Bees are emblems of social complexity. Their honeycombs-intricate lattices dripping with food-house bustling hive members carrying out carefully orchestrated duties like defending against predators and coordinating resource collection. Much of our own success is due to this sort of division of labor.
With all due respect to sauvignon blanc drinkers, New Zealand's trendiest liquid export is something far sweeter than wine. Derived from the nectar of a native bush ( leptospermum scoparium ), manuka honey has stirred enthusiasm among health-conscious connoisseurs since the early '80s, when a local scientist first confirmed that it possesses unique, antimicrobial properties.
Aging gets a bad rap. But disease, decline and discomfort is far from the whole story. Dilip Jeste, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at UC San Diego and director of the UCSD Center for Healthy Aging, is challenging us to take another look.