Accurate birth and death records are a relatively recent phenomenon and they still don’t exist in much of the world. But they do in France, where when she died in 1997 Jeanne Louise Calment was 122 years and 164 days old. That makes her the oldest verified person to have ever lived.
Numerous reports suggest that there may be a natural cap on the human lifespan at about 150 years old. One particular phrase in a recent study struck me -- that after that much time, the human body simply is no longer capable of “repairing itself.”
The concept that we repair ourselves appeals to me on many levels. It captures the truth that we stumble and hurt ourselves a lot along the way, not just physically, and we need to be able to pick ourselves up and get going again.
I’m a big fan of organized sports for kids because they learn this lesson well by an early age.
As a society we need to learn this skill as well. For example, how can we possibly recover from the divisive elections in 2016, 2020 and 2024 to come together to forge the kind of national consensus to tackle our true challenges, which have nothing to do with partisan political parties, and everything to do with survival of our species?
One thing is clear. We are not going to accomplish this by furthering the divide between the two political parties.
Inspirational books by sincere commentators like Dan Rather (What Unites Us) remind us that we are much more powerful when we join together, but no one to my knowledge has been able to articulate a workable plan for how we can currently do that.
Meanwhile, in lieu of collective progress, we can still fall back on our own individual situations. How can we continue repairing ourselves and live on? Mortality is a certainty, but the vast majority of us would prefer that our demise be delayed and our existence extended.
I’m fully cognizant of how hard it is from time to time to endure depression, anxiety, and other mental states, including suicidal thoughts -- especially when things go bad in life.
But the best choice should always be life, with all of its complications, disruptions and disappointments, because you never know what sweet moments you are going to miss otherwise.
HEADLINES:
Drone Strike Sparks Fire Near U.A.E. Nuclear Plant (WSJ)
Ukraine drones kill four in Russia, Moscow faces biggest attack in over a year (NBC)
U.S. Debt Is Now Bigger Than the Economy. That’s Not the Real Problem. (NYT)
You’re Getting Robbed. By Trump. In Broad Daylight. (Bulwark)
Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe (NYT)
Tech titans should pick up the phone — and so should the rest of us (FT)
Trump’s unstoppable force meets Iran’s immovable object (Reuters)
As Hormuz crisis rattles the world, eyes are on another key waterway (NBC)
Ukraine graft probe widens (Reuters)
Snorkeling at Pearl Harbor: Kash Patel’s Travels Add to Focus on Ethical Issues (NYT)
The Refugees Abandoned by America (New Yorker)
She was deported without her toddler. Then ICE blamed her for his killing. (WP)
Here’s What Science Tells Us About the Risks of Hantavirus (WSJ)
The Head and the Heart (Journal of the Plague Years)
AI face is taking over — and driving plastic surgeons crazy (BI)
What’s the AI Endgame? (Atlantic)
The Data Center Next Door (Reveal)
Sam Altman’s on top in Silicon Valley. Former colleagues keep saying that he’s a liar. (WP)
Commencement Speaker Addresses Impenetrable Cloud Of Vape Smoke (Onion)