We're not just living longer, we're thriving longer, but so far we seem to be thinking shorter. Aging societies the world over can benefit from increased longevity because human lives have added a new stage -- what Bateson calls "Adulthood II: the age of active wisdom." People of grandparent age, finding themselves with more energy and health than obsolete stereotypes had led them to expect, are seeing their lives whole and the world whole and taking on radically new activities in light of that perspective. These older adults have the potential to bring a longer perspective to decision making that affects the future.
Mary Catherine Bateson is a cultural anthropologist now 71, the daughter of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson. Her famed 1989 book Composing a Life showed how women were learning to treat their necessarily fragmented careers as a coherent improvisational art form. Her new book is titled Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom.
Bio
Mary Catherine Bateson
Mary Catherine Bateson is a writer and cultural anthropologist who divides her time between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She has written and co-authored many books and articles, and lectures across the country and abroad and has taught at Harvard, Northeastern University, Amherst College, Spelman College and abroad in the Philippines and in Iran. In 2004 she retired from her position as Clarence J. Robinson Professor in Anthropology and English at George Mason University, and is now Professor Emerita.
Since the Fall of 2006 she has been a Visiting Scholar at the Center on Aging & Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College and is a special consultant to the Lifelong Access Libraries Initiative of the Libraries for the Future, with an emphasis on conceptualization, testing and implementation of her Active Wisdom model for community dialogues as a signature program of the Initiative.
She serves on multiple advisory boards including that of the National Center on Atmospheric Research and the NSF, dealing with climate change.
Her books in print include Composing a Life, Our Own Metaphor, and Peripheral Visions, as well as a memoir, With a Daughter's Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson.
Stewart Brand
Stewart Brand is co-founder and president of The Long Now Foundation and co-founder of Global Business Network. He created and edited the Whole Earth Catalog (National Book Award), and co-founded the Hackers Conference and The WELL. His books include The Clock of the Long Now; How Buildings Learn; and The Media Lab. His most recent book, titled Whole Earth Discipline, is published by Viking in the US and Atlantic in the UK.
Gradual change in an organism that leads to increased risk of weakness, disease, and death. It takes place in a cell, an organ, or the total organism over the entire adult life span of any living thing. There is a decline in biological functions and in ability to adapt to metabolic stress. Changes in organs include the replacement of functional cardiovascular cells with fibrous tissue. Overall effects of aging include reduced immunity, loss of muscle strength, decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, and loss of colour in the hair and elasticity in the skin. In women, the process accelerates after menopause. See alsogerontology and geriatrics.
Sorry corporate dictatorship puts floride in the water, chem-trails pollution nuclear contamination Bio-engineered food, everything away from Nature, these young on fast food and fast life, now we are losing that longevity. Japan has the oldest people but a suicide every 15 minutes. They retire people over 50, to give the youth the jobs. The view is different when the days ahead ARE FEWER THAN THE DAYS BEHIND, MEMORIES ACCUMULATE, health becomes important, we all learn to compare. "A BUSY MAN WELCOMES DEATH" B.Franklin. WHEN YOU HAVE A PURPOSE your mind reaches past your biology, Like those who lived over 80 when life span was 47. Adams Franklin Thomas etc. Fear of death is more of a western problem. But that fear drives most lives.WARS, DISEASES,Nuclear disasters, make life shorter.
Respecting elders is the glue to keep society woven together, technology, speed of life, poor food choices all destroy the respect between ages. NO BRAIN FOOD! EASY TO DIE HARD TO LIVE! thinking the planet like a child well child abuse, is on the rise, more children medicated or in prison environment. When the pain to stay the same is greater than the pain to change, then we change, we learn through pain, learn to love pain then we learn to love to kill, and deny the pain! Two self centered adults only most places the female is still a slave, just the children also slaves. Adults do not learn from kids they abuse them instead recently 70,000 people pedophile, 238 children rescued.
She only speaks of the western world Like USA Can. Australia. England Europe etc.Most of the world has not the luxury, too busy trying to survive. VERY LIMITED THINKING. Also the new young people resent to look after elderly, most youth can not take care of themselves. Nursing homes, retirement buildings, take the elderly out of the picture. To accomplish anything good usually took more than one generation, but the increased information age, one generation is longer, changes more rapid, no time to get ready.I will die working, that is my choice! A conscious life brings a conscious death! Soon they become One! WHEN YOU SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DYING, YOU LEARN MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF. And this observational learning makes your own death easier takes the sting out dying. Culture some cultures have thousands of years of History, USA 300 years old so death is scary,however, older cultures are more equipped to handle death.
Screen culture TV changes your ideas of death, movies living in a fantasy world where suicide is an option, technology leaves culture behind, so principles morality ethics all this means little. Enough from me! thank you ForaTV.
What can we do now to increase the quality and quantity of our lifespans?
While many things are in the pipe line what can we do today to increase the odds in our favor or tomorrow?
Besides the usual suspects of smoking, driking, exercise/activity, and weight new evidence indicates that protein restriction or protein cycling might offer 10,20,30, or maybe 40 or more healthy active years to the human life.
Stay tuned to the research in this area.
http://www.plosbiology.org/article/i...l.pbio.0030223
Calories Do Not Explain Extension of Life Span by Dietary Restriction in Drosophila Experimental evidence reveals that specific nutritional components, rather than reducing calorie intake per se, are responsible for extending lifespan via dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster.
http://knol.google.com/k/ron-mignery...3nmvrwklbxs/1#
Protein Cycling DietA Defence Against the Diseases of Aging
This book presents how inducing autophagy by diet manipulation may delay or prevent the neurodegenerative diseases of aging and unlucky genetics.
member.
Watch Now
