March 30, April 17 and May 22, 2006 at 5:30 p.m.

WHYY
150 N. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA

Session #1: Brain Health

Paul Nussbaum, Ph. D., Neuropsychologist and author of Brain Health and Wellness A Guide to Brain Health Across Your Lifespan

There is no greater or more complex system than the human brain. This magical collection of neurons weighing no more than four pounds enables all of our thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

Animal brain research has demonstrated neurogenesis -- the ability to form new brain cells in an area of the brain that serves learning and memory. If the human brain can generate new cells, an entire new frontier of discovery and opportunity is possible.

Dr. Nussbaum believes that new brains cells can be generated and that a lifelong proactive approach is critical to maximizing brain health and perhaps even delaying brain disorders late in life. He writes and lectures to educate the public about the importance of keeping our brains healthy and to share practical techniques for promoting a healthy brain.

Session #2: Creative Legacy

Sonia Sanchez, internationally acclaimed, Philadelphia-based poet and community activist

As we age, many of us begin to value the opportunity to share what we have learned and to become generative. In other words, we become eager to guide the next generation, pass on traditions and leave a legacy. How can we do this in a way that is rich with value and meaning? In a way both profound and creative?

Sonia Sanchez will explore pursuing these desires and fashioning a creative legacy by constantly engaging in the community, which also can promote intellectual and emotional growth and help one develop a sense of well-being, wisdom, and personal happiness.

She will go deep into the waters of how after 50 these pursuits can actually form an approach to life-- a world-view to guide our actions and nourish us. The ultimate "triple win" perhaps -- good for the soul... good for those around us... and good for the world.

Session #3: Meaningful Relationships

Dan Gottlieb, Ph. D., family therapist and host of WHYY-FM's Voices in the Family

Among the many things that change as we age, one that does not is that we remain social animals who long for closeness with other people. But there are many variations on this theme -- many different roads we can take.

Why, for example, do some of us enjoy long-term relationships that grow richer and deeper while others find their relationships becoming stale? Why do some of us grow lonelier and others more open? If we are recently single, what are the issues involved in beginning a new relationship for the first time in many years?

These and other deeply personal questions will form the core of Dr. Gottlieb's session. He will also delve into a very provocative notion: Will babyboomers redefine intimate relationships over the next 30 years -- and if so, how?