This new 190-page release from the Census Bureau and the National Institute of Aging (NIA) presents comparative data related to aging, including population and projected population internationally, life expectancy, retirement, health information, and social support. The report was, in part, inspired by a review from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that argued for an international focus on...

The quest for youth and longevity has been an interest of humankind for millennia, so it is not surprising that recording statistics on human longevity is done with great interest. On September 26, 2002, it was announced that Vu Thi Dao of northern Vietnam may in fact be the world's oldest person, although her birth certificate only lists the year in which she was born, and not the exact date....

This Web site is the online companion to a five-part series about the human brain from PBS. With loads of fantastic interactive features, this site makes learning about the brain both fun. One of the highlight of this site is the 3-D tour of the brain; users can rotate and zoom in or out on a model of the brain, clicking on areas of interest to learn their function. The drop-down menus on the same...

The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Science Beat offers interesting feature articles about research from Berkeley lab and partner organizations. This article offers a fascinating look at aging research utilizing transgenic mice -- an inquiry into "the genetic roots of aging in everyone." The article includes Web links to related material from the institutions participating in these research...

Developed by the American Federation for Aging Research (with an educational grant from Pifzer), Infoaging.org "delivers the latest research-based information on a wide range of age-related diseases, conditions, issues, features, and news." A good place to start for first-time visitors, the news center featured on the site is a frequently updated collection of links to news articles from a number...

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine recently launched NIHSeniorHealth.gov, a website developed from NIA research on older adults, cognitive aging, and computer usage. This easy-to-use website "makes aging-related health information easily accessible for adults 60 and older" and serves as "a useful tool for family members and friends who are seeking online...

While the average human lifespan has increased markedly over the past one hundred years, the ceiling has hardly been reached. An interesting contest, The Methuselah Mouse Prize -- presumably named after the biblical character who was said to have lived 969 years -- seeks to "promote public interest and involvement in research on mammalian life extension and encourage more such research on mice and...

This week, tiny Messiah College in central Pennsylvania honored one of their own, Dr. Ray Crist. What is perhaps most interesting about Dr. Crist's situation is that he is 104 years old, and was graduated from Messiah College in 1916, and began his teaching career at Messiah 34 years ago at the age of 70. Crist came to teach at Messiah after a long career in science including stints at both the...

First established in 1961 as a temporary committee, the Senate Special Committee on Aging was granted permanent status on February 1, 1977. The Committee frequently commissions studies of issues related to relevant policy issues, such as the situation of Medicare and Social Security. During its history, various members of the Committee have worked to expose unacceptable conditions in nursing homes...

As the average age of persons in the United States continues to rise, there is a growing need to educate people about various aspects of gerontology. At Ithaca College, the staff members at the Gerontology Institute have worked to create a range of lesson plans that deal explicitly with aging issues. All of these plans have been field tested in the classroom and they were designed to meet rigorous...