Latest news with #BabyBoom
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- NZ Herald
Ageing smarter: Boomers lead with improved cognitive abilities, says IMF
ANALYSIS Fitter, faster, stronger – and smarter. I'm paraphrasing, but that's how researchers at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently summed up the Baby Boom generation in a recent report on the consequences of global ageing. The developed world may be running out of lithe young things to drive our
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The proof that older people are getting smarter
Fitter, faster, stronger – and smarter. I'm paraphrasing, but that's how researchers at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently summed up the Baby Boom generation in a recent report on the consequences of global ageing. The developed world may be running out of lithe young things to drive our economies forward as birth rates collapse, but the oldies that remain are brainier than any generation before and can pick up at least some of the slack, it said. The IMF's findings rely on data from 41 advanced and emerging market economies and show that, on average, older people from around the age of 50 are smarter or more cognitively able today than ever before. Moreover, of all the indicators of healthy ageing (better retained agility, flexibility, strength, stamina etc), it is an improvement in our mental capacities that is most marked in the data, says the IMF. 'We aim to offer a new perspective on the old argument that ageing will lead inevitably to slumping economic growth and mounting fiscal pressures', say Bertrand Gruss and Diaa Noureldin, lead authors of the new report. 'When it comes to cognitive capacities, the 70s are indeed the new 50s: A person who was 70 in 2022 had the same cognitive health score as a 53 year old in 2000. Older workers' physical health – such as grip strength and lung capacity – has also improved.' The IMF aren't the only people who have looked at this trend. A 2022 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US shows that when it comes to brain power, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 to 64) beat the Great Generation (1901-27) on all the researchers' key measures of cognition. 'We found better age-adjusted performance in the cognitive domains of processing speed, executive function, attention and verbal fluency in more recent generations compared to the Greatest Generation', said its authors. So why is the world seemingly getting smarter? Professor Axel Börsch-Supan, director of the Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich, said improvements in education have been key. 'That [Boomers] are smarter is essentially a function of their much better education than earlier generations', he says. 'If you look at the years of schooling, that immensely increased in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean countries, but also in the North and the East.' Education and better nutrition in childhood does not just help preserve good cognition in later years but improves employment prospects. And the longer you stay in employment, with all the mental and social stimulations that brings, the better things are for our brain health. Given the proportion of over 65s participating in the UK labour market has been slowly rising, and has more than doubled since 2000 participation was at 7.8 per cent over the first three months of that year, increasing to 15.7 per cent in 2025), no wonder our mental fire power is improving. Further Department of Work and Pensions data reveals that in the UK, 10 per cent of 70 to 74-year-olds were still in employment in 2024 (up from 5 per cent in 1984) as were over a quarter of 65 to 69s (27.6 per cent, up from 9.5 per cent in 1984). In 2024, the average age of people exiting the workforce hit its highest level since the 1960s (65.7 years old) and its highest level on record for women (at 64.5 years). On June 7 The Oxford University Longevity Project will gather for the Smart Ageing Summit 2025 in Rhodes House in the heart of Oxford. The meeting brings together leading longevity experts and enthusiasts from around the world to explore 'how we can age smarter and better now'. Leading lights include the runner and academic Sir Christopher Ball, 90, the father of the pace maker Professor Denis Noble, 88, and the broadcaster Angela Rippon, 80. Physician Sir Muir Gray, 80, a director of the Longevity Project and a pioneer in the area of evidence-based ageing, said the first thing to grasp about ageing is that 'ageing by itself' is not the problem. Instead 'controllable factors' including loss of fitness (mental and physical) and environmentally-linked disease were the things to look out for. 'The trick to healthy ageing is for all of us to have a plan', says Gray. 'A plan to understand ageing, a plan to regain lost fitness, a plan to reduce the risk of disease striking, a plan to better adapt to your environment… It's knowledge that's the elixir of life. 'In the 12 years since my myocardial infarction [heart attack], I've had 400 boxes of pills and not one prescription of exercise or diet from the NHS. The pills keep me going but it's all the other stuff that keeps me young,' he says. 'All the other stuff' includes the internet – Gray believes it has contributed to gains in cognition by keeping older people engaged with the world. The same applies not just to staying in the labour market for longer, but particularly to career changes – an increasingly common phenomenon that forces us to start over again in our learning and greatly broadens our knowledge and experience. Volunteering has a similar impact. 