Last Christmas my daughters gifted me with the Storyworth app, which sends me weekly prods to write about different aspects of my life. Recording stories of my life for my kids and grandkids is a great idea and I am happy to do it.  

This week’s question is a difficult one and gave me pause: “How has the country changed during your lifetime?”  

There are so many ways I could try to answer that question. But the topic that is foremost on my mind is the dramatic evolution of media platforms. During my lifetime, media dominance has shifted from radio, to TV, to computers, and on to the Internet, social media, smart phones, and artificial intelligence. I worry the country is worse off because of the way media has evolved and proliferated, because it makes us more vulnerable to propaganda and disinformation. I worry that modern media is eroding our ability to think straight. 

In the 1960s, when television was king, philosopher Marshall McLuhan observed that “the medium is the message.” The idea is that the specific character of a media platform is more than a neutral conduit of information. The structure of the media platform itself, and the specific way it disseminates information, has just as profound an impact on people as does the content. In the last century, the proliferation of media platforms has given propagandists a broad range of tools with which to spread their disinformation.  

Now, more than ever, propagandists use the nature of the media itself as mechanism of mind control. In 2018, when Steve Bannon was running former President Donald Trump’s campaign, he told a reporter that “The Democrats don’t matter. The real opposition is the media.” Bannon’s strategy for neutralizing legitimate news coverage was to “flood the zone with shit.”  

Modern day propagandists use the fragmented media landscape to overwhelm the public with a firehose deluge of disinformation. Historian Heather Cox Richardson says that both foreign and domestic propagandists disguise their wrongdoing and malicious intent by overwhelming people with outrageous and often contradictory information. The goal is to cognitively exhaust their audiences and dissuade them from even trying to figure out what is real. People willingly expose themselves to nefarious content simply because it is embedded in an entertaining package and is delivered by stimulating media celebrities.  

Cox makes an interesting distinction between misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is simply information that is incorrect. We all make mistakes or come to conclusions that we later discover to be mistaken. But, when our error is realized, we strive to replace the erroneous information with facts and ideas that are more accurate and adaptive. The objective is to improve our understanding of the world.  

Disinformation, on the other hand, is “a deliberate lie to convince people of things that are not true.” Authoritarian propagandists use disinformation, the “big lies,” to undermine the ability of individuals to think clearly or to trust the idea that truth even exists. They deploy disinformation to destabilize the social norms and undermine the social institutions that have been constructed to support rational discourse and to protect democratic principles.  

This authoritarian playbook was articulated, and deployed demonically, by Adolph Hitler. Cox reports that the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor of the CIA, summarized Hitler’s techniques as follows: “His primary rules were never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”  

This sounds disturbingly familiar.  

Modern day propagandists can choose from a much broader array of media platforms than could Hitler. And they are taking full advantage of the expanded opportunities to spread disinformation.  Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D), who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, estimates that Russia, Iran, and China are now generating between 20 percent to 30 percent of the political content and comments on social media. MAGA Republicans are making things worse by willingly echoing foreign propaganda to their constituents.  

The largest purveyors of disinformation, however, are home grown. Elon Musk is a prime example. The billionaire purchased the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to distribute his own self-serving brand of disinformation without restraint.  

Our media landscape will continue its rapid evolution. It is likely to become increasingly fragmented, niche oriented and, as such, more susceptible to misuse by malevolent propagandists. So, how can we protect ourselves from pervasive and powerful disinformation?  

We can become familiar with standard disinformation techniques, recognize when they are being deployed, and continue to express moral outrage at their duplicity and evil intent. Hitler’s rules for authoritarian disinformation are a good starting point.  Examples abound in our current political climate and we should all be outraged and act accordingly. 

Authoritarian propagandists use disinformation to mess with our minds. They want our minds to degenerate into credulity or cynicism. They use a flood of disinformation to turn our minds into mush, becoming so pliable that we believe whatever nonsense they feed us. If that doesn’t work, they want us to become so overwhelmed and disenchanted that we give up, lose faith in cooperative and collaborative action, and trust no one but the designated authoritarian father-figure, the cult-leader, the strongman. 

We can guard against credulity and cynicism by cultivating compassionate, open-minded skepticism; a mindset that is comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, that encourages careful evaluation, intellectual flexibility, and curious inquiry in the service of the common good. We can model compassionate skepticism for our grandchildren, and prepare them, as best we can, to recognize and deflect the disinformation that is likely to fill the media landscape of their future. 

DISINFORMATION TRICKS
Learn to identify common tricks used to spread disinformation: 

AI (artificial intelligence) and Deepfakes: Highly believable AI-generated photos, videos, or audio clips show people saying and doing things they haven’t done. Check with Politifact or Snopes.com to verify.  

Fake News Sites: These sites and reports look like news but are really propaganda. Don’t Google to verify weird stories—you will just find the same or similar propaganda articles. Check credible sources like Snopes.com, the BBC, The AP or PBS. 

Astroturfing: Fake comments, blog posts, and news articles repeat lies and conspiracy theories to make them seem true and popular. Ignore and don’t respond. 

False Equivalence: These are comparisons that sound plausible but don’t really make sense. [“Taxes are like armed robbery. They both take your money by force.”] They are designed to get us to agree without thinking it through. Take the time to think it through.  

Attacking the Person, Not the Issue: This trick deflects attention away from the real issues and triggers emotion responses that can cloud our judgment. Bring your attention, and the conversation, back to the issue.  

Rage Farming: Making outrageous and offensive statements are designed to infuriate us, capture our attention, and get us to respond and expand the reach of the offensive lies. IGNORE THEM.  

Lying With Science: Science is hard to interpret. Liars use confusing science jargon and bad research to support their false claims. Check with multiple science experts.  

The D.Y.O.R Trap: Liars will bolster their lies by challenging us to D.Y.O.R.—“Do Your Own Research”—knowing most of us won’t. If you do, don’t just Google outrageous statements. Google a conspiracy theory and you will find more conspiracy theories. Fact check with FactCheck.org or Snopes.com. 

False Choice: These are misleading either/or constructions such as “Do you want to save the climate, or save the economy?” Reject either/or scenarios. We can have a strong economy and protect the environment.  

Cherry Picking: This trick supports a lie by using a carefully chosen bit of data and ignoring the rest of the story. “It snowed in April. So much for climate warming!” Is it data, or just a story (anecdotal)? Put things into context and look at the complete picture.  

Michael C. Patterson had an early career in the theater, then worked at PBS, developing programs and systems to support the educational mission of public television. Patterson ran the Staying Sharp brain health program for AARP, then founded MINDRAMP to continue to promote physical well-being and mental flourishing for older adults. He currently explores these topics on his MINDRAMP Podcast and his Synapse newsletter. His website is www.mindramp.org. 

Immortal Me

You are Now Gatekeeper of the News

Socially Speaking: Keeping Seniors Safe on Facebook

The post THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DISINFORMATION appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

Clearly a useful device and one that has undergone a tectonic shift over the years. “Growing up, our black desk phone was a party line, shared with another family down the block,” recalls Bob Brodfuehrer, 77. “I finally convinced my parents that for a few dollars more we could have our own line.” He also remembers the family’s 1950s television set. “Back then, who could imagine a 60-inch, flat-screen TV?” 

