Potter's press conference broadcast??

25=55 in your chart. I'm hardly surprised that most people peak between those ages. Goes for most things in life. I'll bet professional golfer or bowlers tournament wins would follow a similar path.

25=55 in your chart. I'm hardly surprised that most people peak between those ages. Goes for most things in life. I'll bet professional golfer or bowlers tournament wins would follow a similar path.

Sport performance peaks at about 26 years of age, on average. It does vary somewhat, depending on which particular sport. After that, the declines are irreversible.

Please let Stephen Hawkings know he peaked many decades ago.

Why are so many world leaders and officials old fogeys? Couldn't they find younger, smarter people to do the hard work?

Alana33 and STXBob - :@)

Why are so many world leaders and officials old fogeys? Couldn't they find younger, smarter people to do the hard work?

Most of the "old fogeys" on the international scene are dictators/royals. The people can't exactly remove them, can they? At least in America, when the people have a say, they generally don't elect "old fogeys" (sorry McCain, see ya Hillary).

To your question, could they find younger smarter people? Sure. Should they find younger, smarter people? Of course. But it won't happen. Have you ever seen a baby boomer walk away from money? LOL

Legendary commentator Bob White put it best on youth in the VI:

"Truthfully, I do not mean this as any insult, but only a reality check. In most societies, at this stage of life, we would be put on an ice flow and sent out to sea. However, here in our paradise we still get ancestor worship. Lucky us...

But I must say that I prefer the company and thinking of younger people. I naturally spend much of my free time with ‘boys my own age’, but find the intellectual capacity of the younger generation fascinating. They, when not glued to their ‘tablets’ or iPhones, can, many of them, have a thoughtful conversation. If they’re not recognized and put to good use, they will leave the islands.

I do not wish for the territory to become an ‘old age home’. Who will be left to push the wheel chairs? Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but I’m not completely off the mark."

Read entire piece at: http://viconsortium.com/opinion/op-ed-governor-give-young-people-a-chance-in-your-administration/

There are always anecdotal examples of old-age success, but the literature on age and intellectual capacity is pretty well-settled.

I beg to differ. We retired old folks have lots of time to read, and losing our mental faculties is an important subject to us. So many of us read up on it to determine at what point we'll become drooling idiots. The "literature" regarding aging and intellectual capacity is all over the map. Physical changes do occur to the aging brain, but there is very little written in stone, as of now. Studies are still contradictory, as environmental, economic, and cultural contributions muddy the waters. One can postpone diminishing cognitive abilities that are not caused by disease, simply by working at it (for example, use it or lose it techniques, which have demonstrably proven to maintain, and even improve one's mental abilities ).

I worked with many older IT people over the years. Many are still plugging away. It's true, you don't see a lot. But for the most part, because it's a high-stress career, and the pay is good. So many have the means to retire early, or switch to a less demanding career. It's not because of diminished brain capacity.

There are always anecdotal examples of old-age success, but the literature on age and intellectual capacity is pretty well-settled.

I beg to differ. We retired old folks have lots of time to read, and losing our mental faculties is an important subject to us. So many of us read up on it to determine at what point we'll become drooling idiots. The "literature" regarding aging and intellectual capacity is all over the map. Physical changes do occur to the aging brain, but there is very little written in stone, as of now. Studies are still contradictory, as environmental, economic, and cultural contributions muddy the waters. One can postpone diminishing cognitive abilities that are not caused by disease, simply by working at it (for example, use it or lose it techniques, which have demonstrably proven to maintain, and even improve one's mental abilities ).

I worked with many older IT people over the years. Many are still plugging away. It's true, you don't see a lot. But for the most part, because it's a high-stress career, and the pay is good. So many have the means to retire early, or switch to a less demanding career. It's not because of diminished brain capacity.

Great points!

Why are so many world leaders and officials old fogeys? Couldn't they find younger, smarter people to do the hard work?

Most of the "old fogeys" on the international scene are dictators/royals. The people can't exactly remove them, can they? At least in America, when the people have a say, they generally don't elect "old fogeys" (sorry McCain, see ya Hillary).

To your question, could they find younger smarter people? Sure. Should they find younger, smarter people? Of course. But it won't happen. Have you ever seen a baby boomer walk away from money? LOL

Legendary commentator Bob White put it best on youth in the VI:

"Truthfully, I do not mean this as any insult, but only a reality check. In most societies, at this stage of life, we would be put on an ice flow and sent out to sea. However, here in our paradise we still get ancestor worship. Lucky us...

But I must say that I prefer the company and thinking of younger people. I naturally spend much of my free time with ‘boys my own age’, but find the intellectual capacity of the younger generation fascinating. They, when not glued to their ‘tablets’ or iPhones, can, many of them, have a thoughtful conversation. If they’re not recognized and put to good use, they will leave the islands.

I do not wish for the territory to become an ‘old age home’. Who will be left to push the wheel chairs? Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but I’m not completely off the mark."

