Category Archives: Human Longevity

Searching for the key to immortality may sound like the preoccupation of a superhero-movie villain, but a growing number of biotech companies and billionaires with cash to spare are investing in research that could prevent and reverse the ageing process in humans.

Having returned from a brief trip to outer space in July, the next bold frontier Amazon founder and multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos hopes to conquer is, reportedly, eternal life. According to MIT Technology Review, Bezos has invested in Altos Labs, a mysterious new start-up pursuing biological reprogramming to rejuvenate cells in the lab. The company reportedly intends to apply the technology to entire animal bodies, ultimately halting biological ageing and extending the human lifespan.

Altos Labs, which is yet to make a public announcement, was founded by billionaire entrepreneur and tech investor Yuri Milner earlier this year. American scientist Richard Klausner, who served as the eleventh director of the US National Cancer Institute and co-founded both Juno Therapeutics and GRAIL, has been appointed as CEO.

While many ageing-focused biotech companies seek to combat the diseases associated with getting older, Altos Labs hopes to postpone death by rejuvenating the entire human body on a cellular level.

Altos Labs research is centred on biological reprogramming, a technique discovered in 2006 by scientist Shinya Yamanaka, who will chair the companys scientific advisory board. Yamanakas work revealed that after adding just four proteins, now known as Yamanaka factors, cells can be made pluripotent that is, able to become any cell in the body.

In 2016, a study led by Spanish biochemist Juan Carlos Izpisa Belmonte, who will be joining Altos Labs, saw the technique reduce cellular and physiological signs of ageing in living mice and extend their lifespan by an average of six weeks. Following the studys success, Izpisa Belmonte hailed cellular reprogramming as the elixir of life.

Another study, published in 2020, successfully restored the eyesight of mice using the technique.

While researchers hope the promising results seen in reprogrammed mice could someday be translated to human beings, there is likely decades of work to be done before age reversal in humans becomes anything close to reality. Only a handful of papers have been published on the topic so far, and its not all rosy; though some mice did indeed see extended lifespans after biological reprogramming, others developed tumours known as teratomas as a result of the experiments.

Yamanaka told MIT Technology Review: Although there are many hurdles to overcome, there is huge potential.

Altos Labs will also pursue biological clock technology, pioneered by ageing researcher Steve Horvath, which makes it possible to accurately measure the age of cells or whole organisms. The ageing biomarker would help to establish the efficacy and effects of any age-reversal therapies developed by Altos Labs.

Altos Labs is far from the first biotech to explore anti-ageing and longevity and its not Bezoss first foray into the field, either. California-headquartered Unity Biotechnology, a start-up pursuing therapies to slow or reverse the symptoms of ageing, has attracted investors like Bezos, venture capitalist Robert Nelson and billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel in the ten years since it was founded.

The company suffered a major blow last year when its lead anti-ageing candidate, osteoarthritis drug UBX0101, failed to meet its primary endpoint at 12 weeks in a Phase II trial and Unitys shares dropped 60% as a result.

Google-backed Calico Labs, founded in 2013, is a US-based R&D biotech that hopes to uncover the biological processes behind ageing and tackle age-related diseases. The companys main aim is to develop and market new therapies for age-related conditions such as neurodegeneration and cancer, but it is also researching how biological reprogramming can reverse ageing in cells and tissues in the lab.

Calico is in a long-running research collaboration with global biopharma AbbVie, but as yet its unclear how much progress the partnership has made in terms of discovering novel therapies for age-related disease.

Other biotech companies hoping to prolong the human lifespan through cell reprogramming include billionaire-backed AgeX Therapeutics, UK-based Shift Bioscience, and US drugmaker Life Biosciences. So far, no ageing-focused companies have seen a reprogramming-based therapy advance into clinical trials on humans.

The global anti-ageing market is predicted to skyrocket from around $191.5bn currently to a whopping $421.4bn by 2030, according to a report by P&S Intelligence. With hundreds of millions of dollars being raised by wealthy investors to fund the reprogramming field alone, the coming years could prove promising for age reversal research.

Though a recent study has suggested that the ageing process might simply be unstoppable, proponents of biological reprogramming believe ageing is far more malleable than we think. In any case, billionaires like Bezos appear to be convinced that extended youth could someday be a reality. While it could be argued that the urge to take on natural ageing reflects a doomed need among business titans to control the one element of their lives that they have yet to conquer, innovative biotechs including Altos Labs have advanced credible science that could make it possible.

In a final letter to Amazon shareholders before his departure as the companys CEO earlier this year, Bezos quoted the biologist Richard Dawkins, writing: Staving off death is a thing that you have to work at If living things dont actively work to prevent it, they would eventually merge with their surroundings and cease to exist as autonomous beings. That is what happens when they die.

For those exploring ways to prolong human life, death isnt an inevitability; rather, its a problem to be solved. Whether the solution to the problem is within humanitys reach remains to be seen, but companies like Altos and their financial backers are making the early bet that it is. If a breakthrough is possible in the coming decades, it will surely herald a new paradigm in human health and a new market in life sciences with almost limitless potential.

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Billionaires are betting on anti-ageing research, but can ageing really be cured? - Pharmaceutical Technology

OK, it's more of a cheeky response than an actual "clinic," but the logic totally stands. See, when you sleep, your body shifts into "rest mode," with a focus on repair and restoration for practically every cell in your bodythat's why proper shut-eye is essential to brain function, immunity, muscle repair, metabolic health, and much, much more. It's even clinically shown to support a longer lifespan, which is why Young files sleep into one of his aforementioned "longevity buckets."

In terms of how much sleep carries you over the threshold, it's not so cut and driedeveryone has a different ideal sleep schedule, after all. "My rule is eight hours in the bed, seven hours of sleep," Young offers. Still, he suggests prioritizing deep, quality sleep over quantity (because it's not just about clocking hours). "When people ask me what they can change in the next two weeks, I'm always advising them to run on vegetables and give your body and mind enough sleep," Young adds. "The transformation that you can do in two or three weeks is really amazing."

