Exploring the most important questions we face as we age.
Dr. Debra Whitman, Ph.D. is Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, at AARP (https://www.aarp.org/) where she leads policy development, analysis and research, as well as global thought leadership supporting and advancing the interests of individuals age 50-plus and their families. She oversees AARP’s Public Policy Institute, AARP Research, Office of Policy Development and Integration, Thought Leadership, and AARP International.
Dr. Whitman is an authority on aging issues with extensive experience in national policy making, domestic and international research, and the political process. An economist, she is a strategic thinker whose career has been dedicated to solving problems affecting economic and health security, and other issues related to population aging.
As staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Dr. Whitman worked across the aisle to increase retirement security, lower the cost of health care, protect vulnerable seniors, safeguard consumers, make the pharmaceutical industry more transparent, and improve our nation’s long term care system.
Before that, Dr. Whitman worked for the Congressional Research Service as a specialist in the economics of aging. She provided members of Congress and their staff with research and advice, and authored analytical reports on the economic impacts of current policies affecting older Americans, as well as the distributional and intergenerational effects of legislative proposals.
The Moon still holds mysteries that leave scientists in awe. A massive, heat-radiating object beneath its surface has sparked new questions about its origins.
This discovery offers a glimpse into the Moon’s hidden history, challenging what we thought we knew about our celestial neighbor.
Bryan Johnson said taking rapamycin may have done more harm than good to his health.
An international research team led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered a new type of skeletal tissue that offers great potential for advancing regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Most cartilage relies on an external extracellular matrix for strength, but “lipocartilage,” which is found in the ears, nose and throat of mammals, is uniquely packed with fat-filled cells called “lipochondrocytes” that provide super-stable internal support, enabling the tissue to remain soft and springy—similar to bubbled packaging material.
The study, published in the journal Science, describes how lipocartilage cells create and maintain their own lipid reservoirs, remaining constant in size. Unlike ordinary adipocyte fat cells, lipochondrocytes never shrink or expand in response to food availability.
Researchers unveil how biological sex influences brain aging, revealing genetic, hormonal, and molecular mechanisms behind cognitive resilience and decline.
Think of a future where terminal illnesses can be temporarily halted, allowing time for the development of potential cures.
TimeShift, the world’s first cryopreservation facility, seeks to make the impossible – extending human lifespan – a reality.
The conceptualized facility would provide a means of freezing or preserving patients’ bodies with terminal illnesses. This way, it could mitigate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and aggressive cancers. And possibly enable experts to develop a cure.
T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a binary star system comprising two stars at very different stages of their life cycles: a red giant and a white dwarf. The red giant, an aging star, is expanding as it nears the end of its life, shedding layers of material into space. Meanwhile, the white dwarf, a stellar remnant that has burned through its fuel, is steadily cooling. This system draws the red giant’s expelled material toward the white dwarf’s surface. When enough accumulates, it triggers a thermonuclear explosion, creating a dramatic outburst of energy and light.
Astronomers know about the “Blaze Star” because it’s had sudden outbursts before. They even know there is usually a decade-long uptick in brightness before the explosion, preceded by a noticeable dip in brightness. That 10-year uptick was reported in a paper in 2023, while the American Association of Variable Star Observers announced T CrB’s pre-eruption dip in April 2024.
Something to bear in mind is that this is a rare astronomical event, but only committed stargazers are likely to get much out of it.
A study from the University of Minnesota Medical School links social stress to accelerated aging, finding that stress damages DNA
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides that coil around each other to form a double helix. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms that carries genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).
