Century Lives

Treatment Jul 08, 2026

We’re an aging nation. By 2050, for the first time ever, Americans over age 60 will outnumber those aged 10 to 24. Older adults increasingly prefer aging in place, so the need for technologies that support activities of daily living, mobility, and social connection is growing. In Century Lives: The AgeTech Revolution, we travel to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where we and 150,000 of our closest friends scope out the technologies that claim they will improve our lives as we grow older. We ask: What do we want our final quarter of life to look like? And can the AgeTech industry actually improve the ways we live our longer lives?

Experts and innovators alike are betting on the future of hospital care. Many of them say it won’t take place in a hospital at all. Instead, hospital care will be brought to patients in their homes. So in this episode, we ask: Is the home the new hospital for older adults? Is a healthcare revolution headed our way? Some experts are not so certain.

Prevention Jun 24, 2026

We’re an aging nation. By 2050, for the first time ever, Americans over age 60 will outnumber those aged 10 to 24. Older adults increasingly prefer aging in place, so the need for technologies that support activities of daily living, mobility, and social connection is growing. In Century Lives: The AgeTech Revolution, we travel to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where we and 150,000 of our closest friends scope out the technologies that claim they will improve our lives as we grow older. We ask: What do we want our final quarter of life to look like? And can the AgeTech industry actually improve the ways we live our longer lives?

The population of older patients is growing. Within a decade, there will not be enough providers to care for them. So what if older adults can monitor their own health, and actually prevent disease before treatment is needed? In this episode, we explore digital health innovations at CES — and learn that the future of disease prevention technologies has a lot more in store than step counters and smart watches.

Helping Hands & Hard Drives Jun 10, 2026

There is a caregiving crisis in America. We simply don’t have enough caregivers to support the number of older adults who need help because of a chronic, disabling, or serious health condition. Most of that work is unrecognized and unpaid. And the situation is only getting worse as the population ages. Many experts argue that only technology can save us, with devices that can carry out caregiving tasks formerly done by humans. In this episode, we tour the aisles of The Consumer Electronics Show with Davis Park, Vice President of Transformation at a non-profit called Front Porch, to find out whether the tech cavalry is indeed on the way. His job is to evaluate and implement emerging technologies that can improve quality of life at the 20 Front Porch retirement communities in California and Florida.

Your Brain on Tech May 27, 2026

We’re an aging nation. By 2050, for the first time ever, Americans over age 60 will outnumber those aged 10 to 24. Older adults increasingly prefer aging in place, so the need for technologies that support activities of daily living, mobility, and social connection is growing. In Century Lives: The AgeTech Revolution, we travel to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where we and 150,000 of our closest friends scope out the technologies that claim they will improve our lives as we grow older. We ask: What do we want our final quarter of life to look like? And can the AgeTech industry actually improve the ways we live our longer lives?

Over the past 20 years, researchers have shown that certain types of physical and mental exercise can help stave off dementia and other forms of cognitive decline. In this episode, we look at how innovators are turning to tech-based activities to maximize brain health in aging adults. And we visit a retirement community in Maryland that has developed an innovative program called Kinnections, which uses high-tech games to make the process more fun and effective.

Robot Pets: Holograms and the Future of Loneliness May 13, 2026

New research indicates that loneliness is again on the rise. And people over 60 are spending more time online and with their own personal devices. But if technology pulled us apart - can it also put us back together? Today we meet a new generation of robot companions that are designed to fix loneliness.

Moving Forward Apr 29, 2026

We’re an aging nation. By 2050, for the first time ever, Americans over age 60 will outnumber those aged 10 to 24. Older adults increasingly prefer aging in place, so the need for technologies that support activities of daily living, mobility, and social connection is growing. In Century Lives: The AgeTech Revolution, we travel to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where we and 150,000 of our closest friends scope out the technologies that claim they will improve our lives as we grow older. We ask: What do we want our final quarter of life to look like? And can the AgeTech industry actually improve the ways we live our longer lives?

For aging adults, a loss of mobility often means the end of freedom and independence. In this episode, we talk to innovators who are developing exoskeletons and other robotic devices that rely on AI to help people move better and longer. We focus particularly on a company called Dephy, which makes sneakers that boost your ability to walk. The company’s founder describes them as e-bikes for your feet.

Where Should I Live?: A Call-In Special Apr 15, 2026

By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. Many of these older adults will live alone and on limited incomes, and many will have mobility and other health challenges. This so-called “silver tsunami” is here to stay, and the math is ominous. The nation already has a housing shortage—and a senior-care shortage. On the plus side, many of these older folks will be healthier and more active, engaged, and tech-savvy than their peers in prior generations. But since their housing needs and preferences will also differ from those of their predecessors, new questions and challenges will arise. On Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we explore signs of hope and inspiration in communities where housing innovations for older adults are already afoot.

We open our final episode of the season to housing questions from our listeners. How do I adjust to living in my adult child’s home? What are the benefits of living in a senior housing community on a college campus? Do I stay near my friends, or move to where relatives can help with my care? Fielding questions for the hour are host Ken Stern and renowned “place planning” expert Ryan Frederick.

Capably Aging in Place Apr 01, 2026

By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. Many of these older adults will live alone and on limited incomes, and many will have mobility and other health challenges. This so-called “silver tsunami” is here to stay, and the math is ominous. The nation already has a housing shortage—and a senior-care shortage. On the plus side, many of these older folks will be healthier and more active, engaged, and tech-savvy than their peers in prior generations. But since their housing needs and preferences will also differ from those of their predecessors, new questions and challenges will arise. On Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we explore signs of hope and inspiration in communities where housing innovations for older adults are already afoot.

The ability of older adults to age in place at home and their community can be threatened by a single fall or mobility challenge. But sometimes the difference between a house that’s manageable and safe and one that’s not comes down to small things, like a grab bar, a hand railing, a rug that’s tacked down, or a robotic vacuum. Fifteen years ago, a nurse at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore came up with a unique, low-cost approach to making these kinds of changes in seniors’ homes, and it’s now a nationwide program called CAPABLE. The savings they’ve proven in hospitalizations and nursing home costs are astounding. As they like to say: Home is where the health is.

