Lessons from an Old Man in a Black Bathing Suit

"as if living to ninety were primarily the result of hard work or prayer..."

This week's New Yorker has a meditation on longevity by Michael Kinsley ’72, J.D. ’78. Kinsley wonders why society confers respect, and even bragging rights, on those who live to be very old, "as if living to ninety were primarily the result of hard work or prayer, rather than good genes and never getting run over by a truck." Read the piece—teasingly titled "Mine Is Longer Than Yours"—here.

Related topics

You might also like

Novelist Lev Grossman on Why Fantasy Isn’t About Escapism

The Magicians author discusses his influences, from Harvard to King Arthur to Tolkien.

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

A Congenial Voice in Japanese-American Relations

Takashi Komatsu spent his life building bridges. 

Most popular

HAA Announces Overseers and Directors Slate for 2026

Alumni will vote this spring for members of two key governing boards

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Harvard Scholars Discuss Venezuela After Maduro

A Harvard Kennedy School panel unpacks the nation’s oil sector, economy, and democratic hopes.

Explore More From Current Issue

An axolotl with a pale body and pink frilly gills, looking directly at the viewer.

Regenerative Biology’s Baby Steps

What axolotl salamanders could teach us about limb regrowth

Evolutionary progression from primates to humans in a colorful illustration.

Why Humans Walk on Two Legs

Research highlights our evolutionary ancestors’ unique pelvis.

A silhouette of a person stands before glowing domes in a red, rocky landscape at sunset.

Getting to Mars (for Real)

Humans have been dreaming of living on the Red Planet for decades. Harvard researchers are on the case.