The secret to longevity

It turns out that the real secret to longevity is to live in an area with poor record keeping. Something is very wrong with modern longevity is a nice New Yorker piece questioning the whole “Blue Zone” idea. Our tendency to fetishize faraway lands, trying to unearth their secrets to slow aging, can seem strange when one considers that wealthy Americans already live into their eighties and nineties. Scientists have reliable data for octogenarians and nonagenarians—one research project, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has been running since 1938—and the lessons are clear enough. The things that help us live longer are things that pretty much everyone wants: money, education, safety, clean air and water, community. And there’s really no secrets to be had, despite decades of research: We already know how to improve our chances of living a long life—exercise, eat well, sleep enough, maintain relationships, don’t drink to excess, don’t smoke at all. And, of course, there’s not much…