A career in telecommunications gave Brodfuehrer a bird’s-eye view of changing technologies and how they shaped our lives. “Smartphones allow you to call and text and send pictures anywhere in the world. GPS tells you where you are and how to get where you’re going, search engines and the web puts the world’s knowledge at your fingertips,” he says. “What’s next? Artificial intelligence with all its possibilities and liabilities.” 

Mary Bicknell has also seen head-spinning technical advances in her 92 years. Born in Northamptonshire, England, she became a teacher in decidedly low-tech classrooms. “We used things like slide projectors,” she recalls. “Report cards were made out by hand. Computers were just coming in when I left teaching, so I never had to learn to use them in class.” 

However, Bicknell fully embraced tech for her personal use. She relies on the latest iPhone 16 to send texts, emails, and take photographs. Her computer is an iPad and keyboard. With that she takes online Zumba classes, keeps in touch with a ukulele group, and downloads books. “I’m most proud of creating a family history on my iPad: researching, writing, typing it up. I’m working on volume two now,” she says.
The one thing Bicknell rarely does is shop online. “I like to go into a store, browse around, talk to a real person.” As for eye-popping tech on the horizon, Bicknell is unimpressed. “I don’t particularly want to learn something new.”  

Should she change her mind, there are ample ways to explore what’s new. One of the best is Senior Planet from AARP. “We harness technology to change how we age and thrive in a digital world,” says Tom Kamber, executive director of the organization. It offers in-person classes at four Senior Planet centers and partner sites across 35 states (not currently in Washington), as well as dozens of free, online courses covering everything from tech to tai chi. And it’s done with flair. “If you sound like an engineer, fewer people want to come,” he says, “so we design compelling, engaging programs for people, to embrace opportunities that can reshape their lives.” 

Kamber hopes this community will reshape the very future of aging. “The biggest affliction we face is age discrimination and segregation. Tech historically exacerbates the problem,” he says. “We can turn the corner on all of that.” 

For Sandra Driscoll, 73, technology is nothing less than a tool for survival. Once a driven, ambitious attorney, her life and career were upended at the age of 40 when she lost much of her eyesight due to complications from diabetes. “My use of technology was entirely shaped by the changes in my vision. I had to throw myself into whatever technology existed at the time if I wanted to stay independent and be part of the world.”  

Software that enhances the size of print on her computer remains a big help. “Audio books were essential because I couldn’t read otherwise,” Driscoll says. Although selections in the ‘90s were not extensive, technology expanded her choices exponentially. “Now I can download hundreds of books, podcasts, and music on a device the size of a deck of cards.” 

Smartphones are a major upgrade. “Huge,” Driscoll says, pointing to an app that uses the camera to describe surroundings or objects. Lyft and Uber apps keep her mobile, and as someone who loved to drive, Driscoll might one day do it again in an autonomous vehicle summoned to her doorstep.  

Tech innovations gave 63-year-old Amy Bowers her entire career. “I’m a computer programmer. I write code for a website and it’s always changing,” she says. “I remember when I had to carry 18-inch tapes to client sites then upload changes to the computer. Now I send it via the Internet.” To stay current, the Sunnyvale, Calif., resident constantly adapts. “I work hard at learning new technology, including computer languages. I don’t want to fall behind.” Not likely. As she nears retirement, Bowers looks forward to the next big thing. “I’m full-on Star Trek,” she says. “Beam me up and flying cars!” 

Not so farfetched when you consider that science fiction now routinely, and at warp speed, becomes science fact. To paraphrase another Star Trek truism, we will go where no one has gone before. 

Connie McDougall is a former news reporter and current freelance writer of nonfiction and personal essays. A lifelong student and proud English major, she has pursued lessons in flying, scuba diving, tai chi, Spanish, meditation, hiking, and Zumba.  

Tech Tools – Advanced Technologies for Agers

Just Enough Tech – Bring Balance to your Digital Life

Lost in (Tech) Translation

The post Embracing Tech: From Ma Bell to AI and Beyond appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

When you live in a beautiful part of the country like we do, you really don’t need an excuse to go exploring. But you might be surprised to find that there are hundreds of hidden objects all around you with the express purpose of getting you to go outside and seek adventure. They’re called geocaches. Geocaching, a global treasure-hunting activity, encourages exploration and outdoor recreation for millions of people worldwide. It is a lot like a treasure hunt or an Easter egg hunt, an adult version of hide-and-seek, or even Pokémon GO. People all over the world have hidden caches for you to find using the GPS function on your smartphone. 

It all started in May 2000, when Dave Ulmer hid the first cache, known as the Original Stash, in Seattle. The activity quickly gained popularity and caches began to appear not only in Washington but globally. 

Geocaches come in all shapes and sizes—cache creativity is endless. Some are large reusable plastic or metal containers (think Tupperware and ammo boxes); others are micro-canisters hanging from trees. Some are as small as an acorn and look exactly like an acorn, while others mimic sticks, frogs, lipstick tubes, empty cans, squirrels, or industrial nuts and bolts. There are caches, T-shirts, and other merchandise for sale on Geocaching.com, plus thousands more on Etsy and Amazon. Many people delight in making their caches from sticks, old cans, bottles, spice containers, and even trash. All caches have a logbook inside for people to record their find. 

The caches are all provided and placed by unpaid volunteers in the global geocaching community. After you have found three or more, you can then place your own caches, too. Some people are inventive, clever, accomplished artisans—and some, are diabolical. 

Geocachers refer to all people who are NOT geocachers as “Muggles” and if there are some of them nearby when nearing a cache, they will delay until the Muggles are out of sight to make their find. You might recognize this term from the Harry Potter stories as people who are unaware of the “magic” world. In this case, it’s the magic geocache world. 

How to Go Geocaching 

Download and open the app on your smartphone. Or you can simply log into www.geocaching.com and start looking for caches. There is a visual difference between using the app and the website. I prefer the website, but I encourage you to check them both, and then select your preference. Suppose you select a park in Seattle, you can click on several icons to select which one you want to find. When you click on the icon, a new screen opens, which will tell you how hard the cache is to find, how difficult the terrain is, and how large or small the cache is. Click on the “hint” arrow near the lower right corner to access another screen with more information about the location. 

Map your navigation to the cache. Once you select a cache, go outside and use the app to navigate to it. And don’t forget to bring a pen to sign the logbook inside the cache. 

Look for the cache. Once you’re in the general location, use the app to look at the recent activity and hints for clues. Remember, caches come in all shapes and sizes! 

Find and log the cache. Once you find it, you’ll need to open it and sign your username in the cache’s logbook, then place the geocache back where you found it. Log your find in the app or Geocaching.com to see your “find count” increase. 

