‘Biological Aging,’ Debunking Signs of Cometary Life, Triceratops Kin
12:22 minutes
Feel young for your age? Or like a 60-year-old in a 38-year-old’s body? People’s bodies age at remarkably different rates, according to a study appearing this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Measuring biomarkers like blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the researchers estimated each participant’s “biological” age. Though all participants were 38 years-old, their body conditions ranged from that of an average 30-year-old…all the way to 61.
But is measuring biological age a good idea? Will insurance companies discriminate against the biologically elderly? Study author Daniel Belsky, an aging researcher at the Duke University School of Medicine, walks us through the good and the bad.
And Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post shares a few selected short subjects from this week’s science news, including a false report of signs of life on Comet 67P and a fossil find that might be the missing link for dinosaur nose horns.
Segment Guests
Rachel Feltman
Rachel Feltman is a freelance science communicator who hosts “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” for Popular Science, where she served as Executive Editor until 2022. She’s also the host of Scientific American’s show “Science Quickly.” Her debut book Been There, Done That: A Rousing History of Sex is on sale now.
Daniel Belsky
Daniel Belsky is an assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the Duke School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Alexa Lim
@AlexaLim22Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.
About Christopher Intagliata
@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.
About Elah Feder
@ElahFederElah Feder is the former senior producer for podcasts at Science Friday. She produced the Science Diction podcast, and co-hosted and produced the Undiscovered podcast.