Category Archives: Human Longevity

Queen Elizabeth IIs longevity alone places her in the pantheon of royal greats. At the time of her death, at Balmoral Castle today, she had served 70 years as Queenthe longest of any sovereign in the English monarchys 1,000-year history. But it is not simply her longevity that marks her for greatness, but her ability to stay relevant as the world changed around her.

She was the product of ancestral inheritance but was more popular than any of her prime ministers and remained head of state in countries around the world because of public support. She was in a sense a democratic Queen, a progressive conservative, an aristocratic multiculturalist.

Queen Elizabeth was a constitutional monarch, not a political leader with real powers, and one who was required to serve an ever-changing set of realms, peoples, institutions, and ideas that were no longer as obviously compatible as they had been when she ascended to the throne. The Queens great achievement was to honor the commitment she made to an imperial nation and its empire as a princess even as it became a multiethnic state and a Commonwealth.

When the Queen devoted her whole life to the service of Britains great imperial family, she meant it and honored it. And she did so in a way that brought more harmony than discord. Even as her nations influence shrank, the world embraced her.

In October 1940, a teenage Princess Elizabeth gave the first of what would be a lifetime of public speeches designed to move, embolden, and steady the nerves of an imperiled empire. At the time, the British empire was standing alone against Nazi Germany: France had been crushed, the Soviet Union had made a deal with Hitler, and the United States remained aloof from World War II. Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret, had traveled with their parents to record a message for the BBC that would be broadcast to the children of the empire, as well as children in the U.S.

The recording offers a glimpse of a time and place that is gone, as well as the first look at this representative of a new age, the age of Elizabeth. Hers would be an age not of world war and European empires, but of imperial retreat and American expansion; of the Cold War and the apparent end of history; of nationalism and globalization; of the space race and the internet.

For the 14-year-old princess, none of this was visible that day in 1940. The world that existed then faced the prospect of a Nazi-dominated Europe. Ostensibly, her message was to the children evacuated to the British countryside and to the Greater Britain that then existed beyond the seas, to evade German aerial bombardment of cities. In her clipped but childish tones, the young Elizabeth marvels at the lives being led in these far-flung corners of the world. All the new sights you must be seeing, and the adventures you must be having, she says, as if reading an exciting bedtime story. But then she turns to the central thrust of the message: a plea. I am sure that you, too, are often thinking of the Old Country. I know you wont forget us.

Read: How The Crown, and its clothes, transform power

Here was the vulnerability at the core of Princess Elizabeths address. The Old Country was in trouble and needed help. Princess Elizabeth had been enlisted to ask for it, to do her dutya task she would perform for decades to come.

During her reign, she weathered an array of crises, from her clashes with Margaret Thatcher to her mishandling of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In doing so, she became the focus of something akin to a secular religion, the royalist historian David Starkey has noted, a form of British Shintoism, according to others such as Philip Murphy, a professor of British and Commonwealth history at the University of London.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21, 1926, as a princess to not simply a king but an emperor. She became Queen to a multitude of realms. A child of empire, European supremacy, and the old ordereven the old faith, Anglican Christianityshe came to see it as her solemn duty to represent all the peoples and religions of the Commonwealth.

This duty created friction during her reign, but it made her different from any other European monarch and, paradoxically, kept her modern. A great irony of Queen Elizabeth II is that the most penetrating criticism of her reign came not from the republican left but from the nationalist right, parts of which saw past her image of continuity and tradition to the deep change that her rule actually represented.

On Princess Elizabeths 21st birthday, she delivered a radio broadcast that would define her life. Addressing all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, and specifically the youth of the British family of nations, she asked for their permission to speak as their representative. Delivered from Cape Town, South Africa, this was not a message to England, or Britain, or even the United Kingdom, but to the already fading empire.

The message was designed to inspire, but also to begin a transition. The princess declared that just as England had saved Europe from Napoleonic domination in the 19th century, the British empire had saved the world from Hitler in the 20th. The task now before the empire was just as pressing, she said: It needed to save itself.

If we all go forward together with an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart, Elizabeth said, we shall be able to make of this ancient commonwealth, which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing. In doing so, the princess, with a politicians sleight of hand, had endowed a relatively new construct, the British Commonwealth, with the myth of ancient roots. I declare before you all, she continued, that my whole life whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

In 1947, such a commitment could still be made without embarrassment. Formally, India, the jewel in the British imperial crown, was not yet independent, though the legal process was under way and would become reality within months. The last vestiges of royal connection to Ireland had similarly not yet been cut. Soon, however, this apparently ancient family would undergo a revolution.

Read: The first Brexit was theological

In the early hours of February 6, 1952, King George VI, Elizabeths father, died in his sleep. She was in Kenya when she learned that she had become Queen. Prime Minister Winston Churchill broadcast the news, describing the Crown as the magic link, which unites our loosely bound but strongly interwoven commonwealth of nations. And yet, just five years after Elizabeths Cape Town address, the world had already changed to such an extent that to speak of a great imperial family, as Elizabeth had done, was no longer appropriate. By 1952, for example, India was not only independent, but a republic. This new Commonwealth comprised free and equal countries that voluntarily accepted Elizabeth as their symbolic heada role with no real power for an organization with no real status.

She was Queen, then, but of what?

Her father had been crowned George VI of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, as well as Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. By the time the young Elizabeth was crowned, the title Emperor of India was obsolete. Yet even this did not go far enough. She was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of this Realm and of all Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

Although few paid much attention to the changes at the time, the new terminology caught the eye of one of the most influential and controversial British politicians of the postwar era, Enoch Powell. He had spotted that the new declaration contained within it imperial retreat and was dismayed. But this was not the real source of his furyit was that Britain had been subsumed into a multinational structure that it no longer led. In Britain, Elizabeth would be Queen of the United Kingdom, but elsewhere she would have different titles, granted by different countries: Queen of Australia in Australia, Queen of Canada in Canada, and so forth.

What Powell had seen was that this marked a sea change not only for the Queen, but for Britain itself. What had been a single empire with a single sovereign was no longernor was it even a British Commonwealth. In its place was simply a Commonwealth with different peoples, each equal to the others, including that of the Old Country, whether or not they took the Queen as their monarch.

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth had declared that she would give her whole life to the service of Britains great imperial family. When she became Queen, it was no longer clear what that really meant.

The change to the Queens title was, in fact, just another logical step down a road already taken. In 1948, Parliament had passed legislation revolutionizing the nature of British nationality itself, creating several separate citizenships within the empire. What had been a Greater Britain around the world, singular and indivisible, loyal to the King and empire, was no more. It had shrunk, leaving space for Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand nationalisms to flourish as separate identities, just as a Scotsman today can also be British.

The Queens title, therefore, was a sign of the coming age, a beacon in the fog of the 1950s lighting the way to the postimperial world that exists today.

For the ordinary Brit at home, glued to the television to watch the Queens coronation, much of this passed unnoticed. As Vernon Bogdanor writes in The Monarchy and the Constitution, the feelings of attachment to Britain in its former dominions, such as New Zealand and Canada, were taken for granted. In 1953, Australias prime minister, R. G. Menzies, spoke of the Queen passing on a crown that will always be the sign and proof that, wherever we may be in the world, we are one people. Menzies had in 1948 even said that the boundaries of Britain do not lie on the Kentish Coast, they are to be found at Cape York and Invercargill.

From the December 1943 issue: The education of a queen

Indeed, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation, there seemed little reason to doubt the strength of this great global nation. The day before, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary had conquered Mount Everest with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, planting the Union Jack on its peak. Welcoming the news, New Zealands prime minister declared how proud he was that an Englishman had been the rst to climb the worlds highest mountain. During the Queens first royal tour of the Commonwealth, in 195354, she visited 13 countries, including Bermuda, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand, covering more than 40,000 miles in six months. In Australia, 67 million people turned out to see her, amounting to about 75 percent of the countrys population.