'Becoming a volunteer is a very good way of reducing your risk of dementia,' says Gray, because, as with staying in the labour market, it allows you to keep yourself 'mentally and physically challenged' by keeping you engaged with society and your local community. The threat of dementia is the perfect reason to heed Gray's call for people to better understand the process of ageing and plan for it. Only around 60 per cent of it is caused by Alzheimer's, leaving 40 per cent linked to behavioural and environmental factors – many of which we can avoid or mitigate. According to Gray, this also includes looking after your vascular heath through regular exercise; a good diet and the avoidance of binge drinking, smoking etc; and protecting the brain tissue from damage 'caused by stress, sleep problems and over medication'. Working has already proved its cognitive worth: a 2020 study by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation in the US found that American women who had paying jobs as young adults into middle age had slower rates of age-related memory decline than women who didn't, while women who did not have much paid work between the ages of 16 and 50 tended to have faster declines in memory later in life. Medical understanding had also completely changed in a generation, says Gray: 'we know now we can form new neural circuits at any age, whereas doctors who qualified before 2000 were taught that after 20 all that happened was that brain cells died off'. Until recently there has also been prejudice in the medical establishment, says Gray – some of it quite subtle. 'The effects of ageing on intellectual capacity have been greatly exaggerated because researchers have used tests that concentrate on quick decision-making, which does slow with age. But quick decision-making is only needed in pub quizzes and landing planes and [now] AI will do it for you. We actually get better at complex decision making as we live longer. As Oscar Wilde said, 'experience is the name we give our mistakes!'' But while the trend from the Greatest Generation to the Baby Boom generation shows an uptick in brain power, there are important caveats and nuances. Although the IMF points to an average gain in cognition worldwide, there are outliers who are faring less well, particularly in disadvantaged groups among Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980). 'Average health scores are significantly lower for individuals in rural locations, individuals with at most primary education, and lower-wealth households', says the IMF. 'Further analysis reveals that lifestyle factors, such as levels of physical activity, body mass index, and smoking, are significant determinants of the functional capacity of older individuals [even] after age and socioeconomic characteristics are controlled for.' 'The biggest changes in the UK are in the lower [socio economic] groups,' agrees Börsch-Supan. 'There's definitely a social gradient and it has a lot to do with health behaviours, nutrition and the big disaster of cheap prefab food. Look at the pizza which you buy for a pound – they're really bad quality.' In short, the trend can only continue if we don't sit on our laurels. Only those people cycling to work each day, climbing stairs or going to night classes will get a boost in the smart charts. To gain personally, you've got to put in the hard yards (and plenty of fruit and veg) yourself. Still, as the rest of the world continues to get smarter, the Boomer generation are the poster boys: it's why Mick Jagger, 81, and Iggy Pop, 78, are still touring. We just need to be wealthy, clean-living, gainfully employed and well connected to make it last. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PSU Altoona rail program in talks with Railroaders Museum to aid industry
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Penn State Altoona and the Pennsylvania Railroaders Museum are in preliminary talks to move the college's Rail Transportation Engineering program into the museum to help rural areas. 'There's no point in us working independently towards the same goal,' Dr. Ron Darbeau, chancellor of Penn State Altoona, said. 'The idea was for us to collaborate and do this.' 'Being able to bring the program here to the museum means a lot, because we won't just be a museum of artifacts and history, but it'll be a living, breathing, organic, site for people to come to and learn more about the rail industry,' museum executive director Joe DeFrancesco said. New Educational and Career Space announced in Cambria County The program, based out of the Penn Building in downtown Altoona, has seen growth in enrollment over the years. It is the only rail program with ABET accreditation, meaning it meets quality standards concerning its field of work. Residing in the state that houses the largest number of short-line rails in the country, the importance of railroads and their workers is crucial to the area, especially in Railroad City. 'We also want to be in the workforce development space, where maybe they are sending some of their employees to us for upscaling,' Darbeau added. 'We want to be an opportunity for Pennsylvanians who may be looking to change careers, to get into the rail industry.' The talks provide an opportunity for both sides to find the benefits of working together. Not only do Penn State officials see a chance to grow the students' education, but the museum can aid visitors with a look into the future of the industry. 'The students will be able to learn about railroading's past while learning about the current day railroading,' DeFrancesco said. 'The visitors coming to the museum will probably be able to sit in or view some of the laboratory exercises.' Last week, Darbeau testified in front of the Senate Transportation Committee at the museum's classroom to talk about the opportunities that lie ahead with the program. In doing so, he urged lawmakers to set aside resources to help the program and the area it is stationed in. 'I wanted them to hear how well received it is by employers, how successful our graduates are, and what its growth potential still is,' Darbeau said. 'The museum will be the hub of that research that may translate into improvements to existing infrastructure or possibly developing new infrastructure as needed for the rail industry,' DeFrancesco added. The industry is facing an exodus of workers in the Baby Boom generation and an increasingly aging infrastructure that has surpassed the century mark. The future partnership looks to benefit both parties and the area. 'It is really critical that we replace those individuals with young men and women who are wonderfully well prepared, both in terms of their mastery of knowledge and skills,' Darbeau said. 'We're hopeful that this matures into a great and wonderful partnership,' DeFrancesco added. Darbeau added that if a deal gets done, the college will move the program into the museum over the next few years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Calgary Herald