Over the Rainbow Mar 18, 2026

By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. Many of these older adults will live alone and on limited incomes, and many will have mobility and other health challenges. This so-called “silver tsunami” is here to stay, and the math is ominous. The nation already has a housing shortage—and a senior-care shortage. On the plus side, many of these older folks will be healthier and more active, engaged, and tech-savvy than their peers in prior generations. But since their housing needs and preferences will also differ from those of their predecessors, new questions and challenges will arise. On Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we explore signs of hope and inspiration in communities where housing innovations for older adults are already afoot.

Older adults are the fastest-growing age group falling into homelessness: The population of unhoused older adults is expected to triple from 2017 to 2030. We discuss its roots in the shortage of housing in the U.S. and visit San Diego to learn about some solutions to the growing crisis of senior homelessness.

Beyond Four Walls Mar 04, 2026

There is nowhere near enough housing available in the U.S. for low-income older adults. Even people who qualify for government subsidies often cannot find a place to move (and what is available often lacks the support services an aging community needs). In episode 3 of Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we visit 2Life Communities in Boston, a developer that has developed low-income housing for older adults for decades. 2Life is held up as a model for what low-income housing for older adults can be: attractive, safe, engaging, and even joyous. We visit 2Life to learn how they can create low-income housing for older adults when so many other developers struggle.

The Forgotten Middle Feb 18, 2026

The forgotten middle—seniors with too much money to qualify for the government-subsidized housing offered to low-income folks, and too little to afford market-rate housing accessible to the wealthy—is a growing population. In this episode, we travel to Minnesota to explore housing solutions for the forgotten middle. Can we make housing affordable to this group of older adults—or will they have to figure out creative solutions for themselves?

5 O’Clock Somewhere Feb 04, 2026

Age segregation in housing is a relatively new phenomenon in human history. Until very recently, people aged with their families in intergenerational communities. Today, we visit two very different places: the age-restricted community Latitude Margaritaville in Florida and Gorham House in Maine, a retirement and assisted living facility built around the concept of different ages living together.

Rem Koolhaas Jan 28, 2026

What is it about architecture that celebrates longevity?

The world’s most famous architect, Frank Gehry, was actively at work until his death at age 96, finishing his Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi and still designing the greatest works of his career. Masters Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson also worked into their 90s and were even more prolific than Gehry.

In this special series, Century Lives introduces Victoria Newhouse, a renowned architectural historian. At age 87, Victoria chats with her contemporaries: the late Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Moshe Safdie, Peter Eisenman, and Raj Rewal—all renowned architects and all in their 80s and 90s.

In the final episode of this five-part series, Victoria Newhouse talks with visionary architect Rem Koolhaas, who has been shaping and disrupting architecture for his entire career. At age 80, he is the youngest of Victoria’s guests and remains a prolific writer and one of the world’s most influential architects with multiple new projects, including the expansion of NYC’s New Museum, opening Fall 2025.

Peter Eisenman Jan 21, 2026

What is it about architecture that celebrates longevity?

The world’s most famous architect, Frank Gehry, was actively at work until his death at age 96, finishing his Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi and still designing the greatest works of his career. Masters Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson also worked into their 90s and were even more prolific than Gehry.

In this special series, Century Lives introduces Victoria Newhouse, a renowned architectural historian. At age 87, Victoria chats with her contemporaries: the late Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Moshe Safdie, Peter Eisenman, and Raj Rewal—all renowned architects and all in their 80s and 90s.

In this episode, Victoria Newhouse talks with 93-year-old architect, theorist and professor Peter Eisenman, who holds a place in architectural history as one of the New York Five, and the founder of Deconstructivism. He’s the recipient of the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. And he has made a lifelong commitment to teaching, serving on the faculty of Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Cooper Union and Cambridge. He now teaches at Cornell University in Manhattan, where he plans to adapt his newest course on the genealogy of architecture as the subject of his 28th book.

Raj Rewal Jan 14, 2026

What is it about architecture that celebrates longevity?

The world’s most famous architect, Frank Gehry, was actively at work until his death at age 96, finishing his Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi and still designing the greatest works of his career. Masters Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson also worked into their 90s and were even more prolific than Gehry.

In this special series, Century Lives introduces Victoria Newhouse, a renowned architectural historian. At age 87, Victoria chats with her contemporaries: the late Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Moshe Safdie, Peter Eisenman, and Raj Rewal—all renowned architects and all in their 80s and 90s.

In this episode, Victoria Newhouse talks with 90-year-old Raj Rewal: one of the most distinguished Indian architects of all time. He is the architect of Delhi’s most important Modern buildings and with many masterpieces published in the History of World Architecture. His work, recently displayed at an exhibition of Post-Colonial architecture at MoMA, is displayed in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Raj talks about his latest creative passion – miniature paintings and drawings inspired by historical Indian works of art.

Moshe Safdie Jan 07, 2026

What is it about architecture that celebrates longevity?

The world’s most famous architect, Frank Gehry, was actively at work until his death at age 96, finishing his Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi and still designing the greatest works of his career. Masters Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson also worked into their 90s and were even more prolific than Gehry.

In this special series, Century Lives introduces Victoria Newhouse, a renowned architectural historian. At age 87, Victoria chats with her contemporaries: the late Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Moshe Safdie, Peter Eisenman, and Raj Rewal—all renowned architects and all in their 80s and 90s.

In this episode, Victoria Newhouse talks with 87-year-old Israeli-Canadian-American architect Moshe Safdie, who remains unstoppable with new projects from Singapore to Bentonville, Arkansas. He’s the recipient of the Gold Medal, the highest honor, from both the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the American Institute of Architects. Moshe discusses his Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore, where expansion is about to begin on what’s become Singapore’s national landmark. The huge hotel’s three towers include a casino, a conference center, a shopping mall, an art museum, and a spectacular rooftop infinity pool that overlooks the scenic bay.