What you will find in a geocache depends on many things, especially the size of the cache, but there will always be a log for you to sign. In larger caches, you can find trackables or items to trade. Trackables are items that are meant to move from cache to cache. Some items have traveled halfway around the world. If you take something meant to be traded, leave something of equal or greater value. 

How do people feel about their exploring activities? They leave their comments for each cache on the site for you to read. Here are some examples: 

Mercer Slough: “I was in dire need of some outside time to clear my head, so I headed here with a friend who used to work at the nearby Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center. I got a healthy dose of animal facts as we walked to the cache. We searched for a few minutes before the hint helped me find the correct location. Thanks for the cache and giving us a good reason to get outside tonight!” 

DuPont: “Such a cool cache! The log was so creative. The woods leading to it were beautiful. I had no idea this small path was there!” 

Shadow Lake: “Was the first body of water for our paddling adventures on this gorgeous day. We had the entire lake to ourselves, which made for some of the smoothest sailing each of us has ever experienced. It was a comfortable temperature out and there were caches to be found. What better conditions could you ask for? There was a turtle sitting on a log as I was heading outbound, and he dove into the water as I approached.” 

Oyster Bay: “Beautiful area. I wanted to stop and just stare at the water. Thanks for the scenery.” 

So, where’s your treasure? The real treasure lies in getting outside, having fun, discovering new aspects of your environment, and getting healthier. Medical experts agree that walking triggers a cascade of health benefits—it lowers blood pressure, contributes to greater cardiovascular fitness, promotes weight loss, strengthens muscles, improves mental health, and can help ease depression. Walking can improve both the quality and the length of your life and those are gifts you can treasure! 

John Owen transitioned from life as a graphic artist/website designer to a biomedical executive at age 61. After 20 years in the biomedical business, he now uses his knowledge of medicine and physiology to write about successful, vibrant aging. This is excerpted from his forthcoming book on super-agers. 

________________________________________________________________ 

Sidebar 

Check out these online resources for more information and to get started: 

If you need more detailed information about the nuts-and-bolts of Geocaching, the Olympic Peninsula has an excellent introduction to Geocaching online:  https://olympicpeninsula.org/geocaching-101-a-guide-to-treasure-hunting-for-beginners: 

Washington State Geocaching Association https://www.wsgaonline.org/ 

The Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA) is a nonprofit recreational club supporting geocachers and geocaching across the state of Washington. 

Washington State Parks https://parks.wa.gov/find-activity/activity-search/geocaching 
Geocachers are welcomed at Washington State Parks, but they have a number of regulations you can find out about on their website. 

Trail Link https://www.traillink.com/ 
A nonprofit source of information about various trails in Washington and all other states. Free to join. 

The Washington Trails Association https://www.wta.org/go-outside/trail-smarts/how-to/geocaching-an-on-trail-treasure-hunt
The Washington Trails Association mobilizes hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors to explore, steward and champion trails and public lands, and includes geocaching in its family. 

Explore Washington State https://explorewashingtonstate.com/geocaching/
A site that promotes tourism in Washington. Lots of good information including the
Geocaching origin story. 

The Best Mobile Apps for Older Adults

America’s Best Idea – Our National Parks

Garage Sale Treasure Hunting

The post Finding Treasure in Your Own Backyard  appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

I was playing pickleball with an eclectic group of adults who crossed the spectrum of ages and abilities. We met in a beginning adult education class called Pickleball Basics. The group was social and, for the more athletic, pickleball checked the recommended “exercise” box.

After a morning of dinks and drop shots, winners and losers, Melinda proposed we collect money “for a gift card to DoorDash” for a player having surgery. “Just Venmo me whatever you want to contribute,” she says.

Venmo? The money wasn’t an issue, but I asked, “Doesn’t anybody write checks anymore?” She responded that I could give her cash the next game day. I felt past my expiration date, like moldy cheese that had overstayed its refrigerator life. I emailed, “I am a Venmo virgin. What do I do?”

She sent me directions. I downloaded the “app”—a word now in my updated vocabulary—and murmured a few swear words. I resisted calling my daughter for help. I was determined to conquer this. My blood pressure returned to normal when I received the message: “You have paid.”

A month later I received another request for donations for a sick friend. Flowers would brighten her day, the email noted. I was happy to participate. Then came the direction, “Just Zelle me.”  Seriously? I wanted to respond, “Doesn’t anybody write checks anymore?”  But that was too embarrassing. I Googled, “How to use Zelle.”

After logging into my bank, I followed the instructions. I was anxious. I didn’t want to send money to someone in Nairobi. What if I sent it to the wrong person? I decided to go for it, rationalizing that ‘someone in Nairobi might need a lift even more than my ailing friend.’ I took a breath and clicked SEND.

With ambitions of becoming a techie, I registered for a computer class at the local high school. I want to create a blog for older adults who share my frustration with keeping current in our rapidly evolving technical world. The class was comprised of business owners and entrepreneurs—most young enough to be my children.

In the first 20 minutes of class, I was 30 minutes behind. The instructor barreled through the lecture, moving the cursor on the large screen like an Energizer Bunny. He incorporated a whole new vocabulary as I fumbled around: Figma, Plug-ins, widgets, domain, IconScout. I nodded through the next two hours, though the total evening was lost in translation.

Last Thursday, the weekly ad arrived from our local grocery store. My favorite Minute Maid sugar-free lemonade was on sale! This is my nightly go-to cocktail. I drove to the store and loaded my basket with every bottle of lemonade in the cooler. Feeling smart—I was saving enough for a Grande at Starbuck’s—I began to scan each bottle at self-checkout. WAIT! The price shown on the screen was the regular price.

Noticing my confusion an employee asked if I had clipped the digital coupon. Huh? Please translate. After downloading the store app she gave me a lesson in clipping a coupon—no scissors needed—into my “Just-4-You” digital purse.

I wonder who needs a real wallet anymore. They are outdated. Forget about giving one as a graduation gift full of green stuff. Today’s kids wouldn’t know what to do with it. Just send the gift by Venmo or Zelle—no Hallmark card required.

The other day I stopped at Target for a few items. I got in line behind a smiling woman about my age. As we waited, she began a friendly chat. Her basket was full, and I considered moving to another line. I was eager to get home but, admittedly, was enjoying our conversation.

Finally, my new friend was next in line and began to unload her items. One by one, in achingly slow motion, she placed each item on the conveyor belt. On and on until finally, the basket was empty. Could this count toward her 30 minutes of daily exercise recommended by AARP? It took forever. I was getting impatient and more annoyed by the minute.

The cashier totaled the bill, “That will be $67.59.”

That’s when I saw her reach into her purse.

And just like that, I discovered who still writes checks these days.

 Suzi Schultz Gold is the former marketing director for MCCS Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. After decades of raising children and pursuing a meaningful career, she’s discovered the joy of writing narrative essays in retirement. She published her first memoir, Look at the Moon, in 2021.

Just Enough Tech – Bring Balance to your Digital Life

Tech Tools – Advanced Technologies for Agers

The post Lost in (Tech) Translation appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

By MICHAEL C. PATTERSON

On a bright November day in the year 2038, the family gathers to celebrate Bobby Fitzgerald’s 95th birthday. The temperature is in the upper 80s and the air quality is bad, so they gather in Bobby and Jasmine’s climate-controlled living room.