Only now is it possible to see the slow unwinding of this Greater British identity during the age of Elizabeth. An early glimpse came during her first visit to India and Pakistan as Queen, in 1961. Despite being head of the Commonwealth, of which India was a member, the Queen was invited only in her capacity as Queen of the United Kingdom. To do otherwise might have implied the existence in some degree of authority residing in Her Majesty over the Republic of India, Philip Murphy points out in Monarchy and the End of Empire. When the Commonwealth bumped up against the hard reality of Britains place in the postimperial world, there was no question that the Commonwealth had to stand aside.

It was scarcely appreciated then, but the Queens coronationthat great triumph of Britishness at the peak of its powerswas what signified the retreat. A moment of deep continuity for the Old Country was actually a moment of quiet revolution, turning Britain inward and setting a course that it would travel for the rest of her reign, culminating in a threat to the very future of Britain by the time of her death, with support for secession growing in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Britons did not know it at the time of her ascent, but they were once again an island people. Only their Queen was global.

In retrospect, it was absurd to think that the Queen could be both British and global, sharing herself equally among her various realms. How can one person be Queen of the United Kingdom one moment and Queen of Australia the next, as well as head of a Commonwealth? In time, the practical reality revealed itselfthe Queen was primarily Queen of the United Kingdom.

From 1952 to her death, she would meet 13 of the 14 U.S. presidents elected in that time (Lyndon B. Johnson being the exception). She did so as Britains head of statein effect, Queen of the Old Country hiding in imperial clothes, representing a state that, in U.S. Secretary of State Dean Achesons infamous put-down, had lost an empire but not yet found a role.

Read: The Queen Mothers odd letters

Through the 1960s and early 70s, following Britains humiliation at Suez, the country sought to tilt away from the empire toward its special relationship with the United States and membership in the new European Community. Globally, this shift in priorities meant sacrificing imperial power for imagined influence over the new empire that had replaced Britain: the United States. In Europe, it meant sacrificing trade with the Commonwealth for markets on its doorstep. For many in Britain, this was a hard choice, given support for the old imperial connections, particularly to the Greater British dominions (or, more cynically, to the white Commonwealth) of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Yet successive British governments knew which direction they wanted to go in. In Africa, for example, Britain, unlike France, encouraged its former colonies not only to become independent, but to become republics. The loss of the empire was seen as a price worth paying for greater influence, and the Queen supported recognition of African nationalism. In 1960, when British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan remarked in a speech from South Africa that the wind of change is blowing through this continent, signaling the inevitability of decolonization, Elizabeth took the unusual step of indicating her personal approval of Macmillans words, Murphy records. Shortly after the speech, Macmillan received a telegram with a message from London that the Queen was very interested and much impressed by the Prime Ministers speech. Four years later, the process of decolonization in East, West, and Central Africa was largely complete.

However, tensions between her role as global Queen and national Queen were inevitableand duly came. Because the Queen was atop neither an empire nor an international body with a constitution like, say, the European Union, her title as head of the Commonwealth was unclear, unwritten, and, crucially, unlinked to her position as head of state in Britain or anywhere else. What happened if her two roles clashed?

In 1952, when the British dominions were part of an imagined Greater Britain oroutside the Indian subcontinentthe subjects of a still-vast empire, there was little scope for such a clash. By the 1960s, as the empire continued to be swept away, there was a very real prospect of friction.

The danger, as Powell had pointed out, was that in creating the fiction of the Commonwealth, the Queen risked losing the support of her people at home by appearing to have split loyalties. As the 1960s turned into the 70s and 80s, this prophecy seemed to be coming true. In an article in 1964, Powell spoke of the resentment of British people seeing their sovereign playing an alien part as one of the characters in the Commonwealth charade. The imperial monarchy, to which the Queen had devoted her life, appeared to be threatening the national monarchy.

Tensions really began to be felt when the Conservative Party in Britain elected as its leader a Powellite in the form of Margaret Thatcher, who seemed to have little time for the Commonwealth and even less sympathy for the policies of some of its more radical members. According to Murphys Monarchy and the End of Empire, Thatcher and her closest advisers joked that the acronym CHOGMfor the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetingstood for Compulsory Hand-Outs for Greedy Mendicants.

In the Queens 1983 Christmas message, four years after Thatcher came to power, she appeared to champion the policies of Indias prime minister, Indira Gandhi, over those of her own government, adding that despite the progress that had been made on the subcontinent, the greatest problem in the world today remains the gap between rich and poor countries, and we shall not begin to close this gap until we hear less about nationalism and more about interdependence.

From the magazine: How to write about royalty

This was not a message from the Thatcherite script and its Cold War mentality. Powell said that the intervention suggested the Queen had the interests and affairs of other countries in other continents as much, or more, at heart than those of her own people.

Another clash between the global and national Queen came in 1986, when a number of countries were threatening to boycott the Commonwealth Games in protest of Thatchers opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa. Britain had been isolated on the issue, with the Queen notably avoiding taking Britains side. Sonny Ramphal, the Guyanese Commonwealth secretary-general, later recalled that if the Queen hadnt been there we might have gone on the rocks.

Later that year, a series of articles began to appear in the British press revealing a rift between the Queen and her prime minister over the Commonwealth. A profile of Prince Charles in The Economist suggested that his views were considerably to the left of Thatchers. An article in the newspaper Today then suggested that the Queen was worried the division over sanctions could break up the Commonwealth, and had even urged Thatcher to change her views. Similar pieces appeared in The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Finally, The Sunday Times led its front page with the headline Queen Dismayed by Uncaring Thatcher, calling her The African Queen.

Such revelations, which came close to constitutional-crisis territory, centered on the Queens split loyalties to Commonwealth and nation. Powell had warned that this split would make her look more concerned for the Commonwealth than for Britain. The Queen had become a champion of global multiculturalism at home and abroad. Almost by accident, she had become modern.

In some senses, Queen Elizabeth II leaves an ambiguous legacy. She stands above almost all of Britains British monarchs, but was one who oversaw a drastic shrinkage in the monarchys power, prestige, and influence. Such a legacy, however, does not do the Queen justice.

At the funeral of the former Israeli leader Shimon Peres in 2016, thenU.S. President Barack Obama likened him to some of the other giants of the 20th century. Obama, whose father was a Kenyan government official born in what was then part of the British empire, chose to name two figures: Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queens role in the Commonwealth might have been a device to hide the reality of the British empires decline, but she did not believe so. The irony is that in doing her duty to this imperial shadow in the same way she did her duty to Britain, she was better able to symbolize a modern, multicultural Britain and the world of the 21st century than logic might suggest was possible for an aristocratic European princess. Indeed, she is more popular in many African Commonwealth countries today than the former white dominions, which may soon choose to become republics and long ago stopped seeing themselves as British.

Yet her death has given rise to a sense of unease. Her eldest son, Charles, seems an unlikely figure for the British Shintoism that built up around his mother. Whatever his merits, such has been the nature of his life, lived in the glare of the modern worldof Diana and Camilla, The Crown and the tabloidsthat it looks impossible to re-create the kind of worship that attached itself to the Queen.

Read: What Meghan Markle means for the royal family

Generations have known nothing but the Queen. She became almost above reproach, an icon on a wall, a symbol. Charles, by contrast, is human and flawed and distinctly reproachable. With the Queen goes the monarchys protective shield. Can the next generation escape the tarnish of racism leveled by Harry and Meghan, or the scandals of Prince Andrew?

Beyond Britain, will Australia and New Zealand and Canada accept Charles as their King, as they did Elizabeth in 1952? And what of the Queens other great love, the Commonwealth? It has already agreed to let Charles inherit his mothers leadership. But how long can such an institution really survive? In an era of Black Lives Matter and imperial guilt, can an African child once again be pictured kneeling before some distant European monarch, as happened for the Queens diamond jubilee, in 2012?

None of these questions is answerable for now. Much rests on Charles himself. Can he show the lifelong restraint of his mother, the dignity and duty, the reserve and careful calculation? Will events blow him off course?

When King George VI died, Winston Churchill paid tribute to him in the House of Commons, before turning to his new Queen. So far I have spoken of the past, but with the new reign we must all feel our contact with the future, the prime minister said. She comes to the throne at a time when a tormented mankind stands uncertainly poised between world catastrophe and a golden age. For Churchill, such a golden age was possible only with a true and lasting peace. He then concluded: Let us hope and pray that the accession to our ancient throne of Queen Elizabeth II may be the signal for such a brightening salvation of the human scene.