Frank Gehry Dec 31, 2025

What is it about architecture that celebrates longevity?

The world’s most famous architect, Frank Gehry, was actively at work until his death at age 96, finishing his Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi and still designing the greatest works of his career. Masters Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson also worked into their 90s and were even more prolific than Gehry.

In this special series, Century Lives introduces Victoria Newhouse, a renowned architectural historian. At age 87, Victoria chats with her contemporaries: the late Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Moshe Safdie, Peter Eisenman, and Raj Rewal—all renowned architects and all in their 80s and 90s.

In episode 1 , Victoria Newhouse talks with Frank Gehry in one of the final interviews of his life. He died just a few months after this conversation, at the age of 96. Frank and Victoria had a friendship spanning more than 40 years, traveling the globe together to visit his buildings. Frank discusses his $1 billion Guggenheim Museum about to open in Abu Dhabi, and other pivotal moments in his extraordinary career.

Margaret Cho Dec 17, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. By mid-century, more than 80 million Americans will be over the age of 65. By any prevailing definition, the United States will be a country full of older adults. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity! I’m your host, Ken Stern. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging—and inspiring new ways we can live our supersized lives.

Today: Margaret Cho. She is a Korean-American comedian, actress, musician, advocate, and entrepreneur. Most of us know her from her stand-up, where she pokes fun at topics like race, sexuality, body positivity, and politics. Decades after her network debut, she’s still using comedy as activism.

Billy Collins Dec 03, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. By mid-century, more than 80 million Americans will be over the age of 65. By any prevailing definition, the United States will be a country full of older adults. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity! I’m your host, Ken Stern. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging—and inspiring new ways we can live our supersized lives.
Today: Billy Collins. He is one of America’s best-known poets, whose poems are beloved for their conversational and accessible style and for their humor. Billy Collins was the Poet Laureate of the United States for two terms, from 2001-2003. He talks here about his new collection of poems about dogs, and about a lifetime of observing the world around him and finding the right words to describe it. He also discusses mortality, which he says is one of poetry’s most common topics. And he reads several of his poems for us!

Diana Nyad Nov 19, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. By mid-century, more than 80 million Americans will be over the age of 65. By any prevailing definition, the United States will be a country full of older adults. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity! I’m your host, Ken Stern. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging—and inspiring new ways we can live our supersized lives.

Today: Diana Nyad. Her name is synonymous with courage, endurance, and the relentless pursuit of possibility. From Diana's record-breaking swim from Cuba to Florida at age 64, to her trailblazing career as a journalist and motivational speaker, to her latest passion authoring children’s books, Nyad continually redefines what it means to test one’s limits. She shares her story as a woman whose perseverance has inspired millions to “never, ever give up.”

Nina Totenberg Nov 17, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging.

Today: Nina Totenberg. Her voice is one of the most famous in broadcasting. Nina Totenberg is the legal affairs correspondent at NPR, a job she’s held since 1975. She talks here about why she continues to work into her 80s, with no plans to retire. And she regales us with stories about her early career, when there were few women journalists. She also discusses some of her most famous reporting, including her breaking news story about Anita Hill’s accusations against then-nominee to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas.

Rick Steves Oct 22, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging.

Today: Rick Steves. In 1978, he was a piano teacher with a touch of wanderlust. Two months traveling overland from Istanbul to Kathmandu changed that. The trip ultimately made him what he is today: a storyteller, a critical source of information about travel in Europe, and our country’s foremost cheerleader for the value of travel. For the past half century, Rick Steves has taught his fellow Americans how to travel better, through his guidebooks, radio program, app, TV series, and bus tours. He recently turned 70, and many of his globetrotting followers are now older adults, too. We’re here to talk with Rick Steves about how he has reinvented himself—and his industry—as he ages.

Jacynth Bassett Oct 22, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging.

Today: Jacynth Bassett. She is one of the leading anti-ageism activists in the world, and yet she is only in her early 30s (and has already been fighting ageism for a decade). Jacynth Bassett is the founder and CEO of a campaign and a global community called “Age-ism is Never in Style”. She is also the founder and CEO of a women’s fashion brand called “Bias Cut” that proudly, loudly declares itself an “age-inclusive” brand. She tells the story of how she chose this cause, and explains that ageism can affect the young as well as the old, and is the one form of discrimination we will all experience. She also discusses the ways that ageism can damage our health and the economy.

Fran Drescher Sep 24, 2025

Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older. But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?

Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging.

Today: Fran Drescher. You might know her as Fran Fine, the star of the hit 1990s TV show The Nanny. After a bout with uterine cancer in her early 40s, she started Cancer Schmancer: a non-profit focused on prevention, early detection, and policy change. More recently, she took on a new role: President of SAG-AFTRA, the union she’s been a member of for decades. Fran Drescher is now 67. She’s here to talk to us about how she has reinvented herself—and her industry—as she ages.

We Want to Hear from You! Aug 11, 2025

A future season of Century Lives will take a deep dive into the subject of housing. Our focus is inspired by a striking fact: The US is already facing a major shortfall of housing suitable for seniors, and the number of Americans over 65 is expected to grow by 30 million by mid-century. So… we want to hear from you! Please share your concerns and questions, whether it’s about:

Cost
Aging in place
Finding community
Moving
Arranging care
Navigating family

... or anything else related to housing as you age. We may use your question on the final episode of our upcoming season.

Please call and leave us a message telling us what’s on your mind at ‪(412) 467-6356. You can also email us at housing.century.lives@outlook.com. We may be able to use your question on the podcast. Make sure to include your name, age, phone number and a brief description of your circumstances.

Ken Stern, the host of “Century Lives”, will be joined by special guest Ryan Frederick, a renowned author, expert on the intersection of health, longevity and place—and a leading voice in the emerging field of place planning, which helps people make more intentional decisions about where to live for each stage of life.

Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you!