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Oh, Cool: The Best "Longevity Clinic" In The World Is One You Already Own - mindbodygreen.com

Results of Study ITI-214-104 show that lenrispodun, in a Phase 1/2a Study, is well tolerated and acts as an inodilator in patients with heart failure without inducing abnormal heart rhythms (Circulation: Heart Failure; Gilotra, et al, 2021)

A novel cellular mechanism has been identified by which lenrispodun promotes cardiomyocyte contraction, offering a potential effective and safer alternative for the treatment of heart failure (Circulation Research; Muller, et al, 2021)

In two additional recent studies using genetic models of accelerated aging, lenrispodun was shown to ameliorate arteriopathy associated with aging (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; Golshiri et al. 2021; and Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity; Ataabadi, et al, 2021)

These findings further define the mechanism of action and potential therapeutic utility of PDE1 inhibitors for several conditions, including diseases where inflammation plays a role, such as Parkinsons disease and indications where the cardiovascular system may be affected

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITCI) today highlights the publication of four manuscripts that report on the mechanism of action of lenrispodun (ITI-214) and the potential cardiovascular therapeutic effects of Phosphodiesterase Type I (PDE1) inhibition.

PDE1 inhibition restores intracellular signaling by elevating the second messengers cAMP and cGMP in certain pathological states associated with low levels of these signaling molecules. PDE1 enzymes require calcium and calmodulin for their activation and are expressed in multiple tissues including smooth and cardiac muscle, neurons, and macrophages/microglia providing opportunities to treat multiple diseases, said Robert Davis, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Intra-Cellular Therapies. The findings highlighted today describe beneficial effects of lenrispodun in the treatment of patients with heart failure, and in age-related vascular changes in preclinical models associated with stiffening of arteries, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased inflammation. Vascular dysfunction is an important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In addition, a novel cellular mechanism has been identified by which PDE1 stimulates cardiac contraction. These findings have broad implications as cardiovascular dysfunction and inflammation play important roles across multiple chronic and age-related human diseases.

The first manuscript entitled Acute Hemodynamic Effects and Tolerability of Phosphodiesterase-1 Inhibition With ITI-214 in Human Systolic Heart Failure was published online in Circulation: Heart Failure (Gilotra, et al, 2021).

Story continues

This manuscript reports on the findings of study ITI-214-104. This was the first study of a PDE1 inhibitor (lenrispodun, ITI-214) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Acute, single oral doses of lenrispodun (30 or 90 mg) increased mean left ventricular power index, cardiac output and heart rate while inducing systemic arterial vasodilation. Importantly, lenrispodun was well-tolerated in these patients. The hemodynamic profile of acute lenrispodun in humans was analogous to that reported in our animal preclinical studies (Hashimoto, et al., 2018). Topline data from this study has previously been presented.

The second manuscript entitled PDE1 inhibition modulates Cav1.2 channel to stimulate cardiomyocyte contraction was published online in Journal Circulation Research (Muller, et al, 2021).

This manuscript describes studies in cardiomyocytes that express the PDE1C isoform, the predominant isoform in human heart, and elucidates a mechanism by which lenrispodun increases cardiac contractility. New findings in this study reveal that the action of lenrispodun, our PDE1 inhibitor, improves cardiac contractility by activating protein kinase A, results in increased L-type calcium channel conductance but does not require changes in other intracellular calcium stores (e.g., sarcoplasmic reticulum).

The findings of these two studies indicate that PDE1 inhibition caused by lenrispodun may provide a positive inotropic therapy for heart failure which is mediated by a novel mechanism of action.

The third manuscript entitled Selective PDE1 inhibition ameliorates vascular function, reduces inflammatory response, and lowers blood pressure in ageing animals was published online in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (Golshiri et al. 2021).

This manuscript describes the acute and chronic effects of PDE1 inhibition using lenrispodun on prominent aging related changes in macro- and micro- circulation and inflammatory status in a mouse model of accelerated aging involving a genetic deletion yielding a reduction in the activity of the DNA repair enzyme, ERCC1 (excision repair cross complement 1) endonuclease (Ercc1/- mice). This accelerated aging model enables pharmacotherapy during the entire course of the aging process. This study showed that lenrispodun treatment reduced age-related elevated vasoconstriction of the aorta, and coronary arteries, and as a consequence increased blood flow in the microcirculation in these mice. In addition, lenrispodun reduced cardiac hypertrophy and levels of pro-inflammatory but not anti-inflammatory cytokines in this model.

The fourth manuscript entitled Vascular Ageing Features Caused by Selective DNA Damage in Smooth Muscle Cell. was published online in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (Ataabadi, et al, 2021).

This manuscript describes studies using a model of accelerated aging similar to the one described above but where the activity of the Ercc1 enzyme was selectively knocked out only in smooth muscle (SMC) and not in the entire body. These SMC- Ercc1/- mice show a progressive aging phenotype in resistant and conduit arteries. Importantly, PDE1 inhibition by lenrispodun normalizes vasodilator function in progressive vascular smooth muscle dysfunction in this mouse model.

Stiffening of arteries, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased inflammation may represent important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The ability of lenrispodun to ameliorate these deficits, if translated to humans, suggests a potential therapeutic utility in treating arteriopathy associated with aging.

Phosphodiesterase type 1 (PDE1) inhibitor Portfolio

Our PDE1 inhibitor program is focused on diseases in which the PDE1 enzyme is over-expressed and/or abnormal immune cell function contributes to disease pathology providing opportunities to pursue innovative treatments for multiple diseases including Parkinsons disease, heart failure and other diseases including cancer.

Lenrispodun is a potent and selective PDE1 Inhibitor and is the lead compound in the Companys PDE1 portfolio. Lenrispodun works by blocking the breakdown of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP, cGMP), thus allowing these molecules to build up in the cells and to exert important functions. Lenrispodun has been generally well tolerated with a favorable safety profile in eight Phase 1/2a clinical trials. Lenrispodun is in clinical development for the treatment of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease and for the treatment of heart failure.

