Blue Zones: Where People Live Past 100
Starting in 2004, National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner discovered five places where people routinely live past 100: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (California). These "Blue Zones" have 10 times more centenarians than the United States.
The secret? Not genetics, that's only 20% of longevity. It's nine lifestyle habits called the "Power 9": natural movement (gardening, not gyms), purpose (ikigai - "why I wake up"), daily stress relief, eating until 80% full, plant-based diets, moderate wine with friends, faith communities, family-first values, and tight social networks.
In Okinawa, children join moais at age 5 - groups of five friends committed for life. One moai Buettner found had been together for 97 years. They meet daily. If someone doesn't show up, the others walk across the village to check on them.
Buettner then tested this in America. In Albert Lea, Minnesota (population 9,000), they built walking paths, removed school vending machines, required restaurants to offer plant-based options, and made fruit the default side instead of fries. After 18 months, life expectancy jumped 3.2 years, residents lost 7,280 pounds collectively, and healthcare costs dropped 40%.
Try to apply some of the Power 9 into your own life!
A Breakthrough in Gene Therapy
One of the most impressive achievements in 2025? We can now rewrite human DNA like editing a typo in a Google doc. And it's already saving lives.
This year, David Liu, a professor at Harvard and the Broad Institute, was awarded the Breakthrough Prize for inventing base editing and prime editing, two technologies that precisely correct genetic mutations causing disease.
In 2022, 13-year-old Alyssa Tapley was dying from leukemia. Every treatment had failed. Then doctors used base editing to rewrite the genetic code in her cancer cells. It worked. Her cancer disappeared.
"Now, 2.5 years later, I'm 16, preparing for exams, arguing with my brother, and doing all the things I thought I'd never be able to do," Tapley said at the Breakthrough ceremony, standing next to the scientist who saved her life.
The Science Behind It
In 2012, scientists developed CRISPR-Cas9 - molecular scissors that could cut DNA with incredible precision. Need to delete a gene? Done. But here's the problem: if a genetic disease is caused by one wrong letter in your DNA (a mutation), scissors are useless.
Liu developed two approaches beyond cutting. Base editing swaps individual DNA letters (C to T, A to G, etc.) - covering most disease-causing mutations. Prime editing acts like a biological word processor, cutting out flawed DNA and replacing it with corrected sequences.
Where We Are Now
As of 2025, 18 clinical trials are using these technologies. Dozens of patients have been treated. Some are off all medication with no symptoms.
Alyssa was the first, but she won't be the last. Hundreds of millions worldwide suffer from genetic diseases, and Liu's technologies have the potential to rewrite their futures.
Fact or Myth: Does Reading in Dim Light Ruin Your Eyes?
Your parents lied. Reading in low light won't damage your vision—it'll just give you a headache.
Here's why: Your eyes have two types of light detectors. "Rods" handle dim light but can't see detail (that's why you can't read in the dark). "Cones" handle bright light and detail, which is what you use for reading.
When you read in dim light, your cones still work fine—they just have to strain harder to pick up the signal. It's uncomfortable, like listening to a quiet conversation in a noisy room, but it causes zero permanent damage.
The headache? That's because human eyes evolved for scanning distant horizons for predators, not staring at close-up text for hours.
Answer: Myth! Your eyes will be fine. Your neck might not be.
🙏Your Feedback is Greatly Appreciated!
We’re still shaping this newsletter, and your perspective matters.
If you have 3 minutes, we’d love your feedback — what’s useful, what isn’t, and what you’d like to see more of.