Looking back on her reign, it is clear that the age of Elizabeth really was golden: an age of extraordinary prosperity, European peace, human rights, and the collapse of Soviet tyranny. Queen Elizabeth IIthe Queenwas one of the great symbols of that age, though not a creator of it, a servant rather than a master. But if her legacy is anything, it is that symbols and service matter, even as what they symbolize and serve bend and bow to meet the new reality.

Read the original:
The Queen of the World - The Atlantic

Im the one in the white hat, Norman Lear announces as he and his producing partner, Brent Miller, several decades his junior, appear in Zoom boxes in late August.

At 100, the newly minted centurion, as he proudly describes himself, still appreciates a laugh. After all, the white hat has been the signature of Lears aesthetic for the vast majority of his career which, at one point, included having seven series on the air and a weekly audience of more than 120 million. A sitcom savant, as Lear has been dubbed over the years, hes responsible for such barrier-breaking, cultural behemoths as All in the Family, Good Times, Maude and The Jeffersons.

Many of his shows, part of a catalog now largely owned by Sony Pictures Television, have been reimagined, as One Day at a Time was for Netflix and Pop TV, or revisited, as The Facts of Life and Good Times were for Live in Front of a Studio Audience, an Emmy-winning collaboration between Lear and Jimmy Kimmel for ABC. On Sept. 22, the same network will air Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter, a star-studded special commemorating Lears latest milestone, which he celebrated in July with family at his farm in Vermont.

The THR Icon, whos also a World War II combat veteran, a major philanthropist, a father of six (and grandfather of four) and the oldest Emmy winner in history, insisted that Miller join him as he opened up about the glorious fights at his childhood dinner table, the battles he waged with network censors and the career renaissance hes experiencing at age 100.

First and foremost, happy birthday. How does one celebrate 100?

NORMAN LEAR By getting up in the morning. (Laughs.) And getting a call from Brent.

That says, Lets get busy, weve got a million shows to produce?

BRENT MILLER Other way around. Its more that hes telling me that we have a million shows.

LEAR We do have a lot in the works. (Laughter.)

Norman, I know over and next are popular words in your lexicon, but I have to believe a milestone like that, which will be celebrated with a TV special, forces some level of reflection

LEAR Im interrupting to say that the over and next leads to the hammock in the middle, which is living in the moment. And the fact of this moment is it has taken me every split second of a hundred years to get to this moment, and it has taken every split second of your life to hear me say that.

Descriptors like icon and legend now accompany your name. Looking back, do you recall when in your career you first felt successful or, at the very least, secure?

LEAR Absolutely. It was when I first realized that my kids didnt have to worry about going to college. That was the first time I thought, Im comfortable in my life.

One of your legacies is your willingness or appetite to consistently challenge the gatekeepers when it came to your vision. Where did that courage come from?

LEAR To the degree that I know where it could have come from, I think its a love of America. When I was a kid, I think we understood more about who we were and what we meant without thinking we were Gods chosen. And I am a combat veteran, I flew a great many missions in World War II, and I think that love of country has changed. We dont think of it the same way now theres a right and a left and there isnt sufficient community.

There are a great many stories of you saying some variation on, You change that in my script and Ill walk. How close do you feel you got to that point?

LEAR Early on, there were moments like the network insisting that Archie [Bunker, of All in the Family] couldnt say whatever it was, and I thought it was simply silly. And not because I wouldnt or couldnt give in, but because I thought that if I do, Im going to be the victim of too many of these. It was easy for me to say, If that line is deleted, I will not be here tomorrow. I remember on one show, driving home thinking it was over and learning when I got home that they hadnt deleted the line.

Were you not nervous in those moments?

LEAR The network was concerned that [viewers] would find such and such evil, and I thought I understood the American people better than I was hearing from the guy on the second floor at the CBS building in L.A. speaking for the guys on the fifth and the seventh floor, who were speaking for people in New York on other floors.

You are reviving several of your shows. What did you learn from the One Day at a Time experience that youll apply to the next ones?

LEAR Want to speak to that, Brent?

MILLER Mike Royce and Gloria Caldern Kellett captured the essence of the original show, but it was 180 degrees different. So, it wasnt rebooted. It was reimagined, and not just because it was the family of brown people. It ended up being this arranged marriage because we brought Gloria and Mike together and they got along so well and complemented each other so well. I think the experience that we walk away with is maybe we should get into the business of finding husbands and wives together. (Laughs.)

LEAR But life is a collaboration. In partners, I had a Bud Yorkin and a Jerry Perenchio and a Hal Gaba and an Alan Horn. We do nothing alone. Were talking now because theres a Brent Miller in my life.

Norman, Id love to hear more from you about the advice youd dole out to writers in your rooms. Ive heard nuggets like, It isnt important that the roast is ruined and the boss is coming to dinner.

LEAR Thats exactly what Id say to writers. No more The roast is ruined and the boss is coming to dinner. No more Mom dented the car, we cant let Dad know. My instruction to the writers was to pay attention to whats happening to your wife, to your kids, to the family. Think about the neighbors up, down and across the street. Reflect on those problems when you come into work every day. Thats what we did. And sometimes those problems included the problems of families that were arguing politically, and sometimes they included the economics of the family or their difficulties in getting along.

You tackled things that, even today, would be seen as edgy or risky. Did you see it as such?

LEAR I grew up in a family that argued about a lot of things, and these were just another group of arguments. I believe in listening hard to everybodys point of view and accepting when you agree, but also going with your own conviction. Young writers have asked me for a great many years for advice, and thats my advice each and every time: Listen hard, accept what you might agree with, and then go with your conviction.

Youve forged relationships with younger showrunners like Seth MacFarlane, Kenya Barris, Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

LEAR Oh, I love those guys. I hear from them, but they dont require my advice about anything. As friends, we mean something to one another, and we all learn from one another. But Im so glad were talking about collaborations, all of the Schillers and Weiskopfs [Maude writers Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf] and [All in the Family producer] Mort Lachmans in my life and all of the young ones today. As someone who believes that music and laughter, especially laughter, adds time to ones life, I am convinced that everyone weve been talking about added some time to my life.

Marta Kauffman is among those who have acknowledged in recent years that shows like Friends werent more diverse because TV as a whole wasnt diverse back then, but your work seems to defy this in that it was very inclusive. Why was it important to you?

LEAR It came from appreciation of talent. Esther Rolle playing Florida on Maude just knocked me out, so much so that we brought her husband into a show and cast John Amos. Or Marla Gibbs on The Jeffersons. We had these glorious performers who added time to my life through laughter. I couldnt not be aware that they were the first shows starring African American performers, but the motivation was the talent.

Youre referencing shows with Black casts, but you also had shows featuring gay men or single moms at a time when such things were hardly the norm on TV. What sort of resistance did you face?

LEAR The only resistance was the difficulty getting them on the air. But it was the womens movement, which was called the womens movement, that inspired what became Bonnie Franklins role on One Day at a Time. There were too few women in starring roles especially strong performers, talented and able women in professions and in motherhood. It was a gift to be able to respond to that.

Theres a lot of conversation in Hollywood of late about who can tell what story, and Im curious what you make of that discussion and how you navigated telling stories about different races and cultures in your career.

LEAR Im reminded of a moment that happened to take place on Good Times. It might have taken place at The Jeffersons in another way, but the cast [of Good Times], the Black cast or a couple of them, had a problem with a line or an attitude or something and then relied on the fact that they were Black and I was not to make their argument. I often agreed, and we worked it out. But when I didnt, and I remember this one incident when I sat down with several of the African American actors and said, Look, Im not Black. Ive heard you, Ive made these changes many times. But, in this case, Im relying on the fact that although Im not Black, Im a man, Im a father, Im a brother, Im an uncle, Im a cousin, Im a male, and we share far more than the difference of our skin color and Im making the decision on [behalf] of all these other people [that I represent], and I have to disagree. Were going to go this way. And they understood.

In your memoir you wrote, Of all the characters Ive created and cast, the one who resembles me most is Maude. Im curious why you feel that way, and were you aware of it as you were writing the show?