FemTech Apr 02, 2025

Sometimes a single question can open up a whole new world. About ten years ago, a young doctor named Sara Naseri was trying to think of how the field of medicine could be more preventative. It was so difficult to get information about what was going on inside people’s bodies, before they were sick enough to go to a doctor for a blood draw. Suddenly it dawned on her: Women bleed every month. What can we learn from that blood, and why has no one looked at it before? A rigorous scientific study followed—and eventually, a Silicon Valley start-up called Qvin, which produces menstrual pads used for testing women’s blood. Dr. Naseri represents a new generation of women coming up with innovations to close the women’s health gap. We travel to Silicon Valley to meet her, and we talk to two venture capitalists about the impact women in venture are having on private sector efforts to improve women’s health.

The Mobius Strip Mar 19, 2025

Two of the biggest social factors that contribute to health problems are financial insecurity and caregiving for family members. And it’s no coincidence that the burden of both falls more heavily on women. We hear the moving story of a woman named Amy Goyer, whose responsibilities as a caregiver landed her in bankruptcy and prevented her from taking care of her own health. She is now the national caregiving expert for the AARP. We also talk to three experts about how women’s lower financial status leads to health problems, how health problems lead to lower financial status, and how both are tied to women’s roles as caregivers: Chloe Bird, Director of the Center for Health Equity Research at Tufts Medicine, Ana Hernandez Kent of the Federal Reserve and Heather McCulloch of the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program.

When Life Gives You Lemons Mar 05, 2025

What are autoimmune diseases, exactly? And how many people have them? Experts can’t quite agree on the precise number, but it’s a lot: somewhere between 10 and 15% of the population. And 80% of those people are women. Autoimmune diseases contribute significantly to a lower quality of life, and incidences of autoimmune diseases are dramatically increasing. Autoimmune diseases have typically been under-researched and, as a consequence, are poorly understood. But thanks to new funding and research, efforts are underway to gain new insights into this category of diseases that affect millions of women.

Your Heart Is on Barbra Streisand’s Mind Feb 19, 2025

Everyone knows that heart disease is a men’s issue. But as it turns out, everyone is wrong. Heart disease is also the leading killer of women. And despite significant efforts to educate the public about women’s heart disease, the risks that women face are still badly understood—not just by the public, but by the medical community, too. Why are doctors still ill-prepared to treat women with heart disease? And why do so many women not realize the threat of cardiovascular disease to their own health?

Menopause - Suck it Up Feb 05, 2025

There are very few givens when it comes to menopause - and mostly unanswered questions. Should you treat menopause with hormones? Do hormones cause breast cancer? Do hormones cause heart disease? What about non-hormonal alternatives? Shouldn’t you just stop complaining? In this episode, we’ll offer a few answers about how we got here - decades after the abrupt end of the Women’s Health Initiative, the first study of its kind to look at the effects of hormone therapy on women’s health. We’ll hear from Dr. Marcia Stefanick who worked on the original WHI study and meet Dr. Joann Pinkerton and Dr. Wen Shen, who have devoted their careers to improving women's lives at midlife.

Overlooked and Underfunded Jan 22, 2025

During its first hundred years, the National Institutes of Health, the world’s premiere medical research institution, used only male subjects in its clinical studies, completely ignoring the anatomy and physiology of half of humankind. But that began to change in 1990 - a turning point for women’s health in the United States, one brought about by the growing power of women in Congress and the field of medicine. We talk with Senator Barbara Mikulski, who along with a small band of members of Congress, demanded change at NIH, and Dr. Vivian Pinn, a trailblazing pathologist who became the first head of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at NIH.

The Kids Give Me Life Oct 09, 2024

The United States has been described as the “most age-segregated society that’s ever been." In the final episode of Century Lives: The Century Club, Ken travels around the globe to explore how other societies make intergenerational connections. He gets serenaded by the oldest and youngest Spaniards and witnesses the world’s most comprehensive effort to build an intergenerational society in Singapore. And as Ken wraps up his trip, he realizes that he found his ikigai.

Anti-ageism Oct 02, 2024

It may not come as a surprise, but fixating on someone’s age can affect how you think about them—and even how they think about themselves. And the health implications are dramatic. People who have a negative view of aging live on average 7.5 fewer years than those who have a more positive view, even holding constant for other health and social factors.

In this episode, Ken travels to some of the longest-lived countries in the world to find societies that put real thought into the needs of older adults. We'll see a fashion show in Singapore, go to a beauty school in Japan, and meet a street photographer in South Korea to discover a kind of longevity advantage that stems from cultures that encourage a positive attitude towards aging.

Die Making Love Sep 25, 2024

It’s been said that you are what you eat, and Italians are aging like the fine wine that makes them famous. As older Italians retire and leave their careers behind, an astonishing number of them are beginning new chapters as volunteers. In this episode, Ken travels across Northern Italy to explore its vibrant new culture of volunteerism. Along his journey, he gets the best advice about aging he’s ever heard.

Hurry, Hurry Sep 18, 2024

The national motto in South Korea is “hurry, hurry,” and that’s what the country did as it turned its metropolitan areas into “lifelong learning cities.” Across the nation, adults of all ages now have access to free classes that help them keep learning—and connecting to each other. In this episode, Ken goes back to school, where he learns about the traditional art of teamaking, and meets a recent college graduate who is older than he is. Then we return to the United States to hear from an American who attributes her long lifespan—99 years and counting!—to lifelong learning.

Retirement as a Career Sep 11, 2024

You can’t go anywhere in Japan without running into older workers. They might be driving your taxi, serving your food, or selling you tickets at a tourist attraction. Japan has the highest percentage of older workers in the world. You might think this has to do with economic necessity and changes in pension rules. But when you look closely, you’ll discover the widely accepted belief in Japan that work brings you “Ikigai," which translates to a purpose in life that is critical to healthy and successful aging.