Read entire piece at: http://viconsortium.com/opinion/op-ed-governor-give-young-people-a-chance-in-your-administration/

First off people most likely to vote fall in to the middle aged bracket, they vote for people "like them". Second, most younger people are more interested in making money in private sector jobs than public sector. Now I realize here public sector can be more lucrative but we go back to point 1.

Why are so many world leaders and officials old fogeys? Couldn't they find younger, smarter people to do the hard work?

Most of the "old fogeys" on the international scene are dictators/royals. The people can't exactly remove them, can they? At least in America, when the people have a say, they generally don't elect "old fogeys" (sorry McCain, see ya Hillary).

To your question, could they find younger smarter people? Sure. Should they find younger, smarter people? Of course. But it won't happen. Have you ever seen a baby boomer walk away from money? LOL

Legendary commentator Bob White put it best on youth in the VI:

"Truthfully, I do not mean this as any insult, but only a reality check. In most societies, at this stage of life, we would be put on an ice flow and sent out to sea. However, here in our paradise we still get ancestor worship. Lucky us...

But I must say that I prefer the company and thinking of younger people. I naturally spend much of my free time with ‘boys my own age’, but find the intellectual capacity of the younger generation fascinating. They, when not glued to their ‘tablets’ or iPhones, can, many of them, have a thoughtful conversation. If they’re not recognized and put to good use, they will leave the islands.

I do not wish for the territory to become an ‘old age home’. Who will be left to push the wheel chairs? Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but I’m not completely off the mark."

Read entire piece at: http://viconsortium.com/opinion/op-ed-governor-give-young-people-a-chance-in-your-administration/

First off people most likely to vote fall in to the middle aged bracket, they vote for people "like them". Second, most younger people are more interested in making money in private sector jobs than public sector. Now I realize here public sector can be more lucrative but we go back to point 1.

Yeah, I agree. Young people don't vote, so much of this discussion is moot. lol

Young people don't vote, so much of this discussion is moot. lol

One thing that I don't understand is that why the "old people" in VI keep electing corrupted politicians. Monogram, you are a native Crucian, so perhaps you can shed some light on this fascinating topic.

Young people don't vote, so much of this discussion is moot. lol

One thing that I don't understand is that why the "old people" in VI keep electing corrupted politicians. Monogram, you are a native Crucian, so perhaps you can shed some light on this fascinating topic.

Us millennials have been trying to figure this out for some time, to no avail. Things will change once some of the key political figures are forced to leave the public stage due to health. The power brokers (Cecil Benjamin, Celestino White, etc) have an unrelenting grip on local politics. Once the grip is released, the Virgin Islands will be saved by my generation.

I can think of at least 30 well-educated physicians, dentists, engineers, lawyers, military officers and other thinkers who will fill the void. All of these people have attempted to come home, but were told by the Boomer class (most of whom have no education, like Celestino) that they were "unqualified." We are scattered throughout the world, but will return home like Batman once the signal is given by myself and others 😀

Remember, every year our schools catapult dozens of local youth into the best American universities (and military academies like West Point). We are sleeper agents of sort, ready to save the day when the VI has no other choice but to call us back. But I'm afraid that total collapse must occur before that happens.

All of these people have attempted to come home, but were told by the Boomer class...

Boomer class as in "baby boomers", "psilocybin users", "fat people", "farters", or "homosexuals"? I assume you meant "baby boomers", but want to make sure.

Young people don't vote, so much of this discussion is moot. lol

One thing that I don't understand is that why the "old people" in VI keep electing corrupted politicians. Monogram, you are a native Crucian, so perhaps you can shed some light on this fascinating topic.

Us millennials have been trying to figure this out for some time, to no avail. Things will change once some of the key political figures are forced to leave the public stage due to health. The power brokers (Cecil Benjamin, Celestino White, etc) have an unrelenting grip on local politics. Once the grip is released, the Virgin Islands will be saved by my generation.

I can think of at least 30 well-educated physicians, dentists, engineers, lawyers, military officers and other thinkers who will fill the void. All of these people have attempted to come home, but were told by the Boomer class (most of whom have no education, like Celestino) that they were "unqualified." We are scattered throughout the world, but will return home like Batman once the signal is given by myself and others 😀

Remember, every year our schools catapult dozens of local youth into the best American universities (and military academies like West Point). We are sleeper agents of sort, ready to save the day when the VI has no other choice but to call us back. But I'm afraid that total collapse must occur before that happens.

Your story of the millennial generation coming back to save the USVI gave me goosebumps. Just like Jerusalem Slim and the 12 Bindlestiffs. Now if someone gets that reference I will be truly impressed and will believe they can save the USVI.

My daughter and husband, both from here, have no intention of coming back here.

Yeah, I agree. Young people don't vote, so much of this discussion is moot. lol

This in one breath and then in the next breath YOUR generation (you've mentiioned you're fresh out of college so where you fit in with those "sleeper agents" I'm unsure) is going to leap in and save the territory when it collapses.

