At the Senior Center

I don’t know many baby boomers who shy away from taking senior discounts for things such as movie tickets or public transportation. It’s another story when it comes to going to a Senior Center, now rebranding as “Community Life Center's” to cater to the boomers' aversion to the word “Senior.”

Call it what you want, for boomers like me these places are still the preserve of people like my grandparents. I’d rather be out there riding my bike or going on a hike or mixing it up with people a lot younger to prove, if nothing else, that I’m not as old as I look or sometimes feel.

And then there are the Tardigrades, probably the most paradoxical animals on the planet. They enjoy a legendary reputation as the toughest, most indestructible creatures on Earth. About 1 millimeter long, their blimp-like bodies contain biological superpowers that help them withstand conditions that would spell certain death for other organisms.

Tardigrades can be found almost everywhere on the planet. When they have enough food and water to support their bodily functions, they can live up to 2.5 years. Yet tardigrades can survive for much longer if they go into a state called cryptobiosis, which is triggered when environmental conditions become unbearable.   

Cryptobiosis puts tardigrades into a "tun" state, slowing their metabolism to a halt, reducing their need for oxygen and ridding their cells of water almost completely. In this shrunken state, tardigrades mimic death so closely that they're able to survive in places devoid of water, at temperatures as low as minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 304 degrees F (minus 200 Celsius and 151 degrees C). That includes outer space.

When these mummy-like tardigrades are exposed to water again, they simply reanimate, returning to normal life in a matter of hours.

Anybody up for a swim?

Also, a warning from the FDA about anti-aging blood plasma treatments. See link below.

Learn More

• https://www.livescience.com/62720-tardigrade-lifespan.html
• https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/02/19/senior-groups-struggle-attract-forever-young-baby-boomers/wxLaXRsAkrhW48VRKtz0EL/story.html
• ​https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/health/plasma-infusion-young-blood-fda-bn/index.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20Daily%20Health%20Policy%20Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=70078439&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8otxuODx_oJnZVBU4VK3m8MiCtcXsDS_h5X1LDJ7vHe624pWP9xpHfeiI39Wt4TMH4j8jubVwVq98dwZ9932teQCbuGA&_hsmi=70078439