Bobby’s son, Josh (70), and daughter Liz (75), “the kids,” are clearly excited as Bobby opens his gift card from them. As he carefully breaks the seal and pulls out the enclosed card a shimmering, rainbow-colored message emerges. A female voice says, “Congratulations, Bobby! This is your ticket to immortality!”

After a moment of stunned silence, the room explodes with noisy shouts from Bobby’s extended family. “Oh, my God!” “Is that the thing where they create an avatar of you?” “Not an avatar, a freaking hologram. A hologram!” “Holy shit.” “Hologram of whom?” “That is so cool.” “Of Bobby!” I heard about that!” “No way!”

Bobby and his wife Jasmine exchange raised eyebrows. Jasmine gives Bobby a, “Well, I wasn’t expecting that!” expression. Bobby nods in agreement.

“Thank you,” Bobby says. “I think I know what this is, but what exactly does this mean—my ‘ticket to immortality?’”

With a dramatic flourish of his arms, Josh announces, “We signed you up for an afterlife hologram service, IMMORTAL ME. You get to create a hologram of yourself that will live on, you know, after . . . you know. . . You’ll be immortal.” Then more quietly, to his dad: “We will all be able to be with you and talk with you whenever we want.”

“It’s a present as much for us,” explains Liz, “as it is for you. I mean all of us.” She gestures to everyone in the room. “And, we thought you should have the chance to work on it before you die, you know, so you can have some input about what information can be accessed.”

“You mean,” Jasmine asks, “you can create these hologram things after a person dies, without their permission? Is that even legal?”

“No, no! Josh answers. Well, . . . yes. The laws are kind of vague and unenforceable, but . . . it’s possible to create a hologram without permission, you know, after a person has died, but we wouldn’t do that. We want your permission in advance of . . . you know . . . and want you to have some input into the information the program has access, too.”

“Some input?” asks Jasmine. “I’d want full control over the information. And don’t you dare create a hologram of me without my permission or I’ll kill you.”

“No Mom,” both kids reply. “We would never do anything without your express (written) permission.”

Liz adds, “You should write specific instructions into your will or your advance directive. And I really hope you give us permission. It’s your legacy! It’s a way to keep you with us.”

Jasmine frowns and shakes her head. “I don’t know. I would not be me. I might just want you to keep whatever memories are in your head. Positive memories. You can forget the bad stuff. And make sure my hair looks okay.” She looks at Bobby. “What about you?”

“What kind of information are we talking about,” asks Bobby. “What kind of data does it use, or need to create to . . . I guess, to recreate a reasonable facsimile of me? Is that what we are talking about?”

“Your hologram will be great, Dad,” says Josh. “You have so much data to input.”

“The program uses any data that is available, anything you have produced and digitized,” explains Liz. “Anything that has been written or said about you.”

You have written so much stuff,” Josh continues, “through your books, your articles, your newsletter. And you have so much writing that you never even show anyone. Right? Even to mom. It would be a waste if all those deep, profound thoughts were lost or forgotten.”

“Yeah!” Bobby rolls his eyes. “Great loss!”

“No, we’re serious, Dad,” says Liz.

“And all your podcasts and the videos,” adds Josh. “The hologram will be great at duplicating your voice, your gestures, your vocal inflections, your facial expressions. … You know, the funny slapstick movies you make.”

“No one’s very interested in my ‘profound insights’ now,” Bobby says. “Not even me. I don’t see why anyone would be interested in the future.”

“Well, you never know,” says Josh. “I mean . . . I’m too busy now, you know, with work and all, but when things calm down, you know, I might be curious about what Dad was writing about all those years.”

“And the thing is,” says Liz, “it’s not like your hologram is going to read us your full essays. It will pick and choose. I might ask you, ‘Hey Dad, what made you change your thinking on spirituality?’ And it will give me a little summary of your early writing on the subject, then summarize your more recent stuff, and give me its best guess about why your ideas shifted. You know how Chatbots work, right?” Bobby nods. “So, it would be like talking to you.”

Liz looks down, spins away, grabs a tissue, and blows her nose.

Bobby reaches toward his daughter. “Come here.” Bobby stands and they give each other a big, long hug.

“I love talking with you. I’ll miss that,” Bobby whispers.

“I know!” Liz takes a deep breath. “Me too. That’s why, I thought. . . I wanted . . .” Bobby gives her a big squeeze and a kiss on her forehead.

“Will the hologram be as silly as the real papa?” asks Lara, Bobby’s great-granddaughter.

“I’m not silly.” Bobby feigns shock at the accusation. “Who said that?”

“Me!” Little Lara puts her hands on her hips and gives Bobby her famous snake-eye look.

Bobby wags an accusing finger. “You are the silly one.”

“No, you.”

“I am never silly, never have been,” says Bobby as he grabs Lara and tickles her into screaming submission.

“The hologram won’t be able to give us a real hug, or tickle us, right?” Jasmine asks.

“Isn’t it expensive?” Bobby asks. “It’s too expensive.”

The family responds in chorus. “We all chipped in.” “Prices have really come down.” “You are worth it.” “Yeah, immortality doesn’t come cheap!” “It’s an investment in our future.”

“Is it available to everyone?” Bobby says as he looks around the room. “How long would I—would the virtual me—last?”

“You could be immortal, Dad! Forever!” Josh shouts. “And the hologram program would be available to all of us. It’s cool. You could be in two places at the same time, or more.

“Your hologram program will live for as long as coming generations decide to renew the license agreement.” Liz finds this part a bit awkward. “There’s an annual fee that is renewed automatically, until . . .”

“Until someone decides to finally pull the plug,” Bobby says.

“If you don’t want to do it, Dad,” says Liz as she reaches for the card, “we can cancel and get a refund.”

“No. I mean, it won’t matter to me. Right? I’ll be dead,” Says Bobby as he holds the card against his chest. “And, frankly, I’m vain enough to want my ideas—the few good ones—to live longer than my body, and possibly have some small influence on,” nodding to the grandkids, “your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

“Yeah. We’ll program your hologram to spout only pearls of wisdom. None of the nonsense,” says Josh. “No, seriously. It would be nice to have your advice and even just, you know, to hear your voice, and . . .

Liz picks up the thread, “And you’ve said there are so many questions about your mom and dad you never got to ask. The avatar would give us a chance to ask you questions we didn’t—or couldn’t ask—while you were alive.”

“If you guys really want it . . .” Bobby says with a shrug and smile.

“We do.”

“Jasmine?” Bobby looks to his wife.

“Sure. Your choice. It might be good for a laugh every now and then. I’m planning to outlive you, by the way, so who knows, I might miss you from time to time.” She turns to the kids. “Can it be programmed to focus on the best sides of his personality? Can we dial up the tenderness and dial down the cynicism, for example? Cut out the silly jokes and the stories I’ve heard a million times?”