Previous studies have described the mechanism of action of lenrispodun in the brain. The mechanism of action of lenrispodun and our other PDE1 inhibitors suggests therapeutic potential across a variety of diseases including neurological and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

About Intra-Cellular Therapies

Intra-Cellular Therapies is a biopharmaceutical company founded on Nobel prize-winning research that allows us to understand how therapies affect the inner-workings of cells in the body. The company leverages this intracellular approach to develop innovative treatments for people living with complex psychiatric and neurologic diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.intracellulartherapies.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the therapeutic value, clinical and non-clinical development plans and commercial potential of our drug product candidates; the progress, timing and results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies; our beliefs about the extent to which the results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies to date support new drug application filings for product candidates; the safety and efficacy of our product development candidates; our beliefs about the potential uses and benefits of our drug product candidates; the potential for ITI-214 to represent a novel approach for the treatment of human heart failure; that ITI-214 offers a potential new treatment for heart failure with a novel mechanism of action that may provide an effective and safer alternative to existing therapies and development efforts and plans under the caption "About Intra-Cellular Therapies." All such forward-looking statements are based on management's present expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: our current and planned clinical trials, other studies for our product candidates may not be successful or may take longer and be more costly than anticipated; product candidates that appeared promising in earlier research and clinical trials may not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later clinical trials; our proposals with respect to the regulatory path for our product candidates may not be acceptable to the FDA; our reliance on collaborative partners and other third parties for development of our product candidates; the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact the conduct of, and the timing of enrollment, completion and reporting with respect to, our clinical trials; any other impacts on our business as a result of or related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the other risk factors detailed in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not intend to update this information unless required by law.

Contact:

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.Juan Sanchez, M.D. Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations646-440-9333

Burns McClellan, Inc.Lisa Burnscradinovici@burnsmc.com212-213-0006

MEDIA INQUIRIES:Sara FranksCorporate Media Relations W2O Groupsfranks@w2ogroup.com410-991-4287

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Intra-Cellular Therapies Announces Publications Highlighting Beneficial Effects of Phosphodiesterase Type I Inhibition with Lenrispodun (ITI-214) on...

As the city of Aspen overhauls its process on how to dole out $1.5 million in grants to nonprofits, health and human service agencies and arts and culture organizations, the municipal government is recruiting volunteers to serve on committees to review applications and allocate money.

The city is looking to fill five positions on three different committees one focuses on arts and culture, another on community programs and the third, health and human services.

For decades the city has relied on a four-person committee to review as many as 90 applications from organizations in the valley and award grants based on high level criteria.

Aspen City Council a couple of years ago directed staff to evaluate the grants program in an effort to bring consistency, transparency and equity to the programs, as well as strengthen the process.

After a thorough review of the past grant processes, this years new committees structure will be strategically focused and more specialized, said Alissa Farrell, the citys administrative services director. We are working on an equitable, fair and far reaching process.

In 2021, roughly $1.2 million was awarded to 88 programs, excluding the funds distributed to the Red Brick Center for the Arts and the amounts dedicated to intergovernmental agreements for health and human services.

Arts and culture grants are paid from the Wheeler fund, which are typically funded by a combination of $100,000 from real estate transfer tax revenue and from other income generated by the leased spaces within the opera house, currently home to Aspen Public House and Valley Fine Art, according to Farrell.

Funding community nonprofits and health human services comes from the citys general fund, she said.

Separately, intergovernmental agreements for mental health that include the city, Pitkin County and Snowmass Village are adjusted based on the proportionate share agreed upon by those entities.

As the transition to a more formal process occurs, a grants steering committee has been formed and includes Farrell; Ann Mullins, former Aspen council member; Teraissa McGovern, previous grants committee member; Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Wheeler executive director; and Nathaniel Ross, the citys management analyst.

The steering committee is developing a framework and charter for each grant committee and its members, including their purpose, position descriptions, term starting dates and limits.

Farrell said the steering committee also is working on what the criteria is for grants to be awarded.

We need to define that in the very near future, she said.

The steering committee will serve as the main strategic arm that works with the city on logistics, with City Council to set strategic priorities and as a liaison with the grants review committees.

Applications to serve on a grant committee are available online at http://www.cityofaspen.com/grants.

The arts and culture committee will consider organizations that support artistic endeavors that strive for excellence in contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the community, according to Farrell.

The community programs committee will focus on organizations that support and deliver high-impact community programming.

The health and human services committee will look at organizations that strive to create and maintain a healthy and resilient community by offering services that address mental and physical health, human services and community resources.

Committee members will review all applications in their designated area and make recommendations to City Council on what organizations to fund and what amounts to grant.

Grant applications for those seeking funding will be accepted starting in November.

Committee members will be reviewing those grants applications in early 2022, with monetary distributions occurring in the same year.

csackariason@aspentimes.com

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City of Aspen's grant process gets an overhaul - Aspen Times

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers have euthanized two bears in Steamboat Springs in the past two weeks.

According to a news release from CPW, a bear entered a home just east of U.S. Highway 40 through an open garage Sept. 7 and trapped the residents inside. When CPW officials responded to the incident, the bear showed aggressive behavior and could not be hazed from the house after 45 minutes.

In the second incident, CPW officials were called to a report of a bear that entered a home on the east side of Steamboat through an unlocked sliding glass door around noon Sept. 14, according to a CPW news release.

The homeowner told wildlife officers the same bear had ripped out the front screen of the house the previous day and had gotten into another home in the neighborhood.

Kris Middledorf, CPW area wildlife manager, said he believes this bear had become habituated to human food rather than the nuts, berries and grasses bears normally eat in the wild, so officers set a bear trap at the location.

A 200-pound bear in hyperphagia that has no fear of entering a home in search of food is a dangerous bear that poses an imminent threat to humans, Middledorf said. Luckily, this bear hadnt entered an occupied home yet. A wild bear in a confined space with humans would be very dangerous for the homeowners. Unfortunately, weve had several similar situations in Steamboat recently.

Travis Duncan, CPW public information officer for the northwest region, said Steamboat residents and visitors should be particularly careful about locking doors, using bear-proof trash cans and not leaving pet food outside during this time of year, as bears will soon be entering hibernation and are seeking about 20,000 calories per day.

The goal is to keep the bear from getting a human food reward, so they dont become accustomed to seeing it again, Duncan said. Its especially important this time of year to make sure theyre finding natural food sources and not human food sources.

Larry Desjardin, president of wildlife advocacy group Keep Routt Wild, said the reason bear sightings are so common around town is twofold humans have settled in what has long been bear habitat, and reckless decisions, like failing to shut dumpsters or lock up food, have taught bears to rely on human food.

We call them problem bears, but its really the humans that are the problem here, Desjardin said. We are in their territory, and what were doing is offering food sources that are readily available to the bears, and that changes them from being naturally wild in the forest to looking in dumpsters.