LEAR I thought of Maude as a horseshit liberal. She was altogether liberal, but she knew far less than she should know to support her point of view. I felt that way about myself. I think about [All in the Family castmember] Rob Reiner, who I obviously adore, who knew everything he was talking about. He was solidly informed on all the things that he was supporting. I cant tell you how much I admired that because, like Maude, I thought of myself as a horseshit liberal.

Did you bring pieces of you to other characters?

LEAR There were pieces of my knowledge of the foolishness of the human condition in all of them. The foolishness of the human condition has amused me since I was 9. My father went to prison and my mother was selling the furniture. I was going to live with my grandparents, and somebody who was going to buy my fathers red leather chair put his hand on my shoulder at 9 years of age and said, Norman, youre the man of the house now. I understood something from that moment or maybe later, when I reflected on that moment about the foolishness of the human condition.

I imagine, in that moment, there were tears.

LEAR Yes. Im watching this chair that I sat with my dad in so many hundreds of times over my [childhood], and now this horses ass is buying it.

Ive heard you describe yourself around that time as an outsider looking in, and Im wondering how that feeling informed your work?

LEAR I lived in a family that lived at the end of their nerves and often roared at each other. Thanksgiving parties, when people came in from Boston because we lived in Hartford, often ended in these giant arguments. [There was a] love at the center of the family, but there were these glorious arguments, and they were at the top of their voices and at the end of their nerves. Thats the way I always used to describe them. And I enjoyed it.

You did?

LEAR Yeah, that was part of what represented family to me.

You made a decision in the late 1970s that you would step down from day-to-day producing duties on your many, many shows, a job you passed along to Alan Horn. In your memoir, you present the decision as matter-of-fact, but I suspect it wasnt so easy.

LEAR I was never alone in this. I had great compatriots and partners and collaborators, and it came out of us. I am not denying I was the team leader, but I could not have done it without the team. It wasnt hard at all [to step down]. It was time to move on.

Have you always known when that time comes?

LEAR Yes. Im thinking it right now in regard to this interview. (Laughs.)

Fair enough. I did want to ask you about Maudes abortion episode, which has been referenced aplenty in the wake of Roe v. Wades reversal. Im curious if you think, in 2022, youd be able to air that episode.

LEAR I dont think theres anything I would have to do differently. I think everything we talked about then would be relevant now. Maudes story at that time could be Maudes today. And it ended with Maude having made up her mind to have the abortion, and the extraordinary Bea Arthur as Maude saying to Walter, her husband, played by the extraordinary Bill Macy, Am I doing the right thing? Ill never forget his last line, and this is exactly the way I feel about it: Maude, in the privacy of this bedroom and the privacy of our lives, were doing the right thing. In the privacy of ones life, one makes those decisions. A woman, its her body, and I say that as the father of five daughters.

How serious are you about revisiting it for the next installment of Live in Front of a Studio Audience, assuming you get to do more?

MILLER If we end up doing another one, its certainly one to explore. Its not only one of the most influential episodes of television of all time, its the 50th anniversary. Based on everything with the Supreme Court, it feels like, why not?

Before we go, is there anything I havent asked that you wish I had?

MILLER I would just say one last thing. On Normans 100th birthday, we did get a call, right as he was sitting down to dinner, that [Amazon] Freevee was going to greenlight our new series [Clean Slate] with Laverne Cox and George Wallace. And I dont think thats ever been done before, a man gets a new series greenlit on his 100th birthday. And in addition to that, its the first [sitcom] that has ever had a trans character as the center point, and the fact that its once again Norman doing that just excites me.

With good reason. I feel like each one of the past few birthdays has come with a green light or a new deal. Guess youre going to have to keep having birthdays, Norman.

LEAR Wait until you see 104. (Laughter.)

Cant wait. I also hope we get to do this again at 101, then 102 and 103 an annual check-in.

LEAR Oh, Ill be here.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

This story first appeared in the Sept. 6 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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THR Icon: At 100, Norman Lear Looks Back (And Ahead) at Whats Changed Since the Maude Abortion Episode - Hollywood Reporter

As an individual who is constantly carrying around a notebook and pen, I must admit I never gave much thought to where ink comes from. Despite its wide-ranging use the world, my association with it has been from a practical you write something down to remember it approach. Ink is much more than that though, as director Brian D. Johnsons striking documentary The Colour of Ink highlights it is a tool that binds humans, history, cultures, and the environment together in fascinating ways.

Johnsons guide into the expansive and compelling world of ink is Jason Logan, a master inkmaker who creates unique inks for a whose who of famous artists and writers. Founder of the Toronto Ink Company, Logan forages unconventional materials, everything from acorns to rust to berries and more, to create one-of-a-kind colours for his clients. A creative mad scientist of sort, he will go above and beyond to meet his clients specific ink request, even if means incorporating magnetic materials or animal blood.

Logans materials may be unconventional, but the results they produce are remarkable. Watching the inkmaker testing his creations on a piece of paper, hoping to see what textures and patterns it will produce are just as mesmerizing as listening to him explain how he sourced the ingredients. Propelled by the wonderful cinematography of Nicholas de Pencier, each new ink that is shown feels like a new revelation. It allows one to embody the same sense of wonderment and unpredictability that has fueled Logans passion for ink.

Similar to an artist who is unsure of how the blank canvas in front of them will be transformed, it is the sense of discovery and in ability to explain the unknown that makes his products so popular. In one sequence, when speaking to famed writer Margaret Atwood, Logan admits that he does not know if the red ink he gave her will fade away or changer change colour over time. While this instability might give some heart attacks, it poses an intriguing challenge for some of his clients. There is an equally humorous and tense scene in the film where famed Japanese calligraphy artist Koji Kakinuma is testing a special black ink he requested from Logan, only to find that the mixture keeps turning red. How he tackles this issue is just as compelling to observe as the human size paint brush he is planning to use for his next project.

Traveling the globe to speak with various artists, such as New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck, and fellow inkmakers (including tattoo artist Roxx), The Colour of Ink offers in-depth historical context of ink and the human connection it forges. By giving each colour and shade in the film its own segment, Johnson dives deeply into the history and various cultural significances attached in intriguing ways. This includes the healing powers that some inks are said to provide and the health risks that others have posed when certain chemicals are incorporated.

Overflowing with a wealth of information to consume, one of the most surprising things about Johnsons film is the genuine sense of community it stirs. Whether charting Logans upbring, exploring other inkmakers processes, or focusing on a particular artists health issues, the human element is always present. These connections help to emphasize the importance and longevity of ink to our past, present, and future. The Colour of Ink is a captivating and eye-opening work that will have you looking at ink in a colourful new light.

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Elizabeth II died as the longest-lived monarch in the history of the English monarchy (Getty).

With a reign of 96 years and 70 years, the queen Isabel II He died last Thursday at his residence in Balmoral in the north of Scotland, a place he paradoxically defined as his little paradise, and where he spent his days with his family every summer. decided to.

Also the place where her last official activity as Queen took place when she received new Prime Minister Liz Truss last Tuesday.

With her death, Elizabeth II consecrated herself as The longest reigning monarch in the history of the English monarchy.

And the reason for this longevity appears to be likewise in his beloved summer residence, to which he had retired the previous 9 August to rest, as he used to, away from public life and crowds and in the privacy of family.

Although Elizabeth II was undoubtedly endowed with privileged geneticsher mother, Elizabeth Bowles-Lyon, was 101the secret to her long life and her stellar health would be spring water from his Balmoral residenceWhich is in accordance with the assurances they give from the royalty environment anti aging properties,

Thus a young Isabelle discovered it by her mothers hand: the water that came out of the spring on the field is known as Deeside WaterThey say that it has amazing properties. And this must have been the reason, according to British scientists, that the Queen ages without health problems, her mother is more than a century of life and Victoria ruled for 64 years in the 19th century.

Laboratory tests indicated that mineral water from the springs of the Balmoral regions has very special chemical properties that help maintain skin and health. Previously, other studies indicated that such water It helps in treating arthritis and muscle pain.