“I think you kinda get the full package, Mom,” says Josh.

“But I could turn this hologram thingy on and off when I like, right?” asks Jasmine. “That might be refreshing.”

She leans over and gives Bobby a kiss and a pat on the cheek.

“So, it’s a yes,” asks Liz. “You want it?”

“Yes. I want it.”

As the family applauds, Bobby says in a whisper to Jasmine, “The irony is that I won’t be able to experience my own immortality.”

Michael C. Patterson had an early career in the theater, then worked at PBS, developing programs and systems to support the educational mission of public television. Michael ran the Staying Sharp brain health program for AARP, then founded MINDRAMP to continue to promote physical well-being and mental flourishing for older adults. Michael currently explores these topics on his MINDRAMP Podcast and his Synapse newsletter. His website is www.mindramp.org. 

More musings on immortality:

Striving for Immortality

How to Live Forever! Magic Formula! Fountain of Youth!

Resilience: The Simple Truth About Living to 100

How to live forever…

The post Immortal Me appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

And a great soup recipe, too.

By DUSTIN MOORE

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is everywhere. It has already woven itself into our daily lives, often without us even noticing. It’s like a helpful neighbor who quietly lends a hand. You might already be familiar with voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. They respond to your voice commands, play your favorite tunes, set timers, or tell you the weather. When you chat with Siri or “ask Alexa” to set a timer for your family’s favorite tomato soup recipe, you’re interacting with AI. These systems transform your spoken words into computer commands, triggering actions such as setting a timer. This process, seamlessly integrated into our routines and phones, happens almost like magic.

Lately, you might have heard about something called ChatGPT, stirring up discussions—and some fears—about AI and how this technology will be used. Should you learn how to use ChatGPT? Are AI systems going to take over? Here are some basics to help you better understand what AI is—and, importantly—what it isn’t.

What is “Artificial Intelligence?”

At its core, artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science focused on creating machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks can include understanding natural language, recognizing patterns, solving problems, and learning from experience. Essentially, AI is about designing smart machines that can assist and enhance our daily lives in various ways.

A Game Changer

In late 2022, a company named OpenAI introduced a groundbreaking product called ChatGPT. Known for its remarkable ability to generate creative ideas and interact with users, ChatGPT has rapidly become one of the fastest-adopted new technologies, reaching a milestone of 100 million monthly users within two months of its launch. Comparatively, Facebook took an estimated four years and six months to reach that many people.

When looking for information on a topic, most of us are comfortable using Google or a similar browser to search the internet. Google uses an algorithm to pull up websites with the information it deems most relative to your query, which you then need to sort through. Your favorite voice assistant—Siri is mine—is great for specific, straightforward tasks. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is a bit different. It’s like having a conversation with a knowledgeable friend who can discuss a wide range of topics in depth. These topics come from a vast amount of textual data that OpenAI scraped from the internet and various sources.

What Can AI Do Today?

As a simple example, let’s use ChatGPT to help modify that tomato soup recipe.

Here is our family’s favorite tomato soup recipe:

(And yes, it pairs exceptionally well with homemade grilled cheese!)

TOMATO-CILANTRO SOUP

• ½-bunch finely chopped cilantro
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ¼ c. butter
• 1 c. white wine
• 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 c. chicken broth
• ½ c. heavy cream

Instructions:

• Sauté onions in butter in a large soup pot until softened and a rich caramelized brown.
• Add garlic, cumin, and cilantro, and sauté for 3 minutes to combine flavors.
• Add wine, bring to a simmer, and reduce (10-15 minutes)
• Add chicken broth and tomatoes and cook soup for 45 minutes
• Add heavy cream and salt to taste. Serve hot with cilantro leaf as garnish.

Imagine you’ve planned a meal for an upcoming family get-together—in my case my famous tomato soup and grilled cheese—only to discover your adult child is bringing over a new sweetheart with a milk allergy. Now, your beloved tomato soup recipe—with its heavy cream and the classic grilled cheese side dish—suddenly becomes a bit of a puzzle. How to modify it while keeping all its satisfying yumminess? This is a perfect opportunity to consult ChatGPT, a tool that can help you adapt your recipe, and even suggest new food and drink pairings.

How to Access ChatGPT

Google ChatGPT on your laptop or desktop to bring up the homepage. Next, create an account if you do not have one. Then ask ChatGPT a question, in this instance, “What can I use instead of heavy cream in my tomato soup to make it dairy-free?” And just like that, ChatGPT will suggest alternatives like coconut milk, or almond milk, keeping the creamy texture you love but without the dairy. Here is my question—called a “prompt” in the AI world—and ChatGPT’s response:

What is Next for AI?

In the short term, the advancements made by technologies like ChatGPT and Microsoft are set to enhance the apps and software you use daily. For instance, Apple has hinted at plans to integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT with Siri. This upgrade aims to make Siri more conversational and intuitive in its responses.

You’ll likely encounter more sophisticated support bots, making online customer service more efficient and user-friendly. Furthermore, you’ll come across a great deal of online content that’s been crafted with the help of AI, offering you richer and more diverse information at your fingertips.

But beware, it will also make misinformation easier to create, so cross-referencing articles with other sources will become a more important skill. Always double-check where your information is coming from and never give personal or credit card information to strange chats or emails on the internet.

Beyond the information and communication challenges AI presents there is plenty to be excited for. Here’s a glimpse of what else we might expect from AI in the near future:

• Personalized Health Care: AI could tailor medical treatments and health advice to your specific genetic makeup, lifestyle, and health history.

• Smart Homes: Imagine your home understanding your preferences and needs, adjusting lighting, and temperature, and even suggesting recipes based on what’s in your fridge.

• Learning and Education: AI could provide personalized learning experiences, adapting to your learning style and pace, making it a valuable tool for lifelong learning.

• Community Engagement: AI might play a role in local community initiatives, helping to plan events, understand community needs, and even assist in local governance.

As AI continues to evolve, it holds the promise of not only making everyday tasks easier but also enhancing the quality of life in a more personalized and meaningful way.

The Future of AI

As we look toward the future our children will inhabit, it’s fascinating to imagine how AI will continue to evolve and integrate into their daily lives. Here are some practical advances investors are exploring:

Eldercare Robots: A New Era of Caregiving

AI-powered companions could provide a range of services, from basic household tasks to more complex medical monitoring. They could remind you to take medications, assist with mobility, or even provide company and conversation. The goal of these robots won’t be to replace human caregivers but to enhance the care provided, ensuring safety, companionship, and assistance around the clock. This could positively impact our already critical caregiver shortage.

Automated Cars and Transportation: Redefining Mobility

The future of transportation is also set to be transformed by AI. Imagine a self-driving car that takes you to your destination safely and efficiently, without the stress of navigating traffic or finding parking. These automated vehicles could offer newfound independence and mobility, particularly for those who may not be able to drive.

Beyond personal vehicles, public transportation could also see a revolution with AI, optimizing routes and schedules, reducing congestion, and making travel more eco-friendly.