These days, old age is not a virtue. There is a reason that employers don't hire old people for jobs which require brain activity. The intellectual capacity drops precipitously with age. I've worked with hundreds of people in my field (information technology), and you just don't see anyone older than 55. These folks are all Walmart greeters.

Here is an interesting chart:

Nobel prizes favor younger scientists because they must still be alive to earn the prize, which is often awarded 20+ years after the accomplishment. Scientists who do great work in their older years are eventually disqualified from consideration due to their death.

From http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-04-13/news/49098039_1_nobel-prize-life-expectancy-average-age :

“Candidates for a Nobel prize often have to wait more than 20 years to receive the coveted award, and the average waiting times are continuing to increase exponentially, a new study suggests.

By the end of this century the predicted average age among prize-winners for receiving the award could even exceed their life expectancy, researchers said.”

From what I’ve read, older IT workers are shunned in favor of younger ones largely because the older workers demand more pay, and are less likely to stick around long-term, due to retirement. On my IT team of 4 people, we’re all in our 50’s and 60’s, and we have a ton of experience, knowledge and maturity. We do just fine, thanks.

These days, old age is not a virtue. There is a reason that employers don't hire old people for jobs which require brain activity. The intellectual capacity drops precipitously with age. I've worked with hundreds of people in my field (information technology), and you just don't see anyone older than 55. These folks are all Walmart greeters.

Here is an interesting chart:

Nobel prizes favor younger scientists because they must still be alive to earn the prize, which is often awarded 20+ years after the accomplishment. Scientists who do great work in their older years are eventually disqualified from consideration due to their death.

From http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-04-13/news/49098039_1_nobel-prize-life-expectancy-average-age :

“Candidates for a Nobel prize often have to wait more than 20 years to receive the coveted award, and the average waiting times are continuing to increase exponentially, a new study suggests.

By the end of this century the predicted average age among prize-winners for receiving the award could even exceed their life expectancy, researchers said.”

From what I’ve read, older IT workers are shunned in favor of younger ones largely because the older workers demand more pay, and are less likely to stick around long-term, due to retirement. On my IT team of 4 people, we’re all in our 50’s and 60’s, and we have a ton of experience, knowledge and maturity. We do just fine, thanks.

(tu)
The only ones who think the millennials are going to save the world are the millenials. Us Gen X'ers roll our eyes hard enough to make the millenials proud.

These days, old age is not a virtue. There is a reason that employers don't hire old people for jobs which require brain activity. The intellectual capacity drops precipitously with age. I've worked with hundreds of people in my field (information technology), and you just don't see anyone older than 55. These folks are all Walmart greeters.

At 47 your productivity is rapidly diminishing so get that Walmart greeter app in.:D

My daughter and husband, both from here, have no intention of coming back here.

My daughter just left for university. She said she'd never live here again.

Studies are still contradictory, as environmental, economic, and cultural contributions muddy the waters. One can postpone diminishing cognitive abilities that are not caused by disease, simply by working at it (for example, use it or lose it techniques, which have demonstrably proven to maintain, and even improve one's mental abilities ).

Of course the factors other than age are in the equation, and yes, brain "fitness" helps in prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's. But the age itself dominates all other factors.

Suppose we had a different discussion, let's say about the relationship between the distance traveled by a car, and the amount of gas used. If I said, "the amount of gas used is proportional to the distance traveled", there might be a chorus of protesters, citing that such a generalization is crude, and the waters are "muddy" with respect to this subject, because other factors matter, such as road conditions, speed, and the brand of the car. Yeah, they matter, but the fundamental law still exists: you can't save gas by traveling longer distances.

It's the same thing with the relationship between age and physical/mental abilities. The declines are irreversible. Everyone dies, perfectly predictably and reliably. Death is effectively a point on the curve where your mental/physical score collapses to 0.

And the point of this digression from original post is what, exactly?

Everyone dies, perfectly predictably and reliably. Death is effectively a point on the curve where your mental/physical score collapses to 0.

BRILLIANT deduction, Dr Wanderer Watson - I see a Walmart Greeter's gold star in your future. Tick tock, tick tock. (tu)

Everyone dies, perfectly predictably and reliably. Death is effectively a point on the curve where your mental/physical score collapses to 0.

BRILLIANT deduction, Dr Wanderer Watson - I see a Walmart Greeter's gold star in your future. Tick tock, tick tock. (tu)

Haha. That's all you have to prove me wrong? I encourage you to reference a study which finds that mental and physical abilities spike up after the age of 50. If you do, we'll have something to talk about.

Everyone dies, perfectly predictably and reliably. Death is effectively a point on the curve where your mental/physical score collapses to 0.

BRILLIANT deduction, Dr Wanderer Watson - I see a Walmart Greeter's gold star in your future. Tick tock, tick tock. (tu)

Haha. That's all you have to prove me wrong? I encourage you to reference a study which finds that mental and physical abilities spike up after the age of 50. If you do, we'll have something to talk about.

Nothing to argue about and where was there mentioned intent to prove you wrong? I encourage you to take a course in reading comprehension as it seems your downward spiral may be happening a little early. Tick tock.