Balmoral water, in addition, protects against free radicalsToxic molecules that are linked to many diseases of aging such as cancer, heart disease and stroke.

as published by daily mailThe secret of Balmoral water is in the combination of chemicals and minerals it takes from the Scottish land, especially granite and other stones.

In this context, Dr. Hugh Matheson of TCS Cellworks Company said that Human skin has the ability to repair and rejuvenate, He added: It increases tubular formation by 20%, a significant increase that helps with the flow of nutrients to the skin.

It was in the 19th century when the healing effects of this water reached the ears of Queen Victoria, who began drinking it in 1856. And so it continued with the entire royal family including Prince Charles.

water is sold Deeside Natural Mineral WaterAnd for some time has been on sale in the main supermarkets of the country for sale in bottles with great success.

But if you talk about miraculous water, you can stop mentioning the famous Barley Water Barley Water-, the favorite drink of the royals, regardless of age. It is a popular drink in India, Southeast Asia and the UK, where it is made by cooking pearl barley with lemon and orange.

Royal cook Alma Mackie made it popular among Windsors with a slight variation, such as sweetened with brown sugar. The entire royal family has confessed that she is addicted to this peculiarly refreshing drink, which has diuretic properties and is ideal for treating kidney and bladder conditions.

As was reported on several occasions, it was Queen Elizabeth IIs Preference for This Drink Which granted the Robinsons brand a royal certificate as an official supplier of barley water, accessible even to ordinary British people in supermarkets.

It is said that we are what we eat and, at this point, once again the real cook has great influence: Mackie was its architect. good eating habits of queen, Elizabeth II was familiar with smorgsbordas the mixture of hot and cold dishes typical of Swedish cuisine, from which the cook wasMediterranean cuisine (seasoned with olive oil).

real great supplier of Vegetables, eggs and organic meat Through his own brand, Duchy Originals is now none other than King Charles. Fish considered by the Japanese to be one of the sources of longevity is also part of the imperial diet, with more regularity and variety than the typical British diet.

Apart from this, tea is a sacred rite of the British and even the queen cannot be less than this. Tea is served immediately in Buckingham, at Balmoral, at Windsor or at Sandringham.

in all its forms, although mainly green teaIt is a drink with great properties to enhance health: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, ideal for preventing heart disease.

Faced with the excesses of many members of the Windsor family with alcohol, the Queen always defended moderation and for therapeutic purposes: a tradition followed by her husband, from red wine at eight oclock to vermouth, Philip of Edinburgh did too. ,

In the same way, the queen was always on the move. British monarchs exercised and performed almost daily walk fast with your dogs, Dogs are his inspiration: If he didnt have time to take them for a walk in the morning, he did in the afternoon. Until a few years ago, Isabel also rode a horse once or twice a week.

Too, He took care of good sleep. He sleeps for about seven hours every night and gets up every day at 7:30 in the morning, he used to say to his surroundings.

social relations Keeping body and mind healthy is also important and the Queen took it upon herself to distance herself from her great-grandmother Victoria, fleeing isolation at all costs.

Balanced diet, green tea, moderate alcohol consumption, good rest, exercise and social life. Apparently, Elizabeth II did everything right when it came to helping her genetics live as many years as she did. And if you put a . adds to the properties of Miracle WaterThe results are visible to the whole world.

read on

Most precious accessory: How Queen Elizabeth II imbued a style with over 5,000 hats

Queen Elizabeths 30 Corgi Dogs That Stayed With Her for the Whole of Her Life

3 Medical Causes of the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

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Was The Spring Water At Balmoral Castle The Secret To Elizabeth II's Longevity? - Nation World News

During the second Presidential debate of 1984, in response to the question of whether he was too old to be President, the 73-year-old incumbent, Ronald Reagan, deflected the question by good-naturedly teasing his 56-year-old Democratic opponent, Walter Mondale.

"I will not make age an issue of this campaign," Reagan says. "I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

Of course, Reagan was well aware of the reservations a number of people had about someone his age continuing to hold such a demanding job. Playing on those concerns by flipping them gave his quip extra punch.

But at the time, Reagan wasn't the only older person with power in Washington. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill was 72, and Senate President Pro Tempore Strom Thurmond was 82.

"Longevity at this scale is a relatively new phenomenon, which is why this conversation is happening more and more."

Although pessimistic views about getting old have been a longstanding feature of American culture, being a politician of advanced age didn't carry as much of a stigma back in the 1980s as it does in this election cycle.

Recent articles and op-eds in newspapers and magazines have cited the ages of long-term office holders 25 Senators are more than 70 years old and 76 Representatives are at least that age to suggest that the United States has become a gerontocracy, a government ruled by old people.

What Is Causing This?

There's a reason for this growing preoccupation with lawmakers' ages. "We are living longer, healthier lives than ever before," says Tracey Gendron, chair of Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Gerontology and executive director of the Virginia Center on Aging.

"The average life expectancy in the U.S. is rising, and that trend will continue," she adds. "Longevity at this scale is a relatively new phenomenon, which is why this conversation is happening more and more."

Nevertheless, Gendron notes, "describing present-day America as a gerontocracy is an easy, convenient and frankly lazy way to argue the current state of American politics ... Age is but one component of a political leader's identity, as are race, gender, education and experiences, etc."

"The reality is that the racial, ethnic and gender makeup of our political leadership does not accurately reflect the demographic makeup of the country," she says. "So why are we singling out age as the primary defining characteristic?"

The Politics of Ageism

Gendron, the author of "Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It," believes that ageism has permeated political discourse and that what qualifies people for public service should have little to do with their birthdays. Further, the same criteria for not judging people in other occupations should be applied to political figures as well.

"Describing present-day America as a gerontocracy is an easy, convenient and frankly lazy way to argue the current state of American politics."

Other experts in the field of aging agree.

"The media have often used derogatory terms like 'silver tsunami' to describe the rising numbers of seniors," notes Dr. Dilip Jeste, professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the University of California San Diego and past president of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

"This has led to greater scrutiny of older leaders in politics and elsewhere," Jeste adds. "Just as people should not be stereotyped and stigmatized because of their sex or race/ethnicity, they should not be discriminated due to their chronological age."

Like any other "ism," ageism categorizes and stereotypes people, ignoring the variety of their individual backgrounds, experiences and traits.

"Power is found in the hands of people of all ages."

"America is diverse, and age is just another part of that diversity," says Paul Irving, senior fellow and founding chairman of the Center for the Future of Aging at the Milken Institute and a 2016 Next Avenue Influencer in Aging.

"The argument [that America is a gerontocracy] simply reflects negative age bias," he adds. "Power is found in the hands of people of all ages. Joe Biden is old; Mark Zuckerberg is young. Nancy Pelosi is old; Pete Buttigieg is young. Greta Thunberg is young; Al Gore is old.

"There are people of all ages in positions of influence; there people of all ages living in the shadows. Power derives from social status and a wide range of social determinants, not from age," Irving says.

The Value of Older Leaders

Since longevity alone doesn't explain the reason why older people may hold positions of political power, could there be other factors related to aging that explain why they do?

A case could be made that the leaders of government bodies have been able to rise to those positions because they have been reelected multiple times and thus over the years have honed the political skills necessary to do their jobs.

"Some people in their 80s and even 90s are cognitively functioning at a higher level than some in their 50s and 60s."

"Many people mistakenly think that our development 'stops' at some point (e.g., 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks')," says Gendron. "But throughout our entire life, as we age, we continue to develop skills and abilities resulting from our years of experience."

Adds Irving: "If someone is intelligent, informed, cognitively healthy and passionate about their work, experience and maturity are likely to enhance their effectiveness. Older adults know how to navigate, to deal with internal politics, and to reach multi-sectoral solutions."

Jeste, who gave a 2015 TEDMED talk on elder wisdom, makes a key point.

"Chronological age is different from biological age including brain age," he explains. "Some people in their 80s and even 90s are cognitively functioning at a higher level than some in their 50s and 60s."

"It is true that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias increases with age," he says; "however, it is worth noting that a majority of older people do not develop dementia. Nothing happens overnight on the 60th or 70th or 80th or 90th birthday to make people incompetent as leaders. Aging is heterogeneous that is, as people get older, they become more different from one another. There is no one size of age that fits all."

