Your fear of aging might be aging you

Golden years. Are you afraid of getting older? The authors of a new study wanted to find out whether anxiety about aging shows up not just in the mind, but in the body as well. They analyzed data from 726 women in midlife, asking how much they worried about things like declining health, appearance changes, or fertility. Then they looked at blood samples using models that allowed them to estimate how quickly someone is aging at a cellular level. The study found that women who felt more anxious about aging, especially about future health problems, showed signs of faster biological aging. Interestingly, fears about beauty or fertility didn’t show the same effect. “Aging-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences.” said study author Mariana Rodrigues. Wise guy. A friend comes to you with a problem: they’re fighting with their siblings over an inheritance. You probably give your friend advice based on your own experience. Or you consider their siblings’ point of view. Or maybe you admit that you have no idea what to do and just listen to them vent. Today’s AI can solve lots of problems, but it struggles with messy, uncertain situations like this. Authors of a recent paper say that’s because artificial intelligence lacks wisdom — the ability to reflect on its own thinking and weigh different perspectives. But what is wisdom, anyway? The paper boils it down to two processes: “object‑level strategies” (like mental shortcuts, narratives, and rules of thumb) and “metacognitive strategies” (like intellectual humility, perspective‑taking, and checking whether your own reasoning makes sense). The authors argue that today’s AI is pretty good at the first category but struggles with the second. They add that wise metacognition could make AI more robust and trustworthy. Shhh...We all carry secrets. But doing so can be costly. Listen to learn more. Yuck! The Science of Disgust: What’s the point of disgust? We talk with psychologist David Pizarro about the evolutionary role of this emotion, and how it’s used to persuade and divide us. Ana Maria Cuenca’s Story: In the 1990s, Ana Maria’s father drove a taxi in Miami. One repeat passenger had a ritual: at the end of every ride, he’d give her father $20 for Ana Maria to “buy something nice.” One day, the man pulled out a $50 bill — the exact amount she needed to apply to her dream school. Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org. Our next stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour are just weeks away! Join Shankar for an evening of science and storytelling in Philadelphia on March 21 or New York City on March 25. He’ll be sharing seven key psychological insights from his first decade hosting the show. And stayed tuned for more tour stops to be announced later this spring! What can go through glass without breaking it? If five cats can catch five mice in five minutes, how long will it take one cat to catch one mouse? The answer: Five minutes. It would take one cat 25 minutes to catch all five mice (5x5=25). Working backward and dividing 25 by five, we get five minutes for one cat to catch each mouse. How much money would you need to be happy? Have an idea for Hidden Brain? A story you want to share with us? Send an email to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast platform.