In Episode 2 of Century Lives: The Century Club, host Ken Stern travels to Fukuoka, Tokyo, Ukiha, and Toyamato meet older workers who describe what they enjoy about working longer. And, he visits a company in Tokyo that is developing new adaptive technologies that will help people work into their 70s and 80s—that is, if they so choose.

The Fountain of Youth Sep 04, 2024

Americans are obsessed with youth. But instead of keeping us younger, that focus is proving detrimental to our health. Join us as we explore how the U.S. can reframe our government policies and social perspectives to help extend our lives. In the first episode of Century Lives: The Century Club, “The Fountain of Youth,” Ken searches for centenarians in Italy, drags his Gen Z son to Florida’s Fountain of Youth tourist attraction, and learns an interesting truth from the chronicler of the world’s long-lived Blue Zones.

The Generational Shift Feb 21, 2024

Though attitudes about retirement are shifting rapidly, traditional notions of retirement still hold currency. In Episode 6, we meet Maria and Brendan D’Souza. Maria is a senior nurse at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, just a few years away from retirement. Her son Brendan is freshly minted from medical school, starting his career just a few floors away from his mother. They share a family bond, a career, and many of the same interests and passions, but for all that unites them, different perspectives and circumstances facing their generations are creating different ideas about retirement, caregiving and family commitments.

I Will Never Retire Feb 14, 2024

For some, work is a calling, and they can’t ever imagine giving it up. In episode 5, we meet Michael Segal, and hear his incredible journey—beginning with being left for dead on the floor of a convenience store in Austin, TX and ending with his lifelong commitment to helping trauma victims survive and flourish in the trauma wards of Ben Taub Hospital.

My Next Act Feb 07, 2024

For some, retirement is just the starting pistol for that next act. Whether it is a new business or an entirely new career, retirement is just an out-of-date term for starting something new. To this group, entrepreneurship is a big draw (older Americans are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs) but it’s really about the freedom to pursue an exciting new phase of life. In episode 4, we meet Tasha Mayweather, and are drawn into her vision for her next act: KBK Skating Palace. And that’s just the beginning.

The Classic Jan 31, 2024

Retire young: travel, spend time with family, perhaps tend to a nice piece of land in the country. It is the retirement that we all are supposed to want, but relatively few people get. In episode 3, we meet Carrie Nealis, a nurse in her late 30s who dreams of having the retirement her parents did. But she is challenged by the uncertainty of our times and the nagging belief that her generation will not share the same opportunities of their parents.

The Struggle Jan 24, 2024

It’s a common story: approaching retirement with little or no savings, uncertain how far social security or savings will take you, dealing with climbing health care costs and the potential responsibility for providing financial support to adult children. Increasingly, retirement is a financial struggle for millions. In episode 2, we meet Genie and Burgess Etzel, both approaching the final year of their careers at Harris Health. Perhaps they have it made: two pensions, a house in a fashionable neighborhood, a loving family. All this is true, but as with so many Americans, it hides complex family dynamics and the challenging math of the new retirement.

Meet The Boss Jan 17, 2024

If there is a new vision of what “The New Retirement” should be, it is the “all of the above” retiree: stay healthy, stay involved in something you are passionate about, and be a dedicated caregiver to your future grandchildren. In episode 1, we meet Esmaeil Porsa, the CEO of Harris Health, to hear about his arduous and shockingly improbable road to the top of Harris Health, and what it means for the retirement that may not come as soon as his family hopes.

Alone Again—Unnaturally Dec 13, 2023

In episode 6, we explore an insidious epidemic, equivalent to the health effects of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It can cause inflammation, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. And it can cut our lives short by as much as 30 percent. It’s not Covid - or a virus - or a bad diet. It’s loneliness. More than 60 percent of Americans report feeling lonely and disconnected. And that number keeps going up. Today we’ll explore the health effects of loneliness. And our host Ken Stern comes up with an ingenious way to overcome his own feelings of isolation - as he sets out to make six new friends in his neighborhood.

Zombie Takis Dec 06, 2023

Obesity rates have exploded in the US over the past half-century, with negative consequences for healthy longevity. We travel to rural Arkansas, where we visit countless dollar stores and explore the impact of ultra-processed foods on the obesity epidemic. We also examine potential solutions – from anti-obesity medication to Food Is Medicine interventions – as we begin to tackle obesity as a disease and not a personal choice.

The Emerald Necklace Nov 29, 2023

In Episode 4, we explore how the built environment—and trees—impact communities. Renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead designed Buffalo, New York, around its parks, and it was once considered the best-designed city in America. But in the mid-20th century, one of his parkways was torn out and replaced with a highway that connected downtown with the new suburbs, in the name of urban renewal. We explore the impact of the highway on the surrounding community and traffic safety for automobiles and pedestrians alike. The city plans to put a cap on the highway to restore the urban parkway—and Frederick Law Olmstead's vision. But is it too late?

Heat is (Not) My Jam Nov 15, 2023

In Episode 3 of Century Lives Season 4: A Lifetime of Inequality, we go to Phoenix, Arizona, to understand how it is that the built environment can have great consequences for lifelong health and longevity. We focus our story on trees, which are abundant in wealthy North Phoenix, and almost completely absent in South Phoenix—instead replaced by concrete, warehouses, railroads, highways, and the like. In Episode 3, we discuss how climate change is only exacerbating the situation, and how the consequences affect predominantly poverty-level Black and Latino people.

It Takes a Village Nov 08, 2023

As it turns out, a person's lifelong health and longevity take root even before they are born. Preterm birth and low birth weight are connected with a range of medical issues that span the life course—including all-cause mortality. But when it comes to maternal and infant health, complications for Black mothers and babies far surpass those of other demographics. In Episode 2, we head to Los Angeles County to find out why—and to learn how the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Initiative is working fiercely to improve health outcomes for Black mothers and babies.

New Mexico Could Not Hear the Train Nov 01, 2023

In Episode 1 of Century Lives Season 4: A Lifetime of Inequality, we visit Albuquerque, New Mexico, to explore the impact of early childhood education on lifelong health. The story looks at the impact of high quality early childhood education on health, and then follows the 12-year effort to pass Constitutional Amendment 1—an amendment to fully fund childhood education for all children in the state.