Youth Have a Place in Politics

That's not to say that young people who seek political office lack advantages or gifts. "Youth bring energy, excitement, ambition, and innovation," says Jeste, "while older adults bring empathy, emotional regulation, self-reflection, and openness to diverse perspectives, which all are components of wisdom."

But he poses this caveat: "Needless to add that not all the youth and all the seniors exhibit these traits, but many do."

"There is no age at which someone is 'too old' to run for office or to do anything else."

That's the point experts want to make. In elections, considerations other than age should matter at the polls.

"There is no age at which someone is 'too old' to run for office or to do anything else," says Gendron. "Make a determination based on specific issues, views and actions. How well does the candidate represent your personal ideology? Will they support the causes you support?"

"Focus on the person, not their birthdate," advises Irving. "Whether they are old or young, these decisions should be made based on the candidate's capability, integrity, leadership skills, performance, and similar factors about the quality of the individual, not their age."

In short, there's no room for age on the ballot.

"For the human species to not just survive but also flourish and thrive," explains Jeste, "we must make use of the complementary strengths that different generations tend to display. Numerous studies have clearly shown that when different generations work together, everyone benefits."

Social gerontologist and Ageful Living blogger Jeanette Leardi is a Portland, Oregonbased community educator and public speaker who gives popular presentations and workshops on ageism,brain fitness, creativity, health literacy, and caregiver support. Her essays, articles, and book reviews have appeared inThe Charlotte Observer, The Oregonian, The Dallas Morning News, Stria, ChangingAging,and3rdAct Magazine.

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Should Age Be on the Ballot? - Next Avenue

Almonds

One of the most preferred nuts, because of the taste and the ability to store well. They are prized for their protein content of superior biological quality, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as vitamin E. They are included in heart-protective diets (almonds themselves resemble a heart). They help with anemia, vision disorders, hypertension. They reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and depression.

Almond milk is easy to digest and does not cause gastrointestinal fermentation. Therefore, it is recommended for nursing mothers and small children. However, only the sweet types of almonds are useful the bitter ones contain large amounts of essential oils that can be harmful to health.

Hazelnuts

Rich in fat, but they go rancid easily. Like almonds, they contain potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E. They are recommended for bronchitis, joint pain, chronic fatigue, nervous tension, after severe infectious diseases. Because of their low carbohydrate content, they are often included in weight loss diets.

Cashew

The most delicious nut, rich in protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin A. It has pronounced anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties. Care must be taken with cashews, as they contain oxalates and the toxin urushiol. The latter is located in the shell of the nuts and should be carefully removed by the manufacturer.

Walnuts

A very good source of iron, iodine, copper, phosphorus, zinc, fiber, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E. They protect the cardiovascular system and the brain. Due to their high energy value, they are suitable food for people performing heavy physical work. Thanks to the iodine content, they are used as a treatment for thyroid gland diseases. The ideal option is to eat five walnuts a day.

Peanuts

They contain the most vitamin B3 and folic acid, probably because they grow underground. This makes them a suitable food during pregnancy. They reduce the risk of heart attack, protect against Alzheimers and other degenerative problems. Like cashews, peanuts contain oxalates and should be avoided by people with kidney or gallbladder problems.

Pistachios

They are the richest in iron (after sesame) and have the highest potassium content. They also contain six times more antioxidants than green tea, as well as an enviable amount of arginine (an essential amino acid that is involved in building muscle tissue). They contribute to the proper functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, to the strengthening of bones and teeth (due to the presence of phosphorus and calcium), increase male potency.

Pine nuts

Extremely rich in proteins, which makes them an important nutritional supplement, both for pregnant women and small children, as well as for the elderly. They contain more amino acids than meat and milk, as well as many vitamins and minerals. They have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems, improve metabolism, strengthen libido. They are best eaten raw as they are sensitive to heat.

Macadamia (also known as Australian nut)

The most high-calorie nut, with a specific taste and a number of useful properties. It is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, as well as B vitamins and vitamin PP. It helps with arthritis, diabetes, metabolic disorders, migraine, hypertension. It reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, protecting against cardiovascular diseases. Macadamia oil is one of the most preferred in cosmetics because of its highly protective and rejuvenating properties.

Brazilian walnut

With the highest fat and selenium content of any nut. It provides indispensable help in the fight against cataracts, male infertility and early menopause, atherosclerosis of the heart and brain vessels. It strengthens the immune system and has anti-carcinogenic properties that can not only prevent but also stop the development of malignant tumors. It is enough to eat two nuts, and the selenium contained in them (also known as the trace element of longevity) begins to perform its invisible work in the human body.

It attracts with its high calcium content 4-5 times higher than other nuts and seeds. It is also rich in iron, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E. It is recommended during pregnancy and menopause (to prevent osteoporosis). Improves metabolism, affects the quality of skin, hair and nails, acts as an aphrodisiac. The presence of phytosterols reduces the risk of certain types of cancer.

Linseed

An excellent source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber and lignans. The latter are responsible for its loosening action. Flaxseed is very useful during diets, for the prevention of colon cancer and high blood pressure, in Alzheimers disease. It is good for people with impaired metabolism. The recommended daily dose is 1-2 tbsp (crushed or ground) as an addition to the salad.

Hemp seed

With an ideal balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It is rich in proteins, germanium, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, silicon, chromium, zinc, as well as a number of vitamins (group B, A, E, D, K). It stimulates digestion, successfully affects infections of the excretory system, treats skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis).

Sunflower seed

A superfood rich in omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. Sunflower seeds are good for the brain due to their high magnesium and phosphorus content. It reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the body and is recommended for high blood pressure. Regulates body temperature and acid-base balance. The presence of vitamin P makes it an excellent prophylactic against a number of diseases, including cancer.

Pumpkin seed

With the highest content of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids. It also provides large amounts of proteins, vitamins (group B, C, E) and resinous substances. It has an anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic effect. It helps in periods when the bodys defenses need to be strengthened. If crushed and boiled, it becomes a medicine against insomnia and constant pains.

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A complete guide to the health benefits of nuts europeantimes.news - The European Times

"For synthetic biology to have a true impact on humanity, it needs to be commercialized, integrated into global supply chains, and ultimately embraced by consumers." - Debut CEO Joshua Britton

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) September 09, 2022

Debut, an innovation company at the forefront of advanced biomanufacturing and consumer products, announced today a rebrand and new vision for next-generation consumer products by way of vertically integrated biology. Over the past three years, Debut has built the infrastructure to quickly move from ingredient discovery to sustainable consumer products. Debut uses breakthrough biotechnology and creativity to build big businesses that will put humanity ahead in an ever-changing world.

Traditional synthetic biology companies have pursued horizontal approaches, licensing, and low-margin B2B business structures that create unpredictable revenue streams and difficulties in penetrating global supply chains. The result is an inability to deliver products containing better ingredients that consumers demand, move past R&D, and generate the revenue streams required for sustained growth and longevity.

Debuts proprietary Bio2Consumer platform enables the company to move rapidly from ingredient discovery to personal care and nutrition consumer products. The platform enables high throughput ingredient discovery, rapid testing, biomanufacturing, product formulation, pre-clinical testing, and on-site scaled manufacturing to deliver high-performing, natural, and sustainable consumer products. The result is a 98% reduction in testing cost and a 50% reduction in time-to-market compared to traditional horizontal companies.

According to a recent report, more than 58% of consumers across all generations are willing to spend more on sustainably manufactured products. As they become a larger buying force in the market, 90% of Gen X consumers would be willing to spend more for these types of products. With Debuts approach, consumers need not choose between sustainability, performance, and cost.

Our rebrand represents the next stage in synthetic biology. For synthetic biology to have a true impact on humanity, it needs to be commercialized, integrated into global supply chains, and ultimately embraced by consumers, said Debut CEO Joshua Britton. Consumers have been subjected to the same ingredients for years and typical marketing and greenwashing tactics have become the norm for larger, multinational corporations. Its time to deliver high-performing products in high demand in multiple verticals. Our vertically integrated approach allows us to make an impact in a way that no other synthetic biology company has been able to achieve. We are creating consumer brands that will impact our routines from the time we wake up, get ready for work, and feed our animals to when we eat, exercise, and sleep. We see a future where synthetic biology-driven products are a norm for society and petroleum-derived products are long gone.

