5 ms·

> 71 percent of superagers smoke Possibly something with how nicotine/tobacco interacts with the brain?

by jb775 5y ago

yipbub 5y ago
Where'd you find this? The study? I ctrl+f'ed a bunch of the links and I didn't see the word smoke.
- virgulino 5y ago
  https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...
- RandomThrow321 5y ago
  It's in one of the linked articles. It also mentions alcohol consumption. https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...
- jb775 5y ago
  A reference from the article: https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...
powerapple 5y ago
That's probably is just the percentage of smokers at their time. Smoking is getting less popular now, I remember when I was small, many people smoke.
- meowface 5y ago
  Bayes strikes again.
- crooked-v 5y ago
  Also see how maps of "X by population" are actually mostly just population maps.
- ip26 5y ago
  While that’s an important angle, the highest it ever got in the US was ~45%
axismundi 5y ago
It works on the acetylcholine system, and is implicated in cognitive enhancement.
- danwills 5y ago
  Yes! nicotine by itself at normal dosage is a fairly mild nootropic (with cognitive 'benefits') similar in ways to caffiene or theobromine (in chocolate).. I don't think anyone should have to explain why they might use any of these things as part of their daily life. (Apologies! I'm just automatically defensive about this coz I live in Australia where the law is still "a bit slow" (ie still quite backwards) regarding nicotine). Nicotine currently has a very negative reputation globally because of humanity's recent past emphatuation with igniting and inhaling tobacco smoke, (which certainly can cause lung-trouble!) but I think the general stigma is currently too strong around nicotine itself.. it's just not that potent (psychoactiveness-wise), nor has much if any overdose-potential, nor toxicity (compared to other common things even!) "So what" if ppl want to ingest it, I say! And surely no surprise at all to see that people with the best-functioning brains in old age were still seeking out these nootropic levers! I'd bet they probably also had ethanol, tea, coffee, chocolate, etc (etc!) too.. (whichever ones worked for them) to keep things interesting! Maybe consciousness has some kind of self-existence validity-check built into it, the output of which fundamentally affects the physical outcome, beyond lifestyle, or genes?
  - Koshkin 5y ago
    > emphatuation Emphatic infatuation?
    - danwills 5y ago
      Aah whoops! thanks
  - reducesuffering 5y ago
    So are you vaping or using nicotine spray purely for nootropic reasons?

> 71 percent of superagers smoke Possibly something with how nicotine/tobacco interacts with the brain?

by jb775 5y ago

> 71 percent of superagers smoke Possibly something with how nicotine/tobacco interacts with the brain?

yipbub 5y ago

Where'd you find this? The study? I ctrl+f'ed a bunch of the links and I didn't see the word smoke.

virgulino 5y ago
https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...
RandomThrow321 5y ago
It's in one of the linked articles. It also mentions alcohol consumption. https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...
jb775 5y ago
A reference from the article: https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-they-have-in-common-elderly-sharp-cognitive https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...

powerapple 5y ago

That's probably is just the percentage of smokers at their time. Smoking is getting less popular now, I remember when I was small, many people smoke.

meowface 5y ago
Bayes strikes again.
crooked-v 5y ago
Also see how maps of "X by population" are actually mostly just population maps.
ip26 5y ago
While that’s an important angle, the highest it ever got in the US was ~45%

axismundi 5y ago

It works on the acetylcholine system, and is implicated in cognitive enhancement.

danwills 5y ago
Yes! nicotine by itself at normal dosage is a fairly mild nootropic (with cognitive 'benefits') similar in ways to caffiene or theobromine (in chocolate).. I don't think anyone should have to explain why they might use any of these things as part of their daily life. (Apologies! I'm just automatically defensive about this coz I live in Australia where the law is still "a bit slow" (ie still quite backwards) regarding nicotine). Nicotine currently has a very negative reputation globally because of humanity's recent past emphatuation with igniting and inhaling tobacco smoke, (which certainly can cause lung-trouble!) but I think the general stigma is currently too strong around nicotine itself.. it's just not that potent (psychoactiveness-wise), nor has much if any overdose-potential, nor toxicity (compared to other common things even!) "So what" if ppl want to ingest it, I say! And surely no surprise at all to see that people with the best-functioning brains in old age were still seeking out these nootropic levers! I'd bet they probably also had ethanol, tea, coffee, chocolate, etc (etc!) too.. (whichever ones worked for them) to keep things interesting! Maybe consciousness has some kind of self-existence validity-check built into it, the output of which fundamentally affects the physical outcome, beyond lifestyle, or genes?
- Koshkin 5y ago
  > emphatuation Emphatic infatuation?
  - danwills 5y ago
    Aah whoops! thanks
- reducesuffering 5y ago
  So are you vaping or using nicotine spray purely for nootropic reasons?