…Way too much coffee.  But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.

-David Letterman

Why Caffeine Is Absolutely Necessary

Caffeine. Just writing it down gives me the shivers, and it isn’t from the jitters. No, I’m so excited because I am passionate about this taboo wonder drug, and I’m going to show why you should be too!

According to Wikipedia:

“Humans have consumed caffeine since the Stone Age. Early peoples found that chewing the seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating one’s mood.”

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Characteristics of Socially Isolated Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Who Are at Elevated Risk for Mortality

Patients with small social networks had an elevated risk of mortality, but this greater risk was not attributable to confounding with disease severity, demographics, or psychological distress.

This study raises some interesting points about the social dynamics of humans as a species. Can the state of mind, and therefore the state of the physical body, really be affected by social interaction, and if so, does it go both ways? Is there as much of a benefit to social interaction as there is a consequence?
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Longevity
One of the curious things about our century is that, now more than ever, we have the ability to surpass the eighty years of age. Although it may not sound a lot to many of us (after all, there is too much to do), our current life expectancy more than doubles the life expectancy of the 19th century (1). This is excellent news since it means that our species has been able to grow stronger. But this number can be increased. How? It’s quite simple really.
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