Desjardin said bears are smart, and once they get into a dumpster or pick up food off a street once, they are much more likely to do it again.

Were now finding cubs that were trained by their mothers to do this, Desjardin said. If you have restaurants dropping their waste downtown and not locking dumpsters, its like a cafeteria for the bears.

Steamboat Springs Police Department Sgt. Rich Brown said the police department usually receives multiple calls per day about bears. In the past, officers could use air horns or turn police lights and sirens on, and that would be enough to scare the bears away, but they have become so accustomed to humans that those tactics often arent enough anymore.

In some cases, if we can do it safely, well use bean bag rounds, so well try and hit them and scare them off that way, Brown said. The bears are just so used to the interactions with people now.

Steamboat Springs City Council passed an ordinance in 2019 requiring all trash containers be certified as bear resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and dumpsters or dumpster enclosures to be bear resistant. Trash haulers are required to provide bear-resistant receptacles to their customers within a three-year period with full compliance by March 2023. Brown said using bear locks is typically very effective, but the department has seen an uptick in bears being able to get through locks.

The bears are so determined to get in that they find ways to defeat the locking mechanisms on the cans and the dumpsters, Brown said. Weve see a trend where they just tear the lids off the secure dumpsters.

While bear attacks on humans are rare, Duncan said they become more common when bears get accustomed to eating human food and roaming around areas where people are present.

They are naturally wary of humans and arent normally dangerous, but folks should be aware that they are wild animals, that they need their distance and that they should be kept away from human food, Duncan said. They are still predators.

To reach Alison Berg, call 970-871-4229 or email aberg@SteamboatPilot.com.

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'A human problem': Colorado Parks and Wildlife euthanize 2 bears in 2 weeks - Steamboat Pilot and Today

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If you know any doctorswe mean, know them wellyou know the deep, dark secret hiding under their lab coats: They're human. "Doctors are not really known to take care of themselves as much as they should!" admits Dr. Thomas Jeneby, a plastic surgeon from Texas. "But there are some perks!" One perk is that they know how to be healthybetter than anyonewhether they live that way or not. Which is why we asked the experts what you should do to live longer. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You May Have Already Had COVID.

"Pet ownership is a 24/7 form of pet therapy and is a personal stress reducer for me," says Carmen Echols, MD. "Shortly after my husband and I married, we got a dogthat we still own, by the way. After especially challenging days at work, I sit on the couch and watch TV while petting the dog and find that simple activity so relaxing."

"I'll tell you my experience in the field of holistic medicine what I've learned from other top doctors," says Dean C. Mitchell, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The simple things really work!

"Some studies have shown that having a purpose in life helps to maintain mental and possibly physical health and benefit longevity. Intuitively this makes sense as it maintains an energetic 'drive' in life," says Jack J Springer, MD, Assistant Professor Emergency Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra-Northwell. "This purpose can be intellectual, emotional, physical or spiritual. Before writing my new book, I focus on the purposehelping people with anxietywhich is energizing physically and mentally. It also allows for more focus which decreases distraction and 'wasted' time spent doing things that may, in the short term, feel good, but ultimately are taking time from more beneficial, healthful and rewarding activities."

"One thing physicians do to live longer is to go to the doctor!" says Carmen Echols, MD. "Many people assume that we physicians can take care of our own health concerns merely because we have the medical knowledge to do so, but that simply is not for the best. It is always wise for us to have the objective expertise of a colleague when it comes to personal physical and mental health."

"The field of epigenetics is where doctors are looking when it comes to reversing rapid aging and preventing disease," says Dr. Elena Villanueva of Modern Holistic Health. "With genetic testing doctors can uncover their unique individualized 'operations manual' to understand what foods, environmental toxins, and lifestyle choices they should make. Then they can even understand what type of exercise will benefit them the most, what sleeping patterns they should adhere to, and what supplements will benefit them."

"Massage therapy is an excellent way to improve muscle spasms and help relax," says Dr. Allen Conrad, BS, DC, CSCS of Montgomery County Chiropractic Center. "Not to mention relieve stress."

"I find that exercise is a very important part of my routine to control stress and be healthier," says Nathan Rock, OD, FAAO. "As doctors, we know that exercise has positive benefits in many ways including promoting excellent cardiovascular health and promoting a balanced mood through release of endorphins. Personally, I have found that exercise, when possible, both before and after work can help to prepare for a successful day as well as relieve any stress from a day's work." He enjoys yoga "in the morning, as they very first thing to start my day. In the evenings, I enjoy running and weight lifting." Don't discount the power of doing it with others. "I have found I enjoy exercising with others, so I have joined two running clubs in my community which I run with on two weeknights. This adds to the social aspects of exercise and helps me keep motivated and accountable."

"As a 49-year-old physician, there are several things I try to do in order to live healthier and longer. Getting enough sleep is crucial, and I aim to get at least 6 hours a night," says Dr. Monique May, a physician. (Most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours.)

"I also stay well-hydrated by drinking enough water each day so that my urine is clear and not dark yellow," admits Dr. May. "The amount of water I drink can vary depending on how much exercise I have done for the day, so I go by the color of my urine as a good indicator. Also, when I feel hungry I drink water. If I drink water before I eat I do not eat as much, and it prevents thirst. By the time one feels thirsty, he or she is actually already dehydrated, so one should drink when they feel hunger to prevent that."

"I also exercise at least 3-5 times a week, and do a variety of activities, such as spin class, yoga, and kickboxing. I also like to dance as well," says Dr. May.

"Eating right is key, and I have recently incorporated more fruits and vegetables in my diet as I cut down on my meat intake," says Dr. May. "I still have to have a juicy burger every now and then!"

"There are so many diseases that arise with an increased body mass that maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to longevity," says Dr. Thanu Jey, Clinic Director at Yorkville Sports Medicine Clinic. "Extra weight also puts a substantial burden on your joints causing earlier joint problems like arthritiswear and tearand tendonitis."

"Stretching your muscles helps keep you flexible and mobile, which helps prevent many compensatory injuries," says Dr. Jay. "Stretching increases blood circulation, joint health, mobility, balance and much more that'll help you live a longer, happier life."

