The long lives helped early in human prosperity

We now live more than ever in the history of mankind. Not only extremist fractures such as 121 -year -old Kalimant gene, but average global average age is about 73 years. Although the average life expectancy has increased over the past two centuries, the human capabilities of a long life have been with us for a much longer period.

During most of 250,000 years, humans live on the face of the earth, we lived as compliments for fishermen, not in office buildings and factories in large cities. Between the fishermen, the average life expectancy was short-between 25 and 35 years. However, these averages lie in the true term of our ancestors. It has been withdrawn due to the high death rates early in life. In each group of a fisherman mosque that was closely studied enough to give reliable information on the ages, the elderly were identified in the 1960s, 1970s and eighties. There is a big difference between that time and now that many of us are now lucky enough to reach the elderly. The possibility of living seven decades in our biology. The difference between that time and now is one degree, not cute.

What a revelation that this possibility for a long life is an essential part of who we are. It is not just a modern decoration thanks to modern medicine. Understanding how this long life has become primarily what led me to live and work among small societies such as Paraguay and Bolivia’s pain, and writing my last book Seven decades. Long life developed because it helped hunt and collect our ancestors to survive harsh environments: young generations relied on experience and wisdom and support the elderly to meet their needs.

In fact, I am convinced that one of the reasons why contemporary humans have surpassed other hominins was not due to the individual smart brains to solve complex problems – but cooperation between generations, advanced skills, experience and cumulative knowledge of the elders.

None of us can avoid aging factors, but knowing the aspects of our gradual disappearance varies with different environments and behavior can help us learn to build flexibility. One of the largest health threats later in life stems from the consequences of inflammation – the main body defense in the body against invasions.

Aging It is a term formulated to describe chronic low -degree -type chronic inflammation that sometimes appears in the elderly, which can enhance many aging diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and arthritis. It is usually characterized by increased production of inflammatory molecules, such as cytokines and chemicals, in different tissues throughout the body. It was first reported between the Italians, and the aging of inflammation has been blamed in many of the worst pain that people suffer from life all over the industrial world.

However, inflammatory aging is not universal. I have worked with TSIMANE Gardeers in the Bolivian Amazon for more than two decades as a co -founder and co -manager for the TSIMANE HEALTH and Life project. Among TSIMANE, we found that some of the main inflammatory signs It does not seem to increase with age.

In each group of mosque hunters, the elderly were identified in the 1960s, 1970s.

The immune TSIMANE systems show high levels of inflammatory activity throughout their lives, however Arteriosclerosis is rareAs well as other chronic diseases associated with age are usually associated with inflammation, such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. There is no indication of inflammation It was found among the indigenous Malaysians. Among both original groups, various infections are the main concerns of inflammatory responses, instead of obesity, smoking and other industrial environments.

The results we find indicate that the inflammation itself is not bad by its nature, but its “pathological” effects depend on the context of the environmental style and lifestyle. The aging of inflammation may be, as we know it today, “evolutionary development” between old biology and modern urban environments. This is one of an increasing number of examples, where we believe that we know about human aging, as soon as we focus our attention outside the Western, educated, industrial, rich, democratic (or strange) populations.

Aging is sometimes seen as reverse or negative growth. Certainly, it seems that our muscle strength, lung capacity, and bone mass have a peak before 40^Y Christmas, which is from there. But more widely, growth and aging actually intertwined instead of polar opposites. For example, growth rates can also affect aging rates: many species that grow quickly, such as Mayflies and mice, quickly, while slow farmers like humans and elephants are progressing more slowly. Growth extends, delaying aging. Even at the molecular level, many mechanisms that affect growth and development also affect the frequency of aging.

Aging is often such as reinstallment, rather than depletion or retreat. For example, while the speed of treatment and other cognitive functions slows down with age, our crystallized intelligence, which picks up life and knowledge, or even improves with age, as well as our ability to organize our emotions, and carry. “Positive bias“This selectively emphasizes goodness while reducing bad work.

Take a wider view, facilitate the lengthening of Healsspans.Chapter Three“In human life, a new life stage installed between the stage of moderation and the beginning of advanced weakness (it reminds us of the participation of adolescence as a” new “life stage between childhood and puberty at the beginning of the twentieth century.) According to one estimate,” Time Wealth “is balanced in the United States. More than 2 trillion hour From the spare time over the next two decades. But instead of ancient concepts in the third era as a period of social withdrawal or rejection by society, many now view this stage as an opportunity for a new type of growth – new roles in the family, society and society, and new types of learning and loyalty.

In the third chapter, many of these elders are launching Encore functions, which are job transformations after birth that combine profits with social impact. at least 9 million adults At the age of 44 and 70, I have already taken professions in education, health care, government and non -profit, and another 31 million people say they are interested in transformation. Their motives are noble: Seven out of 10 people say it is important for them personally to make the world a better place. The emphasis on growth in ancient growth may be one of our best strategy to meet future challenges.

Lead Photo: Jorm Sangsorn / Shutterstock

• Michael d. Gorvin

  Spread on September 16, 2025

  Michael d. Gorvin is a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a fellow at the American Association for Science. His work was shown in New York Times On NPR and BBC.