Imagine gradually losing the ability to express yourself — not because you’ve forgotten the words, but because they simply won’t come out. This is the reality for individuals living with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a rare form of dementia that usually begins in middle age and increasingly impairs language abilities over time.

We used to think aging inevitably led to memory loss, but a small group of people—known as SuperAgers—are defying the odds. These individuals, all over 80, have the memory performance of someone in the 50s. The question is: how?

One of the leading experts studying SuperAgers is University of Chicago neurologist Emily Rogalski. She explores the fascinating science behind SuperAgers—uncovering what makes their physical brains different and how their lifestyle choices could be the key to a having a sharper, healthier brain well into old age.

After Joe Biden was sworn in as the oldest president in American history in 2021, at age 78, questions swirled about whether there should be an upper age limit for the executive office. Now that we’re doing a different kind of math – Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, and his presumptive rival, Donald Trump, would be 82 – the question has become starker: can someone in their 80s really have the mental dexterity and cognitive fortitude that the office requires?