Something every Boomer should know about READING

From Lumosity, a brain-training APP/online tool: “Researchers from the Stanford Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging took brain scans of several literary PhD students as they read a chapter from Mansfield Park. First, the PhD students were asked to read the book casually, for fun. Then students were asked to switch to a critical reading mode similar to how they might analyze it in a literature classroom

This switch in reading modes created a significant shift in brain activity patternson fMRI scans. Casual reading activated pleasure centers while critical reading increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for the executive functions heavily involved in attending to tasks like reading.

Executive function is responsible for more than just attentive reading: this brain function helps moderate how you divide your attention, use your working memory, and generally direct your brainpower. It plays a powerful role in decision-making.

While the findings of the Stanford study are preliminary, they make a good case for further research on the impact of reading on cognition. Philips posits that critical reading could serve as a type of training, “teaching us to modulate our concentration.”

There is other evidence that reading can be good for your brain. A 2007 study from the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology found that avid readers benefited from an increased cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the concept that challenging intellectual activity — like reading or brain training — can protect the brain against negative cognitive impacts later in life.

The studies on reading indicate that investing in intellectually challenging habits as early as possible can benefit your brain over the long term.”

I think every Boomer can agree. And every parent should get their kids reading!!!

WSJ says Number of 90+ People Surged in Past 30 Years. They Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.

The WSJ today says that the number of people 90+ has nearly tripled since 1980 to 1.9 Million. They go on to say that “this group is projected to increase to 8.7 million by mid century. A century ago, fewer than 100,000 people reached 90. ” They say that better nutrition and medical care have driven down the number of strokes and deaths from heart disease. Here are the states with the highest share over 90: North Dakota, Connecticut, Iowa, South Dakota. In terms of absolute numbers: California, Florida and Texas lead the nation in the 90+ group.
Baby Boomers are going to upend these numbers. Who is thinking and planning and preparing for that. Maybe not the Boomers themselves. Many are still in denial, since the average is 55 years old…and they’re still working.

Wait till we make 90 the coolest age to be! Count on it…

Will Boomers keep spending? One thing for sure: They will keep voting…and making the rules.

This is from Smart Money’s list of “World’s Most Influential Players.”

We know this, but it is interesting that Smart Money is just discovering the most influential generation in history… and the one spends the most and votes the most,  so their influence can only grow.

“BABY BOOMERS
With $14 trillion in assets and a proven willingness to spend, this group has been driving the economy. As the first wave turns 65 this year, many hope those wallets will keep opening.
Jane & Joe Boomer
They grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show, came of age during the tumultuous ’60s and bad-hair ’70s, raised their kids, and now…10,000 of them are hitting retirement age every single day, on average. But don’t think the 80 million-strong baby boom generation is going to go quietly to the land of canasta and early-bird specials. With a median age of 55, most boomers are not only still working, earning and saving; they’re also spending like crazy — buying some $2.6 trillion worth of stuff in 2009 alone. Indeed, the current crop of 45- to 64-year-olds spends 70 percent more than the same age group spent a decade earlier.

But while money is power, as the saying goes, that isn’t the only mark of their might: In the 2008 election, 65 percent of this generation reported casting a vote (a much greater proportion than that of most other age groups). And in 2012, experts say, it will be boomers, again, who decide who makes the rules.”