"I have been utilizing my Hyperbaric Chamber which increases the volume of oxygen absorption by increasing atmospheric pressure," says Dr. Rudy Gehrman, DC Executive Director and Founder of Physio Logic NYC."It can create new blood vessels, essentially enabling new circulation and oxygen to areas that are depleted. It can reduce inflammation and speed up healing. These treatments can also help the immune system kill harmful bacteria and viruses. In simple terms, the fastest way to kill a human being (outside of trauma) is to deplete them of oxygen. What better way to reverse signs of aging than to push oxygen at a cellular level throughout your body!"

"Three to four days per week I implement whole body hot and cold contrasts treatments by soaking in a hot bath to induce a fever, followed by an ice cold shower," says Dr. Rudy Gehrman, DC, Executive Director and Founder of Physio Logic NYC. "This process pumps up the lymph system which is responsible for moving inflammation causing movement of stagnant fluids through the body."

"Ballroom dancing has been a passion of mine since college at Harvard and MIT, when I was members of ballroom dancing clubs," says Dr. Ming Wang, MD, Ph.D., an ophthalmologist in Nashville. "I still practice it today weekly and participate in local and regional championships. I find it to be a great way to relax, relieve stress, as well as stay active."

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"It can be easy with the busy routine of medicine to fall into poor eating habits," says Dr. Wang. "After all, fast food and unhealthy options are much easier to come by. I feel it is important to make conscious decisions to eat healthier. The easiest way to do this is bring my own lunch to work when I can. Because food cooked at home can generally be prepared much more healthy than what is bought from a restaurant, it is a good way to control exactly what I am eating in the correct portion. It also has another benefit of avoiding the stress that can come from trying to grab a lunch if the lunch hour is busy."

"I can single out a simple way to get started to increasing longevity: Eat a good breakfast on a regular basis," says Morton Tavel, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine. "Those who regularly consume this meal enjoy greater longevity and find it easier to maintain a lower weight. Breakfast is more apt to contain more nutritious foods such as fruit and protein. Protein also provides more persistent satiation that delays hunger and, therefore, the desire for mid-morning snacks. Protein is especially helpful, for it not only provides a lengthier sense of fullness but also burns up more energy while being digested, resulting in fewer excess net calories to deal with. Therefore, don't forget to include protein sources such as eggs, yogurt, low-fat milk, cheese, nuts, etc.,"like the recipes in Zero Belly Breakfasts, for example"but minimize such processed meat sources as bacon, sausage and the like, for the latter pose, in themselves, significant threats to health."

"I have two tips for living a longer, healthier life," says Dr. Joshua D. Zuckerman, a plastic surgeon. "First, I wear sunscreen! Skin cancer is pervasive, and melanoma especially is aggressive and can be deadly. Photodamage (sun damage) from UV exposure is cumulative, so it's important to wear sun protection every day whether it's cold and cloudy or warm and sunny. I typically recommend higher SPF than most: 30+ for medium skin tones and 50+ for those with fair skin." Read on to hear his second tip!

"Second, I try to maintain a stable weight," says Dr. Zuckerman. "Whether by diet and exercise or other means, a stable weight helps an individual maintain activity levels and general life satisfaction. In addition, as we age it can be more difficult to lose weight, and losing weight can have side effects such as leaving excess skin or sag. This is due to tissues losing elasticity as we age, and once stretched beyond the limit of its elasticity, tissue cannot fully contract back down."

"Physicians make thousands of decisions every day, answer a million questions, and work long hours. I have two strategies to live longer. One, I have dinner with my wife and kids every evening," says Dr. George Hennawi, director of the department of geriatrics at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. Read on for his second tip!

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"Two, I categorize my decisions into buckets," says Dr. Hennawi. "One bucket is people wanting to ventso I listen and sympathize. Another bucket is a systemic issue that needs a deeper dive and time to answer. The last bucket is an urgent matter that needs attention as soon as possible. As you may guess, a lot falls into the first category, which allows me to reduce stress and live longer, hopefully."

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"There are several ways we can stay healthy and live a longer, higher quality life," says Anthony Kouri, M.D., an Orthopedic Surgeon at the University of Toledo Medical Center. "I personally take calcium and vitamin D supplementation daily. Something that is not appreciated by many people is the effect that low calcium and vitamin D can have on us as we age. It is most common in post-menopausal women, and both genders after age 50, however it can be found in young people as well. Our peak bone density is found in the second and third decade of life, typically around age 30. Nearly 50% of all people are deficient in vitamin D, which can lead to osteopenia, osteoporosis, and has been linked to breast, prostate and colon cancers, as well as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Many people don't feel the effects of vitamin D deficiency until it's too late."

"Though any exercise is better than no exercise at all, the type of exercise makes a difference when it comes to bone health," says Dr. Kouri. "From the age of 30, we begin to lose bone mineral density. Studies have demonstrated that moderate-impact exercise is ideal for maximizing bone mineral density as we age. Moderate impact running and jogging in the elderly leads to a significant increase in bone mineral density when compared to those who do minimal activity. Preventing osteoporosis or osteopenia from occurring is the best way to avoid big, life-altering problems in the future."

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"Spend as much time with close friends and family," recommends Dr. Springer. "Loneliness is closely tied to poor health (over time) and certainly decreased longevity. It is epidemic in many areas of the world (especially the 'Western' highly developed countries) it is a killer of spirit and life, literally. Intimacy (in person!) is a great human need. This connection is vital to the health if humans and its absence is probably a major factor in the global epidemic of anxiety and depression. People with whom you can be yourself and not hold back for fear of judgement. To understand the importance, think about how you feel mentally and physically after a few hours talking or laughing or just sitting with someone close to you."

"Develop a sense of ties to the community around you: this could be semi-regular block parties, clubs, service organizations, religious or spiritual groups," advises Dr. Springer. "This ties together both a sense of purpose and intimacy."

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"Keep learning: whether crossword puzzles, Sudoku, a new language, instrument, or hobbyexpressive ones such as art/ performance may be best," says Dr. Springer. "Again, group activities are ideal."

Leslie P. Soiles, Chief Audiologist at HearingLife, recommends visiting a hearing health center to get your ears assessed, as side effects from hearing loss can impact living a long and healthy life. Hearing problems can lead to other serious physical and mental health issues such as, balance issues, dementia, depression and Alzheimer's.