Understanding AI’s Limitations

While it’s exciting to explore the capabilities of ChatGPT and similar AI tools, it’s important to keep in mind their limitations. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT don’t possess full awareness or understanding of the information they provide. They aim to generate the most likely and relevant response based on the data they’ve been trained on, but this doesn’t guarantee factual accuracy in every instance. And as the old saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

Think of these AI models not as living, sentient beings, but as sophisticated mathematical programs. They process your questions and the context you provide, then produce an output that seems most fitting. It’s akin to a “Magic Mirror,” reflecting back an answer based on the input it receives. This means the way you frame your question or the additional information you give can significantly alter the response you get.

Remember, while AI can be impressively helpful, it’s still a tool—one that requires human guidance and interpretation to be used most effectively.

The Dark Side: Will AI Take Over?

But what about the potential dark side of AI? Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, expressed his concerns at an Economic Times event in June. He was quoted saying, “What I lose the most sleep over is the hypothetical idea that we already have done something really bad by launching ChatGPT.” This statement—from one of AI’s strongest leaders—reveals the ethical and societal implications that come with advanced AI technologies.

There are various predictions about AI potentially changing the world in negative ways. While these concerns are valid, it’s important to understand the context and the mechanisms in place to mitigate risks. Should we be worried about AI taking over? Let’s review some common concerns to understand the problem better:

Job Automation: One common concern is that AI might lead to significant job displacement. While AI can automate certain tasks, it also creates new job opportunities and roles that require human skills and oversight. This will support global economies that expect a worker shortage for years to come.

Privacy and Data Security: As AI systems process vast amounts of data, concerns about privacy and data security arise. AI development needs to be coupled with robust data protection measures. Data privacy governance and law continue to grow, led by the EU, California, and others, to address this issue.

AI Misinformation and Deepfakes: AI technology has already been used to create highly realistic “deepfakes”—videos or audio clips that can be misleading or deceptive. On January 9, 2024, The New York Times reported in an article titled, “No, That’s Not Taylor Swift Peddling Le Creuset Cookware,” highlighting a case where a deepfake suggested the singer was promoting a cookware giveaway. This was not true, as an artificially generated version of Swift’s voice and likeness was used instead. This incident led to a recent backlash when deepfake pornography of the celebrated entertainer began to circulate on X (formerly known as Twitter), causing outrage and prompting responses from the White House and SAG-AFTRA.

Recent events like these underscore the importance of not taking online content at face value. For critical news and information, it’s essential to verify facts against a diverse mix of sources. Learning to recognize misinformation is a valuable skill for people of all ages. As AI continues to evolve, so must our ability to discern and critically evaluate the information we encounter in the digital world.

Control and Regulation: The idea of AI becoming too autonomous or being used for harmful purposes is a significant concern. Everyone in my generation remembers the autonomous war-bringing robots of The Terminator taking over their movie screens. Prevention of such nightmare scenarios necessitates clear regulations and ethical guidelines to govern AI development and use.

While these concerns are real, they also drive the ongoing conversation about how to develop and use AI responsibly. By staying informed and engaged, we can shape a future where AI is a force for good, complementing rather than dominating our lives.

Dustin Moore is VP of Technical Services at Wheelhouse DMG in Seattle, where he is currently exploring the opportunities and impacts of Large Language Models (LLMs)—a specialized type of artificial intelligence—and generative algorithms in health care and marketing.

Here are some more articles to help you understand and navigate changing technology:

My Not So Quick Response to a Quick Response Code (QR) Future

AgeTech – the challenges and opportunities around technology and family caregiving

Zoom Aplenty

Tech Tools – Advanced Technologies for Agers

Tech Tools

The post Understanding AI appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

The first time I eyeballed a QR (short for quick response) code, I tried to decipher it like a palm reader might. Maybe I should’ve thrown up my arms then, instead of riding out the evolution until now.

In those early days, I was fascinated that a little square code could take me places for useful information. One exception—the foolishness of restaurant QR codes once COVID became less threatening. Real menus enhance the experience of the full meal deal. The QR code was developed 30 years ago by a Japanese engineer who worked for a subsidiary of Toyota. His goal was to track auto parts in the assembly process.

Fast forward to 2024, when a group of befuddled folks in a parking area under a Seattle medical building are scrunching their noses, phones in hand, as they try to figure out why they need a QR code to register their vehicles before they can see a doctor. Some don’t even have a wireless connection beneath the building. Many give up and shrug, hop on elevators, and head upstairs to be met by medical receptionists who point to a computer so we can register our presence.

The computer prompts patients to insert drivers’ licenses and insurance cards. After that comes a screen boasting a litany of release forms that had been texted to my phone for advance check-in. Several were so long on legalese and small print that I chose not to address them.

Sheepishly, I ask for help from one of the uninterested receptionists. This is an eye doctor appointment. Why the fine print? One receptionist walks around to where I stand. He doesn’t read what’s on the computer, only gives me the gist of each subject area, then points to where I need to click to sign each one. What’s all this legal mumbo-jumbo I’d just signed?

By now I’m late for my appointment, even though I arrived at the building 20 minutes early. Good thing blood pressure checks aren’t part of eye exams.

I complain to my eye doctor—one I’ve seen at this location for nearly 20 years—about all the new tech insanity. His response?

“We’re trying to save on cost,” he says. “But when you leave, as long as you have a credit card, just veer to the left and someone will take your payment for parking.”

“How will they know how long I’ve been here?” I ask.

“They photograph your license plate when you come in,” he says.

“Then what’s up with QR code antics?”

He shrugs much like the rest of us did in the parking garage. Are businesses killing themselves with technology to cut costs? I thought QR codes were created to provide information, not to replace people.

“Can I pay less for parking given all the time I’ve been here?”

“Good luck with that,” the doc says with a chuckle as he leaves the examining room.

By the time I’ve gone through all the rigamarole, I’d been there well over two hours.

As suggested, I drive out to the left where I get a handwritten slip of paper for $11.99—a suspiciously odd amount for parking—from a woman in an exit booth. The gate goes up.

Wait, this tale has a glimmer of hope!

The next day, I’m able to grab a familiar card that opens a parking gate and cruise into a garage for yet another Seattle doc appointment, one with my primary care physician.

Big signs on the walls just inside the entrance beckon, “PARKING FOR SENIORS.” While there’s not always an empty spot, I luck out, slip into a senior space, and catch an elevator.

With numerous people working the clinic reception area, the wait is only a few minutes before an employee, standing or sitting, waves with a smile to come his or her way.

No long forms to sign and no computer interactions. They scan IDs. The conversation is animated and congenial. One of the seated receptionists is a hoot, with a work area decorated in playful slogans, greeting cards, and tchotchkes all in tune with the season. She’s such a crack-up, my fears about the loss of human connection in the not-too-distant future melts away. I even had low blood pressure that day.

When I depart, the man in the booth who takes my parking card says he heard the horrors of QR code parking nearby. We both grimace, then laugh, as he hands me a printed $8 receipt and then raises the gate.

