Bayes strikes again.

Also see how maps of "X by population" are actually mostly just population maps.

While that’s an important angle, the highest it ever got in the US was ~45%

It's in one of the linked articles. It also mentions alcohol consumption.

https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...

A reference from the article: https://www.sciencealert.com/less-than-5-superagers-what-the...

Yes! nicotine by itself at normal dosage is a fairly mild nootropic (with cognitive 'benefits') similar in ways to caffiene or theobromine (in chocolate).. I don't think anyone should have to explain why they might use any of these things as part of their daily life. (Apologies! I'm just automatically defensive about this coz I live in Australia where the law is still "a bit slow" (ie still quite backwards) regarding nicotine).

Nicotine currently has a very negative reputation globally because of humanity's recent past emphatuation with igniting and inhaling tobacco smoke, (which certainly can cause lung-trouble!) but I think the general stigma is currently too strong around nicotine itself.. it's just not that potent (psychoactiveness-wise), nor has much if any overdose-potential, nor toxicity (compared to other common things even!) "So what" if ppl want to ingest it, I say!

And surely no surprise at all to see that people with the best-functioning brains in old age were still seeking out these nootropic levers! I'd bet they probably also had ethanol, tea, coffee, chocolate, etc (etc!) too.. (whichever ones worked for them) to keep things interesting!

Maybe consciousness has some kind of self-existence validity-check built into it, the output of which fundamentally affects the physical outcome, beyond lifestyle, or genes?