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"My non-obvious health tip: don't eat your children's leftovers," says Dr. Edna Ma, MD. "I grew up eating all the food from my plate before being allowed to leave the dinner table. This was probably due to our family's poor economic status at the time. My parents were first generation Chinese immigrants who grew up during China's worst famine. This aversion to food waste also deepened during my time as a Survivor (yes, the TV show!) contestant. Now that I am a parent, it's still hard for me to see food waste. As adults, our nutritional needs are different that children's. And eating their leftovers will lead to unnecessary caloric intake and weight gain."

"Living longer isn't just a recipe to eat this, use this cream, or do crossword puzzles everyday," says Dr. Jacqueline Darna, N.M.D. "Instead longevity of life is about a state of mind. I have heard countless friends who stop doing what they love, working as a physician, and start to decline in health. Do what gives you purpose and love life. As a physician I want my patients to see I live a healthy life by example, I cycle every morning so I can enjoy food and not count calories, I don't put poisons in my body and choose natural remedies, I dance everyday (from the shower to the car), and I always look on the bright side."

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"The clich is true: 'The things that you own are the things that own you,'" says Dr. Will Kirby, a board certified dermatologist and the Chief Medical Officer of LaserAway. "And no one was ever on their deathbed and said, 'I wish I spent more time buying stuff on Amazon.' So recognize that physical possessions only make you happy very temporarily while less tangible pastimes will give you a more stable, long term endorphin boost! I'm not naive enough to think that we aren't consumer but I sold my expensive car and walk it bike or use ride-sharing. I don't own an expensive watch, and I try to minimize the physical possessions I own. After all, I don't own them they actually own me!"

"Fiber is an excellent way to stay healthy and lose weight" states Dr. Conrad. "People who regularly eat a lot of fiber have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, and fiber is a healthy low sugar option for diabetics. Foods high in fiber include oatmeal, flax seeds, chia seeds, broccoli and beans."

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"Contribute to society through mentorship: Humans are social creatures and for tens of thousands we worked in collective groups to benefit our cause," says Dr. Kirby. "In modern society, that has all but disappearedwe are no much more selfish and driven to only accomplish quantifiable persists. So it's my contention that one of the best things that you can do to live a long life is to find meaning and purpose by helping others in your community or profession."

"Don't avoid stress: So many people want to minimize stress for longevity but not only is stress is terribly misunderstood and it is a mistake to attempt to avoid it," says Dr. Kirby. "Many people who live though incredible hardship live a long time. And I'm not advocating monthly trips to Everest but embracing the concept that stressful events eventually pass and you often because emotionally (and even physically!) stronger following stressful events."

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"I listen to my wife," says Eric Branda, AuD, Ph.D. at Signia. "All jokes about marriage aside, many of us put the well-being of our families and significant others above our own health. Consequently, we may neglect being as attentive to our own health needs. It's important to remember that those significant others in our lives may pick up and call attention to changes in our health that we may be slower to act on."

"I personally travel to a least a new country every year alone," says Colin Zhu, DO, DipABLM of the Thrive Bites podcast. "For me, solitude gives me stress relief and balance and clarity. Also, it helps me to re-engage my five senses again. On a daily basis, it would be cooking at home. It's very therapeutic for me and also reinforces social connection especially when I cook with others!"

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"Weight-bearing exercise can help slow bone loss," says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of The Magnesium Miracle. "Putting weight on your bones by walking, running and/or lifting weights stimulates the growth of new bone. Exercise can also help keep joint cartilage healthy. Strong muscles support joints and reduce the load on them." As for yourself: To get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Link:
The Easiest Way to Live Longer, Says Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

In recent years, the world had made substantial progress on Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets - good health and well-being - but COVID-19 threw us far off track.

Firstly, the pandemic itself: 225 million cases and 4.6 million deaths worldwide (as of this writing) and rising as more contagious variants spread. In the US, this led to a reduction in life expectancy of 1.87 years on average with greater reductions among people of color. And although we developed effective vaccines and therapeutics in record time, vaccine inequality and misinformation/disinformation have kept shots out of the arms of too many.

The pandemic has halted or reversed progress in health and shortened life expectancy.

Image: UN

Meanwhile, the pandemic's impact continues to multiply. With disruptions to health services worldwide, weve seen a "third wave" of loss of people suffering from non-COVID diseases, like cancer and rare disease, according to Forum experts, along with new outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles. Over-prescription of antibiotics has accelerated the need to address antimicrobial resistance. Lockdowns, fear and grief have created a surge in anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.

The COVID crisis created a mental health crisis.

Image: Statista

And with a disproportionately devastating impact on communities of color, the elderly and society's most vulnerable, the virus has highlighted the structural weaknesses of not only our economic systems, but also, more critically, our health systems, as World Economic Forum experts put it. This includes healthcare workers, who are in dire shortage and facing mental health crises themselves.

As the pandemic continues, were now facing another, potentially more destructive health crisis: climate change. We know the coronavirus was caused in part by our increasingly unsustainable relationship with nature and air pollution is linked to greater risk of COVID infection and death. Beyond COVID, rising temperatures, biodiversity loss, water pollution and extreme weather events will continue to cause harm not only to the planet but also to human health and longevity yet another reason why addressing climate must be part of the COVID-19 response.

Air pollution is one of our greatest health threats.

Image: WHO

SDG 3 is ambitious, setting out to reduce or eliminate a number of health-related problems, including:

Many health indicators were moving in the right direction before the threat of COVID-19 emerged, says the UN's Sustainable Development Goal Report 2021. Maternal and child health had improved, immunization coverage had increased and communicable diseases had been reduced, although not fast enough to achieve the 2030 targets numbers highlighted this time last year.

Now, much of that progress could be stalled or reversed, says the report.

A decade of progress on SDG 3 could be stalled or reversed by COVID-19.

Image: UN

In 2020, 35% of countries reported interruptions in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services, along with nutrition services, contributing to as many as 228,000 additional child deaths and 11,000 additional maternal deaths in 2020 in South Asia alone.

Prior to 2020, we saw steady reductions in mortality from both communicable (HIV, TB, malaria) and non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes) but, here, too, COVID caused disruptions in routine care. For example, an estimated 1.4 million fewer people received essential care for TB in 2020 compared to 2019 a 21% reduction.

Disruptions in HIV treatment will likely lead to more deaths.

