65-plus population -- has grown more rapidly than that of the younger segments, those ages 65-79. This faster growth is driven by improved life expectancies among those 65 and older."
Reuters reports U.S. life expectancy in men has dropped 2 years in 2020 since the pandemic which isn't over yet. The rest of the world effects are discussed, also. The figures above may still reflect an expected generally accurate upward trend but further analysis is warranted.
Pew research continues: "...the U.S. leads the world in terms of the sheer number of centenarians, followed by Japan, China, India and Italy."
Perhaps the Global Conference 2021 on the future of aging as described by the Milken Institute provides some insights on what we can anticipate which you can check HERE.
BBC Future of Ageing focuses on some technologies that could transform ageing HERE.
I'm really curious about what the years ahead of us will be like?
I do wonder how this pandemic may further impact some of these figures and projections?
I ponder about possible adverse effects on our aged population if, in the U.S., we lose our constitutional democratic republic to the establishment of an autocracy masquerading as a democracy in our nation?
I consider sometimes, just how long I really want to live? The bottom line for me is that keeping my mind is critical to my having the quality of life I desire. My physical condition matters, too, as I wonder just how satisfied I would be continuing to live, should I experience a serious lessening of functioning abilities?
Have you given any thought to aging issues, formulated any views on these matters, or even changed your perspective as you may have experienced health changes and are becoming older?
P.S. Rain is on the way, maybe up to an inch, which won't eliminate our drought, but moisture is coming to SoCal! Hooray!
As I have aged and have lost loved ones around me, I most certainly have given a great deal of thought to the whole process and have also wondered about my own mortality. Being a student of Vedanta however, there is nothing morbid about my musings and I am quite stoic about my future which I do not think will take me to 130 years.
ReplyDeleteI agree that thinking about our lives mortality does not have to be morbid.
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ReplyDeleteSpeaking of humor, there is a wonderful book I read recently titled The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero, by Robert Kaplan. At the front of the book it says that anyone who understands high school algebra and geometry will be able to understand the math. I kept reading anyway and found myself laughing out loud whenever I saw something like the above which appeared in The Royal Society Publishing article about extreme age. Despite the fact that I could not follow the math examples, I love the book and the author's sense of humor. For some reason, mathematical formulas make me laugh out loud. I've lost my fear of math!
A few years ago, a dear friend of mine died of cancer after years of medical interventions that both prolonged her life and prolonged her suffering. After reading Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande, she decided to stop treatment, to do all the things she wanted to do before she died, and focus on quality of life. She recommended the book to me. On my father's side of the family, people either die young or live in relatively good health to their late 80s, late 90s, and even to 100. At least two of my Norwegian ancestors, born in the 1800s, lived to 100 years old. After reading Being Mortal, I am looking for quality of life rather than length of life. I don't want my life extended again and again medically. I've seen too many friends have their lives extended medically and pharmaceutically, only to develop Alzheimer's and spend their last years in memory care residences. I have told my doctors that I want to die only once and they have respected that. I have POLST orders stating that I do not wish to be resuscitated, should I stop breathing. I love life and want to live as long as possible and am also at peace with the reality that I will die someday. Of course, this may change as I get older. Thank you for bringing this up for discussion.
I enjoyed your humorous take on math formulas. I always enjoyed math but not having used the more advanced forms for so many years I’ve long since forgotten much of what I learned other than business arithmetic.
DeleteQuality of life is what I prefer over longevity, too. Important we make our preferences known to those caring for us.
The thought of 130 horrifies me especially the way the world is going now with climate, disease and raging anger. I would love it if the extra years provided a reduction of the planet warming and a movement where kindness ruled. Also it could be fun if we had flying cars and robots to do all the heavy lifting and unpleasant jobs. Otherwise, not interested:)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the welcome rain.
I guess if we stick around long enough we'll see if some of those items you name come to be. As for the rest, many bleak times have been present in our history only to evolve into better ones, so who knows what the future may be.
DeleteHooray for rain! We're getting more, too--way too much--and I wish again and again that I could somehow send it your way instead.
ReplyDeleteAs I watch my mother (91) age, I ask myself the same question: just how long do I want to live? She has Alzheimer's, incontinence, is almost deaf, and has mobility issues. My answer is "not as long as that."
Those are limitations none of us would want to have if we could choose, so I can appreciate what you say about your mother’s condition and your wishes for yourself in the years to come.
DeleteThis was an interesting post to read today. Yesterday was my 75th birthday, and I celebrated with friends at a shrimp boil. All of them were younger than me. Later this week, I'll celebrate with some others, all of whom are older. The commonality? Despite a thirty-year span from youngest to oldest, I can't remember much conversation about age, even at our birthday celebrations. Yesterday's conversations at table ranged from Pavarotti's rendition of "Nessun Dorma" to the best place to go wade fishing -- in short, we're all still focused on life. That's good, for sure.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on life activities and topics definitely dominate my thoughts, too, as opposed to dwelling on some of the inevitabilities but they cannot be avoided. I find their consideration interesting, and with Important value, too.
DeleteThese past months both my husband and I have been forced to think about aging as certain health issues raise their heads. I often think of what I would like in my old age...memory, mobility, mental stability?
ReplyDeleteI think most of us contemplate such matters sooner or later but, for our own health’s sake we focus on life and living— perhaps with greater appreciation for each day.
DeleteMy great aunt is 97 1/2, 98 next April. She is in great shape physically, and though her memory is shot and her decision making skills are questionable, she shows no sign of dementia and still really enjoys her life. If it can be that way for me, I’m all for it. If I get dementia and/or am in pain, of course, no one wants that.
ReplyDeleteHooray for rain! We got walloped with it yesterday, it’s just calming down now. I had planned a day trip that I might have done on a normal rainy day, but absolutely not in that storm, so it will have to wait until this coming weekend.
Happy Birthday, and enjoy your continued celebrations. :)
Glad to hear your great aunt is doing as well as she is so she can continue to enjoy life which we all probably want to be able to do the rest of our years.
DeleteAs I write this, we’re awaiting the storm to make its way here to our foothills from Ventura. Sounds like you had a real downpour. I plan to stay indoors and watch out the window. Thanks for the BD wishes.
I am 75. There are good days and bad days. But, most of the time, I am in a good mood and feel cheerful and energetic. I would like to live to 100 but only if David is still alive. Life would be very lonely without him.
ReplyDeleteLife can take on quite a different perspective for the one left behind after a partner dies. 100 sounds like a good target, or maybe even longer.
DeleteI certainly don't want to live to 130. I don't even want to live to 90 if that means increasing decrepitude and mental and physical deterioration. I'd rather go while I'm still fairly fit and healthy. I've packed a lot into 74 years so I don't think I'd be missing much.
ReplyDeleteThat’s an intriguing aspect of life, we don't know what may occur with our bodies/minds and changes can be slow, gradual or quick. Just hang on for the ride.
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