Moving to Opportunity Apr 26, 2023

In our last two episodes of the season, we explore the challenges of concentrated urban poverty—and the depressive effects it has on health and life expectancy. And we examine two different approaches that might remedy it.

In episode 6: a story about going. We reexamine Moving to Opportunity: a grand 1990s public housing experiment intended to improve the incomes of public housing residents. That didn’t work, and the program was initially seen as a failure. But alongside the negative results, a positive and unexpected finding emerged, with a lesson about the surprising impact of neighborhood on health and longevity.

Birmingham, Alabama Apr 12, 2023

In our last two episodes of the season, we explore the challenges of concentrated urban poverty, and the depressive effects it has on health and life expectancy. And we examine two different approaches that might remedy it.

In episode 5, we tell a story about staying. We visit Woodlawn, a neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, that is literally on the wrong side of the tracks. We learn how health improves when a community that long suffered from disinvestment comes together to rebuild from within.

Wayne County, Kentucky Mar 29, 2023

Do the ladies of the Quilt Guild, the short order cooks at the City Pool Hall, and “Pumpkin Joe” hold the secrets to longer life? In episode 4 of Century Lives: Place Matters, we travel to Eastern Kentucky: a region marked by drug use, job loss, and life expectancy decline. But these folks live in Wayne County, a bright spot where life expectancy exceeds that of neighboring counties by four years. In this episode, we investigate the role of weak ties and social cohesion in community health.

Co-op City Mar 15, 2023

What could housing possibly have to do with life expectancy? Quite a bit, actually. In episode 3 of Century Lives: Place Matters, we travel to the Bronx: the least healthy county in New York. But an affordable, working class community there called Co-op City has among the highest life expectancies in the entire city. Co-op City is also the nation’s biggest NORC, or naturally occurring retirement community. Join us as we explore the connections between affordable housing and health, and investigate why the residents of Co-op City continue to stay there, even as they age.

American Exceptionalism Mar 01, 2023

If there's one thing we know about life expectancy in the US, it's that wealthy communities have long life expectancies and poorer communities have shorter life expectancies. But some poor communities far exceed their peers in terms of health outcomes and length of life. Experts will tell you that “place matters"—but they can’t tell you exactly why.

In episode 2 of Century Lives: Place Matters, we explore the recent history of life expectancy in America. The United States is exceptional, and not in a good way: we are one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but our life spans lag far behind our economic-peer nations. In ”American Exceptionalism,” we consider reasons that life spans in the U.S. aren’t as long as they could be—and consider ways we can all live longer.

Presidio Feb 15, 2023

If there's one thing we know about life expectancy in the US, it's that wealthy communities have long life expectancies and poor communities have shorter life expectancies. But some poorer communities far exceed their peers in terms of health outcomes and length of life. Experts will tell you that “place matters"—but they can’t tell you exactly why.

In Episode 1 of Century Lives: Place Matters, we visit Presidio County, Texas. It’s one of the poorest places in America and one of the top ten longest-lived counties in the nation. We explore the extraordinary story of Presidio—how the community flourishes despite its poverty and distance from health care, and what the rest of us can learn from its longevity.

Bashima Islam and the Battery Revolution Dec 28, 2022

Do you own a smart device? You know: an Android, an Alexa, an Apple Watch? If you do, you’re a part of the Internet of Things—and you’re going to need computer scientist Bashima Islam. A 2022 recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, she focuses on making batteries more energy efficient: crucial work as smart devices increasingly creep into our lives. In the final episode of Century Lives: the Next 50, Bashima sits down with host Ken Stern to discuss the trillion devices in our future, the state of women in science in her native Bangladesh, and, of course, what she’d bring into her afterlife.

Half of Generation Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, how they’re working to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.

Siddhartha Roy vs. the Hulk Dec 14, 2022

In Episode 4, we meet water engineer and environmental justice advocate Siddhartha Roy. Now a research scientist at the University of North Carolina’s Water Institute, Siddhartha was an integral part of exposing the Flint water crisis in 2015. He chats with host Ken Stern about growing up in India, the future of water equity, and his real-life fight with the Hulk.

Half of Generation Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, how they’re working to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.

Sophie Beren, Unifier Nov 30, 2022

Half of Generation Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, how they’re working to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.

In Episode 2, we meet Sophie Beren: the founder of the online platform The Conversationalist. There, members of Gen Z with divergent opinions gather to discuss political and social issues. It’s a tall task but, as a self-described “unifier,” Sophie is up to it. She chats with host Ken Stern about growing up as an outsider in Kansas, finding common ground on paramount issues…and salad.

Tune in to Century Lives: the Next 50 to hear more!

Dr. Raven the Science Maven Nov 16, 2022

Half of Generation Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, how they’re working to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.

In Episode 2, we meet Dr. Raven Baxter, also known as “Dr. Raven the Science Maven.” She’s a molecular biologist and a science communicator. More specifically, she’s a science rapper. She chats with Ken about following in her grandparents’ footsteps to increase representation in science—and how she makes the field more accessible through her hip hop music videos.

Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to hear more!

Justin Brezhnev: Hacker Cat Nov 02, 2022

Up to 50% of Gen Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, their efforts to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.

In Episode 1, we meet Justin Brezhnev—also known as “Hacker Cat.” He’s the founder and executive director of Hacker Fund: a non-profit that connects underserved students with computer programmers, so kids can learn to code. Justin chats with Ken about how he’s broken down barriers to education, the drastic changes within his family over recent generations, and what it means to live a worthy life.

Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to hear more!

The Unretirement Jun 15, 2022

People 55+ are reinventing life post-retirement, from its traditional image to a time for exploring second chapters and, especially, opportunities that bring meaning, purpose, and community. What does this new phase of the work experience look like and how can more of us find inspiration as we work longer?