Image: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

In the first three months of 2021, between 30% and 40% of malaria-endemic countries reported some level of disruption to services involving malaria diagnosis and treatment. A 10% disruption in access to effective treatment in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to 19,000 additional deaths," the UN report notes.

Above all, these challenges underline the need to make more progress on achieving universal health coverage (UHC) which is essential to beat COVID-19, as well as reduce inequality and poverty. Prior to the pandemic, improvements in UHC were seen across the board, with significant progress made in sub-Saharan Africa between 2000-2017.

As we work towards expanding UHC, we should take lessons and insights learned from the past year and a half such as the important role of digital healthcare and data in healthcare delivery.

The application of precision medicine to save and improve lives relies on good-quality, easily-accessible data on everything from our DNA to lifestyle and environmental factors. The opposite to a one-size-fits-all healthcare system, it has vast, untapped potential to transform the treatment and prediction of rare diseasesand disease in general.

But there is no global governance framework for such data and no common data portal. This is a problem that contributes to the premature deaths of hundreds of millions of rare-disease patients worldwide.

The World Economic Forums Breaking Barriers to Health Data Governance initiative is focused on creating, testing and growing a framework to support effective and responsible access across borders to sensitive health data for the treatment and diagnosis of rare diseases.

The data will be shared via a federated data system: a decentralized approach that allows different institutions to access each others data without that data ever leaving the organization it originated from. This is done via an application programming interface and strikes a balance between simply pooling data (posing security concerns) and limiting access completely.

The project is a collaboration between entities in the UK (Genomics England), Australia (Australian Genomics Health Alliance), Canada (Genomics4RD), and the US (Intermountain Healthcare).

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

More:
SDIS21: What are the challenges in making healthcare more sustainable? - World Economic Forum

Heres a quick glimpse at the current tightness of the job market: The town of Vail in 2016 had 156 applications for bus driving positions. There are 12 applications on file this year.

Everyone is short of help right now. Its perhaps more difficult to find a fully-staffed business in the valley. Wages have gone up, too. The Wendys in Eagle is advertising starting pay of $16 per hour. The Walmart in Avon is advertising night stocking positions for $19.50 per hour.

The shortages persist. Among the countys biggest employers, Eagle County Schools is short roughly 67 people, mostly in support positions. Vail Health is also short of people.

In an email, Vail Health Vice President of Human Resources Doreen E. Coburn wrote that organization currently has 180 open clinical and non-clinical positions at its Eagle and Summit County facilities. That number includes positions at the new Dillon Health Center, set to open in November, and a new orthopedic facility in Basalt.

Many open jobs are those that traditionally have been attractive in terms of pay and benefits. The town of Avon is in that category, and Town Manager Eric Heil wrote in an email that the town currently has just four open positions.

Town of Vail jobs are also known as good ones, as are jobs with Eagle County. Both those organizations are well known for their health insurance packages and other benefits. Eagle County even has housing available for some positions. But both Vail and the county are looking hard for employees heading into the winter season. Both organizations have seasonal bus driving positions, but both are also looking for year-round help.

Eagle County Human Resources Director Hollis Dempsey in an email wrote that organization currently has about 40 open positions, roughly 7% of the total workforce.

Dempsey wrote that about 8% of positions have turned over in the past year. Thats actually better than the situation in 2019, when the turnover rate was just more than 10%. The town of Vail has seen a nearly 20% turnover rate in the past year.

As is the case in Vail, the county is receiving a smaller number of applicants for drivers, fleet mechanics and other positions.

Dempsey noted that its hard to convince applicants to relocate primarily due to housing and the cost of living. With that in mind, we are focusing on a local first approach.

Dempsey wrote that the county and its department leadership teams are looking for ways to innovate work and service delivery to continue to provide quality services despite lower staffing levels.

Vail officials are drafting the 2022 budget, and there may be changes coming to the towns compensation system.

In a Sept. 7 presentation to the Vail Town Council, Scott Robson, the town manager, noted that housing and pay keep coming up in exit surveys.

Were not able to compete with the Front Range on some fronts, and in some, were not able to compete with our friends downvalley.

At the same meeting, Vail Human Resources Director Krista Miller said the employment landscape is drastically changing, noting that people are jumping ship across the nation. Thats led some employers to add sign-on bonuses for new workers.

What were seeing now is not like anything Ive seen, consultant Lou Lazo told council members.

In a subsequent phone interview, Robson said the towns goal right now is to remain an employer of choice. But thats going to be difficult.

Were struggling just like other municipalities and companies, he added.

The answer isnt just added pay or bonuses, Robson said, particularly when it comes to hiring bonuses. Summit County is currently offering $15,000 bonuses for some public safety positions. That isnt sustainable, he noted.

Bonuses and added pay can also put stress on current staff, who might not like the idea of a new person zooming to the top of the pay scale.

Robson added that, like Eagle County, Vail is looking for local talent first. The town just hired a qualified planner who already lives in the valley. Going outside the valley also has some risks.

Robson said a recent out-of-state applicant for one of the towns seven open emergency dispatcher positions went through the entire hiring process and accepted an offer. That candidate then looked hard at the cost of living for a family in Eagle County, and decided to decline the job offer.

With all the difficulties, Robson said hes cautiously optimistic that new efforts will pay off. But, he added, there are some long term financial moves the town of Vail will have to make in coming years to stay competitive.

Link:
For town of Vail, Eagle County and other large employers, slow going on hiring - Vail Daily News

De gustibus non est disputandumis there a more famous maxim in all of history? Its one of the few bits of Latin that non-classicists know. Theres no disputing taste. You like your thing and I like mine, and whos to say which is better? I like the Beatles and you like the Rolling Stonesor, these days, I like Taylor Swift and you prefer Beyonc, or Kanye West rather than Jay-Z, and, as poor Kanye himself found out during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, disputing a taste preference can make you a public disgrace.