On the drive home, I thought about Dinah Washington as I tried to hum “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes.”

Annie Culver developed a knack for unearthing oddball characters and improbable events as a staff writer for various newspapers. In the early 90s, she went to work for websites where she wrote sassy essays aimed at women. In recent years, she morphed into a writer for several universities in the Northwest. She retired in 2016, yet still enjoys freelancing.

More by Annie Culver:

Pull Dates—What our refrigerators can tell us about ourselves.

Read My Lip Prints

Garage Sale Treasure Hunting

Garage Sale Treasure Hunting

The post My Not So Quick Response to a Quick Response Code (QR) Future appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

By DALE BOHM

Why study astrophysics? Simply put, it’s interesting and challenges the brain. Many studies confirm that our brain has the ability to learn and grow as we age—a process called brain plasticity. But for it to do so, we must train and challenge it on a regular basis.

“Eventually, your cognitive skills will wane and thinking and memory will be more challenging, so you need to build up your reserve,” says Dr. John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research. “Embracing a new activity that also forces you to think and learn and requires ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy.”

Astrophysics is a complicated science. Not only do we learn about massive objects in the universe like stars, galaxies, and black holes, there are tiny quantum particles to study as well. The coolest thing about astrophysics is exploring universal questions: How did our universe start? What happened after the Big Bang? Where is our universe headed? Everything on earth is intimately connected to the sun, moon, and planets in our solar system, not to mention the quantum particles that govern every atom in our bodies.

Over the years, I’ve gained knowledge from books, the internet, and science programs on TV such as PBS Space Time hosted by Matt O’Dowd, and Complex Questions Answered Simply hosted by Arvin Ash. I’ve learned the most from O’Dowd, who has a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Melbourne and is an Associate Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the Lehman College of the City University of New York.

Here’s a brief overview to get you started. Grab a dictionary or Google, put on your seatbelt, and get ready to learn and challenge your brain!

In the Beginning

When faced with complicated questions, it is always best to break them down into their simplest form. A famous quote by Albert Einstein states, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” In the beginning, moments after the Big Bang, our universe was very simple. It was a hot soup of fundamental particles and their antiparticles. Neutrinos decoupled one second after the big bang and traveled freely into space, creating the cosmic neutrino background. Scientist are now trying to detect these neutrinos at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which is located at the South Pole.

Protons and neutrons formed from the fundamental particles and became hydrogen and helium nuclei. As the universe continued to expand and cool, hydrogen nuclei gained electrons and hydrogen atoms began to pair up, sharing their electron shells with opposite spin electrons.  Much later in time, stars began to form, and our early universe developed black holes from supernova explosions of massive stars. Finally, galaxies formed around the black holes.

Quantum Fields Forever

If you go even smaller than a particle, there are 24 different quantum fields that govern all the properties of our universe. The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the most basic particles of the universe as six different quarks, six different leptons, and five different bosons,  with each a particle in their own quantum field. One of the bosons called a gluon, carries the strong nuclear force and has a total of eight different quantum fields. One scientific theory, discovered by Italian physicist Gabriele Veneziano back in 1968, is called String Theory. Basically, it states that the fundamental particles of all matter are strings of extremely small scale, which vibrate at specific frequencies within a quantum field. The strings vibrate in different modes (just as a guitar string can produce different notes), with every mode appearing as a different particle in a specific quantum field.

The Ghosts of the Universe

Neutrinos continue to expand from supernova explosions and carry particles on a neutrino “wind” throughout the universe. Neutrinos are tiny particles traveling near the speed of light and are the second most common particle in the universe. A neutrino is similar to the electron except it is electrically neutral. Neutrinos are able to pass through matter almost undisturbed and are created as a result of decay and nuclear reactions. There are three types (or flavors) of neutrinos that oscillate between each type—electron, muon, and tau neutrinos. After a supernova, zillions upon zillions of neutrinos are released and carry heavier particles throughout the universe and make it possible for more complex atoms to form.

Tiny but Mighty

A neutron star is only about 20 kilometers in diameter, however it has way more mass than our sun. Neutron stars result from massive super red giant stars that would dwarf our Sun. After these stars have finished burning their nuclear fuel, they undergo a supernova explosion. This explosion blows off the outer layers of a star and the central region collapses under gravity. It collapses so much that protons and electrons are crushed together and combine to form neutrons. If the neutron star is large enough, it will create a black hole and its light will disappear from the universe forever.

Obey the Laws

Through the study of astrophysics, the laws of nature are revealed. By examining these laws and the particles that make up our universe, we can incorporate that information into our own lives and better understand our own reality.

Physicists Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson developed laws of thermodynamics back in 1860 that are still used today. The first law states that “energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.”

The second law states that “energy will always go from its highest energy to do work to its lowest ability to do work.”

Sir Isaac Newton developed the laws of motion way back in 1687, his most famous statement being that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Continuing Education

There are literally hundreds of books and programs online to learn more about astrophysics. The Hubble Space Telescope and now the new James Webb telescope have provided us with outstanding photographs and are unlocking the secrets of the early universe. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider located in Switzerland is unlocking the mysteries of the particle world, with the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Now more than ever, scientists are learning the secrets of our universe and sharing it freely with all of humanity.

Dale Bohm, advertising representative for 3rd Act Magazine, is a motocross racer, skier, athlete, closet writer, and citizen scientist. He has been curious about the universe his entire life and is a lover of neutrinos. He lives in Bothell, Wash.

Books to Read:

Cosmos by Carl Sagen

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

You may also like these articles on 3rd Act:

An Amateur Astronomer’s Guide to Wonder in the Sky

The post This is Your Brain on Astrophysics appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

For as long as human beings have had life, they have been trying to either survive or extend it.

On December 30, 1999, Sarah Knauss entered the final day of her life at a nursing home in Pennsylvania. Despite the loss of her hearing and recent doses of oxygen, she was not ill at the time. The week before, she visited her hairdresser and wished a volunteer at her nursing home a Happy New Year. At the time, Knauss had a daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Knauss passed away peacefully that afternoon, two days short of the year 2000. It would have been the third different century of her life. She was 119.

At the time of her death, Knauss—born in 1880—held the crown of the oldest person alive. She was part of a group of supercentenarians pushing the upper limits of human longevity. The current average life expectancy for the U.S. population is 76.1 years, but many live beyond these estimates. The number of centenarians (those at or over the age of 100) is projected to reach more than 25 million by 2100.

The modern movement striving for this longevity is one of abundance. The “anti-aging” industry is estimated to be worth $600 billion by 2025. Researchers are beginning to pinpoint the maximum length of human lives. One study, published in 2021, found that the upper limits of human lifespans could lie around 120-150 years.

Outside of Silicon Valley, there are a number of different worldviews committed to aging and death and our ability to change it—life-extensionists, longevists, super-longevists, anti-death activists, and anti-aging activists.

James Strole, the executive director of the Coalition for Radical Life Extension—a nonprofit based in Arizona that connects people who seek to alter their lifespans—prefers the immortality worldview.