02-06-2025
- General
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton braces for pest that has decimated ash tree populations to east and west
Traps are expected to go up around Edmonton this week to capture the emerald ash borer. Article content Article content The shining and dangerous pest is poised to wreak havoc on Edmonton's $400-million population of ash trees, and the city has two staffers working full time to detect any advance here as the invasive bug closes in from the west or east into Alberta. Article content 'We have the largest percentage of our urban forest canopy in green ash of almost any city in North America,' said Michael Jenkins, senior scientist with the City of Edmonton. Article content Article content Ranging from 8.5 mm to 14 mm long and 3.1 mm to 3.4 mm wide, the beetle is difficult to spot. Article content Article content 'A single piece of firewood can destroy millions of trees,' warns a poster depicting a stack of ash firewood as dynamite sticks with an emerald ash borer at the tip of the fuse. Article content Ash has been an ideal boulevard tree in cities like Edmonton and Calgary, where urban planners have a very short list of trees that can do well with northern winters. Article content Most of Edmonton's neighborhoods built in the Baby Boom 1960s and 1970s were entirely ash, and one-quarter of our urban forest canopy — 180,000 (40 per cent) of the boulevard trees — are green ash, Jenkins said, noting that in period neighbourhoods like Westmount, Inglewood and Prince Charles, nearly 100 per cent of the boulevard trees are green ash, playing their role in storm water management. Article content Article content Overland flooding has been observed in areas where the urban forest is decimated by pests. Article content Article content Deadly origin Article content The emerald ash borer was likely inadvertently imported to Detroit in infected wooden packing materials from China in the 1990s. Article content At its epicentre, Ontario, it blew past a feverishly cut fire break-style buffer zone swath of 30 kilometres, working its way to the Atlantic provinces. Article content In its destructive path, emerald ash borer devastated millions of trees — and the baseball bat industry — and impacted the manufacture of everything from electric guitars and coffee tables to hockey sticks. Article content The emerald ash borer was found in 2018 in Winnipeg. By 2023, it had leapfrogged on infested wood products to British Columbia's Lower Mainland.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joy Behar Makes Rare Revelation About Her 1st Marriage on ‘The View': ‘I Was a Virgin'
Joy Behar's latest revelation about her first marriage certainly left everyone talking. The TV host shared an anecdote about her relationship with ex Joseph Behar during a recent episode of The View. 'I got married the first time so young that I was a size 10 and a virgin,' Joy, 82, told her cohosts during the episode while they were chatting about weight loss drugs. In particular, they discussed people who are getting married and opting to go on weight loss medications before their big day to lose weight. Joy was pointing out that weight loss drugs weren't around back when she walked down the aisle for the first time, per TV Insider. Her costars were audibly shocked by the marriage confession, but the ABC personality is known for making bold statements on the program and has always done so throughout her many seasons as a cohost. Joy was married to her first husband, Joe, from 1965 to 1981. They welcomed their daughter, Eve Behar, in 1970. The comedian went on to marry her second husband, Steve Janowitz, in 2011 after 29 years of dating. After Joy made the remark during the episode, the conversation carried on with the other cohosts making admissions about weight gain and weight loss. Sara Haines talked about an experience she had at a dress fitting for a wedding that she was a bridesmaid in. 'I went and I said, 'I'll be losing weight, so let's just make it a little smaller,'' she remembered the fitting. 'I gained five to 10 pounds, and two days before, [the seamstress] was like, 'We're going to have to find [something else].' I looked like when you wrap a gift and run out of space!' 'I gain five pounds overnight,' costar Ana Navarro chimed in about her own weight loss experience. 'A good night of drinking, I'm five pounds heavier the morning after.' Joy rarely shares tidbits about her marriage, however, she did make some rare admissions about her relationship with Steve during a May 2024 episode of The View's 'Behind the Table' podcast. The Baby Boom actress revealed what she and her husband fight about the most. 'First of all, it's always about the car,' Joy shared. 'He has autoimmune deficiencies, and so whenever he's behind the wheel or in the back seat, god forbid, we have a driver. He's a back seat driver, a front seat driver.' 'Why am I not a great driver? Because I've been with him for 40 years, and he completely has made me into a nervous driver because he's always criticizing how I drive,' she continued. 'I went into one farmstand, and I have to suffer for the rest of my life.' She also reflected on a vacation to Italy that they went on when The View went on hiatus last year for spring break. 'And also, we were in Italy together for 10 days, just the two of us,' the New York native remarked. 'It's too much closeness. Come on, day and night. And then we come back, and we're together on the weekend, day and night.'