And yet in truth, all we do dispute is taste. Poor Kanye became Poor Kanye because, like all of us, he couldnt help himself. At that now notorious Video Music Awards ceremony, he so passionately preferred Beyoncs video to Taylors that he threw judgment (and, briefly, his career) to the winds, cutting Taylors acceptance speech short and making his words into one of the most reproduced memes of our moment. But who has not, at some point or other, done the same? Im gonna let you finish, Tom, we imagine W.H. Auden saying to T.S. Eliot, interrupting the latter as Eliot insists that Kipling is superior to all other modern poets, but Thomas Hardys poems are some of the best ever made. We watch Iron Chef not merely to savor foods we cannot smell or taste (a thing that in itself would have amazed our aesthetic ancestors) but to watch the cooks compete, one against the other, Chinese chef against American, and if anyone on the judges panel ever whispered weakly, Well, its a question of taste, she would not be on the program the following week.

We love disputing taste, and we do it passionately. Youre crazy to think the Stones are in the same league as the Beatlesor that Trollope can hold a candle to Dickens or whatever the flavor is that inspires you. Disputes on taste darken homes. My wife and I have a long- standing dispute about the coffee table in the living room. I love the one we used to have, a slab of lacy metal salvaged from an Art Nouveau Paris balcony grille onto which a sheet of horizontal glass can be placed. She prefers a base of daringly bent wood that she somehow noodled Bergdorfs into selling to her (er, us), onto which a sheet of round glass can be cantilevered. (She did this with such polite but unimpeded persistence that Bergdorfs later put up a sign saying, No Display Tables or Furniture on This Floor Is Ever for Salein other words, as the kids pointed out, Mom-proofing Bergdorfs.) I lost this dispute; my grille is banished to the basement.

And yet, surely, there must be, on this murmuring sea of dispute and banishment, some constantsfirm poles of quality or beauty or excellence that transcend even the squabbles of my preference against yours. The great American sociologist Howard Becker once wrote a fine book called What About Mozart? What About Murder?, the title of which was meant to refer, of course, to the usual rejoinders against the relativism of sociological thinking. Isnt murder, at least, an absolute evil? And isnt Mozart indisputably great? Surely some figures and masterpieces and masters or mistresses have a place that hovers above all the disputes of taste. There are polestars we follow, touchstones we all revere, and we make an unchanging idea of taste in their image, or by following their lead.

Given that we think that, or try to, I was all the more shocked to discover, during a recent late night grazing of YouTube, a video in which the great Canadian pianist Glenn Gould goes after Mozart as a mediocrity. Mozart! Truly. There is Gould, in 1968, indisputably a great musician, the author of two of the best renditions of Bach ever recorded, lashing into Mozart and those of us who love him. He plays a heartbreaking passage from the C Minor Concerto and then rips it apart: Listless scale runs, predictable chord changes. He compares Mozarts compositionreally!to interoffice memos, the email of that time. He concedes it no more credit than a few wistful themes.

Now, I think of Mozart abstractly as not just a Great Composer but intimately, as a fellow traveler through life. I really love Mozart. If I had to take 10 records with me to a desert islandnot for showing-off purposes, but for real feelingthey would include the last seven Mozart piano concertos. (Along with the Beatles last seven albums, which I realize makes 14 discs, but still.) Yet Goulds words, however shocking, did not feel exactly wrong. Invariably, any attack on anyone usually has some element of truth in it. Shakespeare is wordy; Molire can be dated; Milton is often dull. Even the nastiest attacks on our own workauthors are reluctant to admit this, but its so usually have some (small) ring of truth to them, if only because the hostile critic spotted something were covering up.

So I did what any panicked man of my generation does at difficult moments. I turned to my children. My son Luke is a philosophy student who as an undergraduate was a music major; he therefore sits astride both of these stools. What can we reply to Gould? I demanded. Couldnt we argue the greatness of Mozart from his longevityfrom how long he has been admired?

So, my son said (having adopted the exasperating Ivy League preamble indicating patient readiness to instruct you, even though the instruction is unlikely to penetrate the concrete). So I dont think you could make an argument from longevity, since many things that have lasted a long time have been bad things. But I think you could instance longevity as a sign or cue pointing to the possibility of an argument.

I slunk away, put in my place by a philosopherand yet, clinging to the wreckage as I sank, I saw a spar of hope. The possibility of an argument. This seemed to me the right way forward. The precision of Goulds critique might force us to make our defense of Mozart more precise, his contempt might make us arm our love with better weapons. What we would answer to Gould is not that Mozart is great, but that your critique, however intelligent, is limited in its horizon. It is apparent, listening to Gould, that he was indifferent to, even made uncomfortable by (in what we would now call a spectrumy way), the extraordinary emotional immediacy of Mozarts music, its replication of a human being wandering in and out of melancholic and affirmative moodsby, in short, the implicit romanticism of the sound. Great melodic music, after all, is made from repetition as much as variation. Mozart makes music by rote and repetition? Well, Rococo art delights us in general not because of the profundity of its architecture but the shimmering variety of its surface.

An argument might thus be made. And moving toward the possibility of an argument is what truly sharpens our wits and brightens our tastes, moves them from the realm of prejudice to something closer to the world of principle, not inviolable and fixed, but hypothetical and alterable. The man or woman of real taste is to us known not by the firmness of her insistences but by the subtlety of her affirmations. (Well, anyway, so they ought to be known to us. We live in a fallen world, where usually someone with strong taste intimidates us more than someone with good taste. The critic Clement Greenberg dominated the American art world for a generation by the firmness of his tastes, and though he got quite a lot of good work accomplishedJackson Pollock was as great as he thoughtby the end his rule was cramped and confining, like being compelled to dine on the same platter of sashimi for the rest of our lives.)

Between authority and anarchy liesthe possibility of an argument. The real aesthetes are known by the liveliness of their minds and the possibility, at least, that they can be made to alter them. I spend my 3 a.m.s now arguing with Glenn Gould. (In my imagination I win the arguments; that is why we call them dreams.) I should add that not long afterward, my philosophical son brought his new puppy to town (a rescue dog, of coursehe is of ethical principles as well), and it promptly jumped on the Bergdorf-bought table, causing the dangerously cantilevered sheet of glass to fall to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces and making a noise like an asteroid hitting a city. Amid the ruins of the monument, I had a faint glimmer of hope that the French balcony grille coffee table base might rise from the ashes of its condemnation in the basement. No such luck. Theres only so far argument can take you. Taste may be disputable. Tables are not.

Illustration by Barry Blitt

This story originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Town & Country. Subscribe Now.

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Is Nothing Really Objectively Excellent? - Adam Gopnik on How There's No Disputing Taste - TownandCountrymag.com