People 55+ are remaking what it means to "retire" without following the traditional roadmap. Instead of rest and relaxation, they are pursuing new channels to build on their skills, grow their experiences and contribute to their communities in a meaningful way. In this episode of Century Lives: The 60-Year Career, we examine how this generation - one that's living longer, staying active and determined to ignore the old roadmap - is redefining this phase of life. We talk with people who have thought about and are living post-retirement careers including an art gallery director who found a second calling as a letter writer for people at end of life and the founder of a nonprofit supporting “encore careers.” Guests are: Aaron Benanav, Postdoctoral Researcher at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin; Frish Brandt, President and Partner at the Fraenkel Gallery; David Blustein, Professor of Counseling Psychology at Boston College; Marc Freedman, Founder and CEO of Encore.org; and Sandra Harris, President of AARP Massachusetts.

Work After 50 Jun 08, 2022

More than three-quarters of older workers experience ageism in the workplace, yet changing demographics and tight labor markets make this employee base increasingly critical to American businesses. We examine the obstacles faced by older workers and how some companies are trying to connect with them.

If longer careers truly are our future, then American business will need to overcome its aversion to older workers. Our demographic course is already set: Due to increased longevity and declines in birth rate, older workers will become essential to the economy in the coming years. Yet according to AARP, 78% of workers 50+ saw or experienced ageism in 2020 and countless more didn’t even get that first interview. In this episode of Century Lives: The 60-Year Career, we examine how this undervalued segment of the workforce will be a key building block of the economy of the future and highlight innovative company-based solutions to embrace them. Guests are: Ashton Applewhite, activist and author of This Chair Rocks, A Manifesto Against Ageism; Lena Barkley, Operations Manager of Workforce Initiatives at CVS Health; Ronald Lee, Professor of the Graduate School in Demography and Economics at University of California Berkeley; Barbara Spitzer, Managing Director at Accenture; and Elizabeth White, aging solutions advocate and author of 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal.

The 62% Solution Jun 01, 2022

Over 100 million Americans - 62% - pursue careers without having a college degree; for them, landing good-paying, stable jobs has become increasingly difficult. What's behind employers' increasing demand for a diploma, what are new alternative pathways for these workers to secure employment and how do we ensure that they have more opportunities for longer, successful career equality?

When exploring longer lives and longer careers, it can be easy to focus solely on white-collar careers and the benefits that come with those opportunities. Yet nearly 2/3 of Americans are seeking work without the credentials of a college degree – a career track that often translates to low pay, job instability and persistent inequality, a situation made worse with the pandemic. The majority of new jobs added to the American economy over the past two decades have required a degree: Is the knowledge acquired in college so critical or are employers taking a cheap, easy way to identify workplace skills that can be learned elsewhere? In this episode of Century Lives, we examine the forces that have created this environment, alternative pathways to a good job and how more people can access careers that will provide them security through later life. Guests are: Birkti Asmerom, Software Development Student at Year Up D.C.; Anthony Carnevale, Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce; Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up; Nicole Escuadro, Director of Academics at Year Up D.C; and Derrick Ramsey, Former Secretary of Education and Workforce for the State of Kentucky.

The Free Agent Economy May 25, 2022

Gig-based work has exploded over the last decade, accounting for almost all of America’s job growth. Is it a more flexible, personalized work experience or cost-cutting, exploitation tactic? And what should change so it’s fair to all?

Gig-based work represents virtually all of America’s job growth in the last decade. To some, it’s a solution for a more flexible, personalized work experience providing more time for other commitments. To others, however, it’s a means for companies to shed costs and exploit workers. In this episode, Century Lives: The 60-Year Career explores the many sides of this work phenomenon and, if it’s sticking around, what can be changed so that greater flexibility doesn’t come at too high of a price. Guests are: Sergio Avedian, Senior Contributor at the Rideshare Guy; Veena Dubal, Professor of Law, University of California, Hastings College of the Law; Paul Oyer, Professor of Economics, Stanford Business School; and Alexandrea Ravenelle, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and author of Hustle and Gig.

The 25-Job Career May 18, 2022

With job tenures declining and job search technology booming, the traditional career ladder has vanished. How the new culture of job-hopping has created challenges and opportunities for workers and employers.

The days of the decades-long single-employer career ladder are largely gone, a victim of factors ranging from aggressive job cutting by employers and the decline in union protections to reducing company loyalty and a thriving online job search industry fueled by technology. The defined career path has been replaced by a squiggly one. In this episode of Century Lives, we explore the reality of the 25-job career faced by Gen Z and Millennial workers by talking with economists, job seekers and recruiters; we even eavesdrop on a career counseling session. Guests include Sarah Ellis, podcaster and career coach; Jack Kelly, CEO of Wecruitr; Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter; and Timothy Taylor, managing editor at the Journal of Economic Perspectives.

Why We Work May 11, 2022

Why do Americans work so much - more than their counterparts in almost every other developed country - and with the pandemic sparking a national crisis of purpose, how can we redefine our work/life balance to be healthier?

Americans spend more than 90,000 hours working over a lifetime - 10% more than our Canadian neighbors and 25% more than workers in Germany. How did this happen, why did our national assumptions and beliefs around work crash during the pandemic and what can we do to create a different work/life balance that's healthier? In our second episode of the season, we dive into America's history to understand how this work ethic emerged and why it is suddenly undergoing unprecedented change. From the Puritans to Horatio Alger, we navigate the cultural phenomena leading us to modern day. We also examine the decline in economic mobility that challenged this national mindset, and how we can now build different yet viable relationships with work. Guests are David Blustein, Boston University; Jared Rubin, Chapman University; and Aaron Benanav, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin.

Design Your Life May 04, 2022

What's the future of work if you're a college grad about to embark on a 60-year career? How to navigate the “big messy process” of charting a future in an uncertain world and the unique program that offers a strategic approach for all ages.