“I want to live with vitality and strength in an unlimited way,” he said in a recent interview.

Strole’s organization hosts a yearly event called RAADfest—the Revolution Against Aging and Death Festival. RAADfest (a “Woodstock for radical life extension,” Strole said) features speakers from the longevity and life-extension community. At the first RAADfest in 2016, Strole—who has no scientific background—recalled sharing what the movement is about: “I said, ‘Look, we shouldn’t be fighting each other on this planet, we should be fighting our worst enemy: aging and death.’”

Back in the late 1990s, Knauss offered a view on her lifespan. According to a local paper, when she was told about being the oldest living person alive, Knauss replied, “So what?”

For as long as human beings have had life, they have been trying to either survive, extend, or immortalize it—and altering life has often involved considerations of older age.

In 1550, an Italian nobleman named Louis Cornaro wrote, “I never knew the world was beautiful until I reached old age.”

A popular view at the time of his writing was that humans were endowed with a certain amount of “vital energy,” according to Carole Haber, a professor of history at Tulane University and the author of a 2004 paper on the history of longevity movements. The key to living longer, they believed, was maintaining and conserving this energy through moderation in diet and lifestyle.

During the Enlightenment, this view of older age persisted in the minds of prominent 17^th– and 18th-century thinkers. Many during this time saw old age as a unique stage in life.

“It’s [aging]good if you are economically viable. And a man,” Haber said in a recent interview.

In the 1800s, scientific discovery in France rapidly altered this view of aging. Paris became the first site of autopsies linking physiological changes in the body (like damaged arteries, eyes, or hearing) to old age itself. Physicians in the 19th century began questioning the course of aging: What is part of the aging process, and what is a disease?

“And they came to the conclusion … that what is normal is a disease. And that disease is called aging,” Haber said. Aging was then something to attack or solve.

Haber cites a small—“though well-publicized”—group of men in the early 20th century who took charge in the fight to reverse aging with sexual gland transplants. This notion of attacking aging persists into the 21st century with a modern approach. Strole told me he has used stem cell therapy and nutritional supplements to keep his body “vibrant.”

Longevity Escape Velocity and Immortality

One theory of today’s immortalists like Strole is the longevity escape velocity, the notion that technology advances in prolonging life will exceed the rate of aging bodies. Strole hopes to “live long enough to live forever.”

Matt Kaeberlein, a former professor of pathology and former director of the Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute at the University of Washington, emphasized to me that “there’s just no evidence that we’re getting closer to that at this point, based on published peer-reviewed scientific data.”

The scientific possibilities around extending our healthspans only come with dedicated resources and attention. “The probability of what could be accomplished is sort of lost when you talk about unrealistic expectations,” Kaeberlein says.

Increasing lifespans to 150 years may be an achievement, “but who is that going to benefit if that’s not available to everyone?” says Alessandro Bitto, an acting assistant professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington. He points out that many people still fall below the median life expectancy.

While the language and financial incentives around altering lifespans may be recent innovations, the modern characterization of older age—as a stage in life, as an economic threat to American progress, and a foil to the early days of Cornaro—morphed into something akin to death. Haber writes that the new anti-age movement’s “ideas and actions ultimately serve to marginalize the very process of growing old.”

In 2017, the aging philosopher and Professor of Gerontology Jan Baars wrote, “we do not die because we have become old but because we have been born as finite human beings: death is given with life.”

As one moderator put it at the 2023 RAADfest, many people don’t just want to make life last longer—they want to make life last. Strole himself claims that “we learn to take on the mortal mind.”

But Baars proposed a “repositioning of aging,” as learning to live a finite life that views aging not as a problem but as a process, one with which we are all engaged. Many organizations have dedicated resources to understanding the later stages of our finite lives. The founding of the American Geriatrics Society and The Gerontological Society of America, Haber wrote in the 2004 study, worked to separate “normal” old age from “treatable, pathological conditions.”

“You know, it’s really very peculiar. To be mortal is the most basic human experience and yet man has never been able to accept it, grasp it, and behave accordingly,” Milan Kundera wrote in Immortality. “Man doesn’t know how to be mortal.”

Learning to live within this paradigm of aging is and will always be part of our history. Part of being human is grappling with what it might mean not to be.

Zachary Fletcher is a freelance journalist covering aging and other news, most recently for The Kitsap Sun/USA Today. His work has appeared in PBS’s Next Avenue and The Sacramento Bee, among other publications. He lives in Seattle with his partner. Learn more about him at https://fletcherzachary.weebly.com/.

See these 3rd Act Articles on Longevity:

Longevity Planning—Forecast: Sunny with a Chance of Rain—Longevity planning focuses on five key drivers of modern retirement success: finances, legal, health, housing, and family. By simplifying, dignifying, and unifying our lives and those of our loved ones, we can radically change the odds in our favor.

The post Striving for Immortality appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

In a recent 2022 AARP survey of U.S. Caregivers’ Use of Technology, eight-in-ten adult caregivers reported using technology to assist with caregiving at least once per month, albeit with differences across age groups. Millennial and Gen X caregivers are more likely to use technology for caregiving assistance daily, whereas many Baby Boomer caregivers report never using technology in their caregiving role.

In terms of technology, caregivers under age 65 were more likely to say they were extremely or more comfortable with using smart phones, the Internet, and computers than those over 65. Less than half of caregivers over 65 reported being comfortable with those devices. There is less comfort across all ages with the use of in-home technologies such as Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.

Caregivers use their phones and Internet to find support and services such as food deliveries, prescription refills, and ordering household supplies.  Also popular are how-to and educational videos on topics such as home repairs. Over the pandemic, videoconferencing and webinars were important tools to stay connected and informed.  AARP Washington (www.aarp.org/wa) continues to hold many online and virtual events, including the popular “Fraud Watch Friday” events where folks can bring their questions about frauds and scams.

Clearly, there are many benefits and challenges related to technology for caregivers and their loved ones.  Having information right at one’s fingertips can be helpful, be it medical records or care plans. For family caregivers who live at a distance from their loved ones, being able to communicate by video and ascertain what is happening in real time is a major benefit of today’s smartphones and monitoring devices. New devices that help detect falls or programs that can provide daily medication reminders support older loved ones to live independently and age in place.  And devices that allow individuals to identify who is calling or who is at the front door can help older adults feel more secure in their homes.

Of course, issues of access to technology and broadband, the need for user-friendly devices, data privacy, and cybersecurity are critical topics to be addressed with older technology users in mind.  Programs such as Senior Planet from AARP (www.seniorplanet.org) are working to ensure that older adults are included in the digital revolution by providing education and training on how to use apps like Instagram, MyChart, or Zoom.

The power of technology is immense.  The challenge is how to ensure that advancements in technology support the well-being of us all as we age, including support for family caregiving. Given that we have over 820,000 family caregivers in Washington providing 770 million hours of care a year, the opportunity is now.  For more information, visit www.aarp.org/caregiverswa

More Articles from AARP

The post AgeTech – the challenges and opportunities around technology and family caregiving appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.