Sir, – My grandfather recently passed away, but not before reaching his 100th birthday. We were amazed by how cognisant he was, but science was on his side; his hobbies included playing piano, learning other languages and the infamously difficult Crosaire cryptic crossword, all activities that help keep the mind sharp.
According to a recent report, an infant born today has decent odds of repeating his feat (“Society must prepare for one third of children born today living to 100, report argues”, October 19th). Modern pastimes include letting an algorithm show you short, easily-digestible videos, letting a YouTuber explain why a superhero movie you haven’t seen should make you very angry and, of course, letting an AI tool summarise an email you received that was already only a few sentences long.
I share the report’s concerns that Ireland is not prepared for a large population of people like my grandfather. I worry, also, about a future full of people entirely unlike him – succumbing to senility in their 60s. – Yours, etc,
BARRY NEENAN,
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Murrough,
Galway.