Longer lives means longer careers. The second season of Century Lives looks at the arc of the new work lifespan and how to make it better. In the new season's first episode, we’ll hear students' thinking about and planning for their future careers as they consider the shifting landscape of work and the likelihood of an unprecedented number of years in the workforce. We explore the idea behind Bill Burnett’s innovative Stanford course Design Your Life, which encourages design thinking as a tool to approach career questions and viable for any age, particularly in periods of transition and uncertainty.

How They Work: Germany (Bonus Episode) Apr 20, 2022

In the final installment of our four-episode bonus series, we head to Germany to get a glimpse of America’s demographic future. Germany is now one of a small number of “super-aged” societies in which more than 20% of the population is 65 and older, but many other countries, including the US, are expected to join the ranks of the super-aged by the end of this decade. Many years ago, Germany recognized the coming “demographic time bomb” and its implications for its labor force. Over the last quarter century, both the national government and many companies, such as BMW, have retooled to better support a more age diverse workforce. To find out more about Germany’s efforts to support older workers, we spoke with Ulrich Walwei, vice director of Germany’s Institute for Employment Research, and with Hannes Zacher, chair for work and organizational psychology at Leipzig University. Together, they lay out a road map for how the United States might better address its increasing problems with losing older, experienced workers from the workforce.

How They Work: Singapore (Bonus Episode) Apr 06, 2022

The math is unavoidable: an aging country needs to attract, support, and retain aging workers. But burdened by workplace ageism and an inconsistent response to the Covid criss, the U.S. is losing much needed older workers at a record pace. In the third installment of our four-episode bonus series, we tackle this problem head-on by looking at Singapore’s strategy for providing pathways for longer careers. We speak with Aubeck Kam, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore, about the country's reemployment system. We also talk to Kung Teong Wah, cluster general manager at two Singapore luxury hotels, about the details of employing and retaining older workers.

How They Work: Finland (Bonus Episode) Mar 23, 2022

As the pandemic recedes, a battle is slowly brewing in American companies: bosses want their employees back in person, and workers are resisting a return to the office. Is that dynamic happening in other countries? Not in Finland, a country that has long fostered a highly flexible work culture. In the second installment of our four-episode bonus series, we speak with Hertta Vuorenmaa, Research Director for the Future of Work program at Aalto University, and Tuomas Syrjanen, co-founder of the Finland-based digital innovation company Futurice, in an effort to discover the connection between Finland’s working culture and its status as the happiest nation on earth.

How They Work: Iceland (Bonus Episode) Mar 09, 2022

2021 may be remembered as the year of the Great Resignation, when almost 48 million Americans left their jobs. The Great Resignation is not solely an American phenomenon, but while the pandemic hit every country, the Great Resignation did not. We wanted to find out why not.

Our second season is premiering on May 4th, but every two weeks until then we will be releasing a bonus episode. During this four-episode arc, we will travel around the world to explore different approaches to work and different reactions to the pandemic. First up is Iceland, home of glaciers, the Northern Lights, and the first widely embraced shortened work week. Jack Kellam, co-author of the report “Going Public: Iceland’s Journey to a Shorter Working Week,” tells us about the impact of this change.

Work Feb 16, 2022

Ever heard of a 3-stage life? Chances are you’ve been seeking to live it: education in the first quarter of your life, then work for 40 years, and finally a blissful retirement. But Andrew Scott, an Economist at London Business School, says that’s likely not the model most of us will be using anymore. Welcome to the multi-stage life, where yes–you work for closer to 60 years–but you get more choices: pick from education, work and rest at any stage in your life, and have the flexibility to define what work means for you.

Higher Education Feb 09, 2022

After WWII, four-year college education became democratized and over the years the four-year degree has increasingly become the defining educational requirement for many careers.. But is a degree we’re meant to earn in our early 20s really equipped to set us up for life? In this episode we hear from Mitchell Stevens, a professor of Education at Stanford University, about the importance of lifelong learning in an era of longer career, and how higher education should be redefined to be more effective and more equitable.

Healthcare and Tech Feb 02, 2022

Before COVID, virtually all medicine in this country was practiced face-to-face, but the pandemic has upended, at least temporarily, where and how we interact with our doctors. Nirav Shah, a professor at Stanford Medicine, tells us how this change in practice could be the beginning of a healthcare revolution, one in which technology provides the basis for a preventative culture of medicine and one that provides broader and more equitable access to care.

Multigenerational Living Jan 26, 2022

In America, we’re taught to love our families, but not too much. For decades, we’ve held up the nuclear family as an idyllic model. But as we live longer, could our extended families hold the secret to maintaining our quality of life? Donna Butts, Executive Director of Generations United tells us why that might be the way of the future… and even of the present.

Cities Jan 19, 2022

Why in some sections of Chicago does life expectancy easily exceed that of Japan, the longest lived country on earth, while just a few neighborhoods over, life expectancy matches that of Equatorial Guinea, one of the shortest lived societies on earth? Steven Wolf, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert in the social determinants of health, tells us how our cities should be reengineered for longer, healthier and more equitable lives. And he also tells us why highways matter.

New Map of Life Jan 12, 2022

Over the last century, life expectancy in the US has increased by 25 years, but many of our rules around work, learning, and retirement remain unchanged over that time. Laura Carstensen, the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, joins us to talk about a New Map of Life and how a new, more flexible, life course could better support longer, healthier and more productive lives. We are also joined by three generations of the Rarey family: Dick, age 100, Rich age 60, and Adam age 22, as they talk about how life has changed just over the span of three generations and how it might change for the next three.

Introducing: Century Lives Dec 14, 2021

Do rules created when most people lived only to 50 or 60 still make sense when more and more people live to 100? Longer lives are, at once, among the most remarkable achievements in all of human history and the greatest challenge of the 21st century. How can we ensure that our lives are not just longer, but healthy and rewarding as well? From the Stanford Century on Longevity, Century Lives is here to start the conversation. In our first season we ask how COVID-19 has changed the way we live...and how that impacts our longevity. Join us as we venture into the world of education, work, healthcare and more to see how our future as a population of centenarians has already started.

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