Editor of the Writer’s Guide and Age Wise (newsletters). Former media exec and past editor-in-chief of Live Science and Space.com. Author of Make Sleep Your Superpower.https://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mu3cl7vwns2vWith culture having turned so mean-spirited in recent years, Dolly Parton was a refreshing, singular individual. She was kind and could joke about complex issues and not offend anyone. And she had a great attitude about aging: Just keep pursuing your purpose, and whatever happens, happens. https://agewise.substack.com/p/secrets-of-remarkable-superager-brains27 Aug 2026 16:50 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu3cl7vwns2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3msyfvpyz622oThe quest for immortality has become an addiction for a handful of anti-aging scientists, technologists who’ve poured billions of dollars into the research, and social media influencers who tout their longevity routines and hawk snake-oil products. https://medium.com/@robertroybritt/the-unhealthy-obsession-with-living-forever-8d8cc363529f13 Aug 2026 19:46 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3msyfvpyz622ohttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3msbbqjffm22nI’ve been sleeping in a tent the past 15 months. You might imagine some of the challenges. Well, I wrote about it so you don't have to. But I hope you find some inspiration from my experience, which I'm getting really, really tired of. https://agewise.substack.com/p/discovering-my-untapped-resilience04 Aug 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbbqjffm22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mrscv2ucdk2pThe rise in awareness of mental health conditions, a positive thing, is a double-edges sword, several experts say, as awareness + AI queries + social media influencers fuel inaccurate self-diagnoses. https://medium.com/@robertroybritt/are-we-too-obsessed-with-mental-health-8f945f62cb4f29 Jul 2026 16:11 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrscv2ucdk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mrfkh25h4s2aThe best way to up your odds of a long and healthy life is to focus not on longevity and lifepsan influencer hocus-pocus, but on well-grounded lifestyle science that promotes healthspan. https://agewise.substack.com/p/focus-on-healthspan-not-lifespan #health #aging #longevity24 Jul 2026 14:22 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfkh25h4s2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mrcxefg6rc2vThe US is the undisputed leader of the "morbidity gap," the difference in years between how long people live and how long they are healthy. The data argue for greater focus on living well instead of worrying about living longer. https://medium.com/@robertroybritt/people-live-longer-but-less-healthy-as-morbidity-gap-grows-53a7b0772080 #aging #longevity #health23 Jul 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrcxefg6rc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mqmlvsuiwc2rMany of the nonfiction writers I’ve edited over the years try to be too many things. They want to write about this, that and the other, and they never quite settle into a topic area consistently enough to become really good at it. Makes it hard to build credibility and attract followers. https://writersguide.substack.com/p/announcing-the-writers-guide-chat14 Jul 2026 16:12 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmlvsuiwc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mqk4uu5vns22As I get older, I find obits can be cautionary tales or cause for celebration, depending on the age of the departed and the circumstances of their demise. https://medium.com/@robertroybritt/aging-lessons-from-sam-neill-and-lindsey-graham-and-mitch-mcconnell-too-8463192244d7?sharedUserId=robertroybritt13 Jul 2026 16:37 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqk4uu5vns22https://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mqde47scgs27Among writers, you got your AI writers, and those of us who love writing.10 Jul 2026 23:58 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqde47scgs27https://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mqctr35rh22bI’ve just launched a Chat Room for all Writer’s Guide subscribers. I’ll be prompting discussions, doing Q&As, and otherwise mentoring and coaching nonfiction writers with more one-on-one interaction (rather than just sending posts). Join us! substack.com/chat/1877241 #writing #writers https://substack.com/chat/187724110 Jul 2026 19:05 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqctr35rh22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mqcct3gsnk2x“If you are 40, healthy, and sedentary, it is likely that you already have something going on inside your cells that will likely come back to haunt you in 10 or 15 years,” says University of Colorado researcher Iñigo San Millan, PhD. Full story (for people of any age!) in the Age Wise newsletter: https://agewise.substack.com/p/one-avoidable-reason-health-problems10 Jul 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcct3gsnk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mq7spynqbk2kIf you’re beyond your 30s and not challenging your muscles, they are slowly wasting away. But it doesn’t have to be so. Strength training (weights, resistance bands or body-weight exercises like push-ups) is vital for healthy aging, to preserve mobility, capability and overall well-being. https://agewise.substack.com/p/sweet-spot-found-for-longevity-benefits09 Jul 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7spynqbk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mq67k2itis2uHey nonfiction writers: I’m relaunching The Writer’s Guide after a much-needed hiatus. I’ve got some really helpful features and functionality planned. To get the ball rolling, a back-to-basics guide: https://writersguide.substack.com/p/punctuation-rules-and-how-to-break #writing #writers08 Jul 2026 22:53 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq67k2itis2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mq5plldubs2oDementia is devastating, but it’s also widely misunderstood. The disease is not as common as most people think, and there’s a LOT one can do years in advance to greatly reduce the risk of getting it. https://agewise.substack.com/p/3-surprising-truths-about-dementia #aging #brain #dementia08 Jul 2026 18:07 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5plldubs2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mq57mlxkvk2nFormer US soccer star Mia Hamm, now 54, still works out. She uses strength training, but not heavy weights anymore. Brilliant strategy for healthy aging — we need aerobic AND resistance work. Wait… Mia Hamm is 54?! https://www.businessinsider.com/mia-hamm-longevity-fitness-routine-muscle-activation-golf-interval-training-2026-6 #aging #soccer #health08 Jul 2026 13:22 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq57mlxkvk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mq2qx5msl22eNew research measured the brain's biological age among people who speak one language vs. people who speak two or more. The key finding: "... multilingual experience matters as a gradient: it is not simply about being bilingual or not, but about the depth and duration of language experience.” https://agewise.substack.com/publish/post/20576837607 Jul 2026 13:54 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq2qx5msl22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpylhnb7zc2tBryan Johnson thinks he can live forever. He spends ~$2 million a year making himself a biohacking experiment of one. His announcement that he has autoimmune gastritis serves as cautionary tale for anyone who dreams of immortality. https://agewise.substack.com/p/biohacker-aiming-to-live-forever #aging #longevity #health06 Jul 2026 17:10 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpylhnb7zc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpqnf7446c2tWe’ve all helped create polypharmacy, whereby people take way too many medications, and often the wrong meds, leading to serious physical and mental health outcomes that shouldn’t happen. Doctors know it. But only you can stop it. https://agewise.substack.com/p/polypharmacy-the-drug-scam-we-all #aging #medicine #health03 Jul 2026 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpqnf7446c2thttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpo67wvoxk2iAs we age, we get better at dealing with regrets, or we simply have fewer of them. That’s the hope, anyway, and there’s some science to support the idea. This story explains how to better deal. https://medium.com/crows-feet/heres-one-upside-of-aging-your-regrets-lose-their-sting-cc9011877c40?sk=v2%2F932240be-be5a-40ab-a67b-42e7a46184c402 Jul 2026 13:47 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpo67wvoxk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpjupcx56c22I wrote about why I took four months off writing to search for purpose and meaning as I dealt with frustrations and insecurities related to #aging in the era of #ai. I hope the story inspires anyone who’s out of a job, or worried about their career these days. https://agewise.substack.com/p/an-old-guys-search-for-purpose-and30 Jun 2026 20:46 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjupcx56c22https://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpgxduhlks2fBefore you take any new prescription meds, you’ll want to see what sometimes happens, despite a prescribing physician’s best intentions. https://agewise.substack.com/p/grave-risk-revealed-in-sedatives #medicine #aging29 Jun 2026 16:55 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgxduhlks2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mpec6kpekc2sI know all about this, and it sucks: Thanks largely to drops in federal subsidies, “About 3 million fewer people in the United States had Affordable Care Act health insurance plans in February compared with the same time last year.” https://apnews.com/article/affordable-care-act-obamacare-health-subsidies-premiums-3dc9a0cd249a7622ce31e8559bfff72928 Jun 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpec6kpekc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mp72zy7v5c2eYears ago, I tried fish oil supplements, because I don’t eat a lot of fish and I’d heard these capsules offered a super healthy alternative. I was mistaken, as was so much of the advice then (and now). New research spurred me to take a deep dive on how we all got this so wrong. https://agewise.substack.com/p/fish-oil-supplements-fail-to-protect26 Jun 2026 13:40 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp72zy7v5c2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mp4w2jjvjc2cMick Jagger's guide to #longevity, at 82: "if you want to have fitness and longevity, you can't do loads of drugs and drink all the time.” https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/the-mick-jagger-guide-to-longevity25 Jun 2026 17:05 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4w2jjvjc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mp4ksqz5cc2eThe fear of #aging is common (and typically unfounded) among people in mid-life. But I had no idea “maturity fears” were a big thing among young adults. And those fears are more pronounced among millennials than previous generations (yet also largely unfounded). https://agewise.substack.com/p/the-fear-growing-up-is-growing-worse25 Jun 2026 13:44 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4ksqz5cc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mp2lymhw5k2gThere are many ways to ruin #sleep. As we age, one challenge becomes feeling even older than we are. Stop that! https://agewise.substack.com/p/feeling-older-than-you-are-linked #aging24 Jun 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp2lymhw5k2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3mp25ecxm222oNew study includes unpaid caregivers and degraded quality of life to estimate the total annual cost of dementia in the US: $818 billion. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dementia-billion-unpaid-burden.html24 Jun 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp25ecxm222ohttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3moyo7rdiq22jNo heavy lifting is required to conclude that strength training promotes good health. Plus, as a new long-term study finds people who did ~90-120 minutes of strength training weekly had a ~13% lower risk of dying vs. people who did none. https://theconversation.com/people-who-lift-weights-live-longer-new-study-28478724 Jun 2026 00:34 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3moyo7rdiq22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3moxhrfp7yk2mThe best medicine? It’s lifestyle medicine: healthy behaviors we can choose to lean into. These are the most important things we can do to set ourselves up for a long and healthy, productive, enjoyable existence. I'm using them as an organizing principle for my new newsletter, Age Wise. https://agewise.substack.com/p/7-pillars-of-healthy-and-happy-aging23 Jun 2026 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3moxhrfp7yk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/robertroybritt.bsky.social/post/3morhzjcn4c2bEver feel like you’re getting old? Worried you’ll slow down, struggle to remember why you walked into a room, grow out of touch with the latest trends (AI, anyone?). Then my new newsletter, Age Wise, is for you. https://agewise.substack.com/p/the-big-lies-about-aging21 Jun 2026 03:55 +0000at://did:plc:acjectu243zywyckd76psza3/app.bsky.feed.post/3morhzjcn4c2b