Sickness and Health

The Economist begins a piece on Alzheimer’s disease with these two sentences:

Like cancers and heart disease, Alzheimer’s is a sickness of the wealthy.That is because it is a sickness of the old.

Reflect on that a bit, and consider the irony of how bad news can be good news. The proliferation of these diseases stands testament to much our species has advanced. That is awesome—but only till it’s my turn.