Debut will launch its first brand next year and has the next set of high-growth brands in development. The company is creating sustainable and clinically proven consumer products that will become the next generation of household name brands, powered by Debuts proprietary actives. The company can achieve this through the integration of next-generation biomanufacturing technology with a human-centered design approach that delivers efficiency to market and a real impact on consumers health and well-being. Joshua states, We are eying significant US household penetration targets and the globalization of synthetic biology driven products. Think about what Unilever did during the chemical revolution in 1930 we are doing that with biology.

The company is currently building end-to-end manufacturing infrastructure and will continue to expand its Innovation Labs in San Diego, New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta over the next several years. To learn more about Debut and its vertically integrated approach, visit http://www.debutbiotech.com.

Debut

Debut uses science, strategy, and creativity to build big businesses that put humanity ahead. Powered by breakthrough biotechnology and human-centered brand innovation, our integrated creation model sets the pace for an ever-changing world. For more information see https://www.debutbiotech.com/.

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Debut Launches its Bio2Consumer Platform to Become the Leader in Vertically Integrated Synthetic Biology - PR Web

Aging has been one of the mysteries amongst members of the scientific community for many years; although some living organisms are biologically immortal, a number of animals like humans are not.

Defined as the as the process of cellular or molecular damaging over time, biological aging is an imminent evolutionary process. It has been a subject of research pertaining to human health and its related diseases.

While human lifespan extension is possible, the notion of reaching beyond the projected age limit of a person is still theoretically unclear.

Such boundary is the case since evidence showed that a particular variable could still be hard to attribute if a prolonged lifespan is potentially achieved.

However, scientists are focusing on slowing aging, which can address its associated health conditions and diseases.

In a new study, scientists from Germany are claiming that a brief exposure to rapamycin, a drug typically used in cancer therapy, can increase human lifespan at an unspecified rate.

It can also have the same anti-aging effects of a lifelong treatment.

This can be achieved under a brief exposure to the anti-aging drug or there will be side effects, as previously found in some cancer patients.

In the past, cancer patients have reportedly experienced health complications from rapamycin when they take it as a lifelong anti-aging treatment.

However, the new research found that even a brief or short-term usage of the drug can have a dramatic impact on longevity, while decreasing the side effects.

(Photo : Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

In the new paper published in the journal Nature Agingon Monday, August 29, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing explored the long-lasting geroprotection from brief rapamycin treatment during early adulthood.

According to a news release on Monday, the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageingsaid this is made possible due to persistent increase intestinal autophagy.

This means that young adults who will be briefly exposed to the cancer drug can be spared or protected from the age-related health hazards in the intestine, which eventually extended their lives.

The assertion of an anti-aging remedy had its roots from previous experiments on laboratory animals.

Also Read:Aging Mystery: Crocodiles, Salamanders and Turtles Could Hold the Key Behind Aging and Longevity, Scientists Say

The World Health Organization (WHO)explains that aging leads to gradual decrease in mental and physical capacity since cells are damaged at a biological level.

In addition, they also yield in the increased risk of disease and ultimately death.

However, the WHO claims that such changes are neither linear nor consistent since they are dependent in a person's age in years.

Compared to ancient times, the international health body states that people are living longer worldwide.

This is due to associated technological advancements, primarily in the field of medicine, which has developed vaccines and various treatments for ailments and diseases.

Between 2015 and 2050, the ratio of the world's population aged more than 60 years will increase from 12% to 22%, according to the WHO.

Related Article:Scientists Reverse Aging and Extend Lifespan of Mice in a New Study

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Rapamycin Drug Used in Cancer Therapy Found to Increase Human Lifespan [Study] - Nature World News

By Chinelo Eze

30 August 2022 | 2:05 pm

Doctor John Pezzuto and his Western New England University team have published research that demonstrates the amazing effects of grape consumption as well as its longevity effects on lifespans. The journal Foods published one paper and it showed that adding grapes to a high-fat diet, which is generally eaten, in an equivalent amount to slightly

Doctor John Pezzuto and his Western New England University team have published research that demonstrates the amazing effects of grape consumption as well as its longevity effects on lifespans.

The journal Foods published one paper and it showed that adding grapes to a high-fat diet, which is generally eaten, in an equivalent amount to slightly under two cups per day, resulted in a decrease in fatty liver and an increase in lifespan.

According to Pezzuto and his team, these investigations give the proverb affirmation to what is said about being what you eat, elevating the phrase with a new meaning. He claimed that the research with grapes demonstrated real alterations in genetic expression. He has produced approximately 600 scholarly articles.

Grapes boosted overall antioxidant genes and postponed natural death in conjunction with a high-fat diet. Pezzuto recognised that extrapolating a mouses lifespan to a human beings is not an exact science. The shift seen in the study, according to his best guess, would add an additional 4-5 years to a persons lifespan, he said.

In the journal Antioxidants, Dr. Pezzuto and his group of researchers published yet another study. It stated that eating grapes improved behaviour and cognition, which were negatively impacted by a high-fat diet and altered gene expression in the brain.

In a third study, a group under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Idle showed that grapes alter not only the expression of genes but also the metabolism.

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Eating Healthy: Why Eating Grapes Would Increase Lifespan | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News Guardian Life The Guardian Nigeria...

PARIS The beauty industrys lexicon and focus keep expanding. Health, then well-being, were buzzwords in the recent past. Now, with their convergence and scientific advances, longevity is becoming a key talking point and industry shape-shifter.

Its influence is expected to be widespread, on everything from product creation to services, as peoples lifespan and mind-set keep stretching.

Our life expectancy has been considerably extended, thanks to recent advances in the medical field, said Virginie Couturaud, scientific communications director at Parfums Christian Dior. Today, enabling the human body to remain in good health as long as possible is a major research challenge.

In this quest for good health, aging, defined by the scientific community as a continuous process of alteration of the different functions of the body, seems to be a hindrance, she continued. Recent discoveries have shown that this process is not inevitable, and that it is possible to slow it down and even partially reverse it. This awareness has led to the development of a new research area, whose objective is to explore the different ways to reverse the aging process, offering new perspectives for human health.

In the long term, this work will make it possible to significantly extend the human health span rather than the life span, so that people can get older in a healthier way, Couturaud said.

Industry experts describe the growing emphasis on longevity as more of an evolution than a revolution.

The wellness trend is not new, said Charles Rosier, chief executive officer of Augustinus Bader. But that wellness trend is evolving with the fact that we have more information and research being made on the topic of longevity and how to measure longevity.

A few years ago, the main pillar was the length of the telomere, he continued, referring to the natural end of a eukaryotic chromosome. Now, other criteria have come into play and other discoveries on the topic.

A confluence of phenomena contributes to this growing focus on managing aging.

Youve got the consumerism of health care being powered by artificial intelligence, technology and stem cell research so people taking more proactive approaches to their health care, and seeing that in holistic inside and outside ways, said Lucie Greene, founder and CEO of trend forecasting consultancy Light Years.

Also, as the oldest Millennials turn 40 or 41, age-related concepts and services are starting to skew toward them design- and discourse-wise.

Greene spotlighted concepts such as Millennial med-spa Ever/Body, for instance, which was launched by former Clinique executive Kate Twist as an alternative to traditional cosmetic dermatology offices. The chain, which raised $38 million in Series B funding last year, offers laser facials, Botox, HydraFacial, fillers and laser hair removal.

The VSpot medi spa, another example, is for vaginal rejuvenation and has on its menu treatments such as non-surgical breast lift, intimate lightning and hormone replacement therapy.

Modern Age, a wellness clinic officially opened a New York City location in April. Its tag line: Feel good. Age well.

The clinic takes a holistic approach to take control of your aging journey, combining things like IV drips for skin and hair health, energy and stress; micro-needling and hormone therapies.

