The answer to the question: What were they drinking back in the day?”

Beer. Wine. Spirits. Coffee. Tea. Cola (?) and Water.  It reads like a novel and is good fun. You’ll discover where the Cola Wars really played out.

It’s up to you to decide if it’s the effect of booze on history or history’s effect on booze.

Also you should look for his history of Food.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses – Tom Standage, 2005, 0-385-66087-1

World Population vs Memory Loss

Earth’s Population Statistics in Perspective

The population of Earth is around 7.8 Billion.

For most people, it is a large figure. However, if you condensed 7.8 billion into 100 persons and then into various percentage statistics, the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend.

Out of 100 : 
11 are in Europe 
5 are in North America 
9 are in South America 
15 are in Africa 
60 are in Asia 

49 live in the countryside 
51 live in cities 

75 have mobile phones 
25 do not. 

30 have internet access 
70 do not have the availability to go online 

7 received university education 
93 did not attend college. 

83 can read 
17 are illiterate. 

33 are Christians 
22 are Muslims 
14 are Hindus 
7 are Buddhists 
12 are other religions 
12 have no religious beliefs. 

26 live less than 14 years 
66 died between 15 – 64 years of age 
8 are over 65 years old. 

If you have your own home, 
Eat full meals & drink clean water, 
Have a mobile phone, 
Can surf the internet, and 
have gone to college, 
You are in the minuscule privileged lot. 
(in the less than 7% category) 

Amongst 100 persons in the world, only 8 live or exceed the age of 65. 

If you are over 65 years old, be content & grateful. Cherish life, grasp the moment.

If you did not leave this world before the age of 64 like the 92 persons who have gone before you, you are already the blessed amongst mankind.

Memory Loss

If you think you are suffering memory loss…

In the following analysis the French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals, addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way: 

“If anyone is aware of their memory problems, they do not have Alzheimer’s.” 

It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. “The information is always in the brain, it is the “processor” that is lacking.”

This is “Anosognosia” or temporary forgetfulness. 

Half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease. The most common cases are:
– forgetting the name of a person, 
– going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there,
– a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress, 
– a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys… 

After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years…

Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statements:
1.”Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory.”
2.”Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer’s, are not aware of what is happening.”

Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:

“The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness.”

Now for a little neurological test: 
Only use your eyes! 

1- Find the C in the table below! 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

2- If you found the C, then find the 6 in the table below. 

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 


3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it’s a little more difficult! 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 

If you pass these three tests without problem: 
– you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist. 
– your brain is in perfect shape! 
– you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer’s.