Is it time to abolish compulsory retirement?

[29 April 2009 - BBC - UK] The idea that workers should be forced to clear their desks and disappear, carriage clock under arm, on reaching the age of 65 is one that has its roots in a measure designed to reduce poverty and exploitation of older people. But now a committee of MPs fears that it may be achieving exactly the opposite, denying individuals the chance to top up inadequate retirement savings and unable to add to a meagre state pension. More

The five ages of the brain

[April 2009 - The New Scientist] Throughout life our brains undergo more changes than any other part of the body. These can be broadly divided into five stages, each profoundly affecting our abilities and behaviour. But we are not just passengers in this process, so how can we get the best out of our brains at every stage and pass the best possible organ on to the next? New Scientist investigate. More

Scientists show how a neuron gets its shape

[3 April 2009 - Rockefeller University via EurekAlert!] For the brain to work, neurons have to be connected in the right places. Now, new research shows that rather than growing like the branches of a tree -- extending outward -- certain neurons work backward from their destination, dropping anchor and stretching their dendrites behind them as they crawl away. More