Modern Age delves into clients subjective age how old one feels and claims lowering that can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Female biohackers Lauren Berlingeri and Katie Kaps teamed to open Instagram-friendly infrared outposts, called HigherDose, also in New York. It has a location at the 11 Howard hotel and another in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y. The brand became famous for users sweaty, sexy sauna selfies.

Eventually, the duo decided to build out a product line for infrared enthusiasts to take home. There is the Infrared Sauna Blanket for $599, the Infrared PEMF Mat for $1,095 and the Red Light Face Mask for $299. The technologies are meant to be stacked and build on one another for additional wellness benefits.

The sauna blanket provides an at-home sauna experience, while the PEMF mat is said to have electromagnetic frequency that is similar to the earths core, for calming, grounding [and] relaxing, Berlingeri said during WWDs Beauty CEO Summit in May.

The red light technology featured in the face mask is well-known for skin benefits, but the founders also purport that red light feeds the mitochondria of every single cell to produce something called ATP, which is energy, which means that every single one of your cells in your body is functioning better.

The tech is said to be a mood booster, too.

During a separate interview, Berlingeri called the face mask her and Kaps Trojan Horse into the beauty space.

What were focused on is longevity and vitality, Berlingeri said. It just so happens that red light is an amazing antiaging beauty tool, as well. But here we are trying to educate people [that] its beyond decreasing wrinkles.

Its been exciting to be in this beauty space as two female biohackers, she continued. [In addition to] wanting to feel our best, looking our best is something that is top of mind for us, too. But weve always felt [that] when you focus on wellness, then beauty comes effortlessly. Its from the inside out.

We do feel like theres so much untapped upside around this whole idea of longevity, vitality and optimization, [with] men still dominating that space more than women are, Berlingeri said. Which is kind of an interesting concept, because we feel like women are the original biohackers.

She and Kapps believe theres no brand in the wellness space owning longevity.

We really plan to do that, Berlingeri said. Biohacking is the ultimate way to achieve vitality, longevity and just looking and feeling your best.

The pair seeks to revolutionize topicals and ingestibles that can help people achieve beauty. HigherDose recently launched High-Dration Powder, based on the whole fruit of watermelon and coconut, mixed with electrolyte and Himalayan salt.

Clinique La Prairie, of Montreux, Switzerland, offers among its treatments a protocol using peoples own stem cells that are clinically harvested and reinjected in order to revitalize skin using the bodys natural resources for regeneration, according to Simone Gibertoni, the clinics CEO and cofounder of Holistic Health.

The race is on for beauty companies to tap into longevity.

Dior Science and its parent company LVMH Mot Hennessy Louis Vuitton have for decades worked with external scientific specialists, and the brand has been pioneering in skin antiaging discoveries.

In early July, Dior said it had entered into a research collaboration with Vadim N. Gladyshev, a professor of medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital, in Boston, with the aim of reversing cellular aging.

With this three-year partnership, our ambition is to decipher the biomolecular mechanism of skin aging in order to remodel the skin in a more youthful state, Couturaud explained.

She added part of the tie-in will include the development of active ingredients to help with age reverse.

Age reverse discoveries are part of a holistic approach to beauty, which involves healthy skin above all, Couturaud said.

For Augustinus Bader, the focus has always been on the convergence of beauty, health and longevity. The doctors discovery is a communication mechanism to awaken dormant stem cells that can then trigger self-healing in skin.

Rosier described Augustinus Baders creams as epigenetic, which involves changes of gene functioning but not alterations in DNA sequencing.

Our cream is all about empowering, nourishing the skin cell environments, so [they] work at their best, he said. On the biotech as well as the consumer goods side, we are working on topics about epigenetics and longevity. It could be topicals, ingestibles different things.

The audience for such products treatments is expected to expand.

In terms of luxury buying, some people are switching from objects to experience, Rosier said. Therefore, in that field of premium experience, all the topics favoring longevity or doing something that has a net-positive epigenetic impact, is a focus that we grow, because the demand for that will grow, as well. Once you have everything, what is the thing that you want? You want to age gracefully and be in as good health for as long as possible.

However, not all beauty brands will have the capability to tap into longevity, since that requires vast scientific backing.

We could try to see what discoveries in the field of longevity can be scaled into a consumer goods product, Rosier said.

Silicon Valley has been funding a lot of research in the field of longevity.

Start-ups such as Altos Labs, a biotech company focused on cellular rejuvenation programming to restore cell health and resilience, and Calico, a research and technology company delving into the biology that controls aging and life span, are helping pave the way in this nascent sector.

The segment is growing on that tech side, and this is a bleed over into beauty, Greene said.

Some skin care brands have already put longevity into their product monikers. Theres Guerlains Le Concentr de Longevit Orchide serum and Mary Cohrs Longevity and Tonicity Body Care line, both launched in 2019.

Clinique La Prairie has just introduced a range of longevity supplements, called Holistic Health, that boost the natural antiaging process from the cells up, Gibertoni said. They feature high-diversity plant-based compounds that even the healthiest of diets cant offer.

The ranges core product is Age-Defy Regeneressence and Immunity supplements, which Gibertoni said contains the next-generation longevity formulation, including antioxidant actives and vitamins.

Shiseidos highest-end line, named Future Solution LX, is touted as having an exclusive youth-prolonging ingredient.

We were more focused at the beginning of our research into the longevity of plants, said Nathalie Broussard, scientific communications director at Shiseido EMEA. This was our source of inspiration.

In 2017, the group introduced a complex of ingredients named SkinGeneCell Enmei, which helps promote skin cell longevity, into Future Solution LX products. Those are meant to boost well-balanced, global beauty, such as general radiance.

We have deep research into genes, continued Broussard, who explained Shiseido researchers had honed in on the surtuin 1 gene, which revitalizes cells and extends their life span. So the idea was to figure out how to improve its functioning to increase skin cells longevity.

The Future Solution LX line keeps evolving. Most recently, Infinite Treatment Primer SPF 30 was added to it. At yearend, the Legendary Enmei Ultimate Luminance Serum and Ultimate Renewal Cream are being updated with the Japanese herb Enmei thats cultivated in a more sustainable way.

We have demonstrated another scientific action of the extract on another longevity gene, called surtuin 2, continued Broussard.

Next, the LX Beauty Longevity Set is due to be introduced in March 2023.

As longevity becomes increasingly top of consumers minds, addressing changing psychographics is key.

As you look forward, if youd like to live longer, a lot of anxiety comes into play, said Fernando Acosta, CEO of Roc Skincare.

Some of that angst is beauty-related. According to a Roc Skincare study, with more than 600 participants from around the world, but a focus on the U.S. and France, 90 percent of women feel anxious about aging, the primary driver being appearance-related.

In China, people who are 20 years old are anxious about getting older, Acosta said.

The overall study showed 60 percent are concerned about how they look as they get older, versus just 43 percent being worried about amassing enough money to retire.

Ninety-three percent of women told us that optimism can change their life and expressed the desire to learn more about how to do this effectively, Acosta said.

Roc executives went to a team of experts, including Daisy Robinton, who holds a Ph.D. in human biology and translational medicine.

She helped us to put together this research between mental health and physical health, Acosta said.

Another expert was Deepika Chopra. She makes a link between optimism and longevity, he said, adding Michelle Henry found the relationship between optimism and skin health.

They looked at people who have radiated optimism through their careers to amplify Rocs message, and in July, the brand announced a partnership with Sarah Jessica Parker for the #LookForwardProject that is meant to change societal attitudes on aging.

The headline for me about this is that its trying to have a conversation about not covering things up, or not being apologetic about the passing of time, Parker told WWD in July.

So our mantra is to change the conversation from being anxious about aging into [one] about the joy of living, said Acosta, who explained the experts help with practical insights and other advice, found on Rocskincare.com, to anchor the project.

This is just beginning, he said. A great conversation started around the world.

Such discussions and deep-dives into longevity are just starting for the beauty industry at large.

As time goes by, the topics of health spans, epigenetics and longevity will become more and more a concern, Rosier said.

We dont know everything about longevity, added Broussard. There are a lot of mechanisms we are still trying to decipher, so of course it will open the door to new targets in cosmetics, too.

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Beauty Bets on Longevity WWD - WWD