Why 70 is the new 60 - an interview with Annette Baudisch (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research) on biodemography. Questions: 1. When my grandmother was my age, I perceived her as being much older than I feel now. Is this just a question of perspective, or is being 70 today biologically different from what it used to be? 2. If you look at human ageing in a long-term perspective, what has changed most significantly since the Neanderthals?

Interview with Bruno Arpino (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) on health and grandparenting. Questions: 1. My daughter and her partner are expecting their first child. As they both have quite demanding jobs I would like to offer my help in looking after the baby, but I am also a bit worried that my other activities might suffer from this. What have you found to be realistic based on your research? 2. Is grandparenting as good of a social activity as being in a sport’s club or a choir in terms of benefits for an older person’s health?

Interview with Trifon Missov (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) ) on Ageing. Questions: 1. Sometimes I look at my friends who are my age and wonder why some look much younger, and others older. Is that an indication that everyone ages at a different rate? 2. What do we actually know about the individual rate of ageing for human beings? 3. Looking back at the totality of my life, were the illnesses and unhealthy habits of my youth more relevant for my rate of ageing, or rather the health problems that occurred in the later years of my life?

An interview with Ross McMillan (Bocconi University) on health over the life course. Questions: 1. I often hear that highly educated people are healthier in old age. Do I have to worry now because I don’t have a university degree? 2. What explains the health differences between people who otherwise live in similar circumstances? 3. How exactly can my cognitive abilities have an impact on my health? 4. Which impact could your findings have on policy makers? Should there be compulsory health education for young children in school for example?