- Make colleges share the risk – if their record of graduating students with job prospects – not unpaid/poorly paid internships – is good, they get more money
- Limit loan size for some majors unlikely to be able to get jobs that can pay those loans back
- Refuse to require colleges to bar “accrediting agencies from requiring institutions to adhere to diversity, equity, and inclusion standards”
It’s not just age. Some seniors retain sufficient mental capacity to function in demanding jobs. Others, long before their time, do not.
It’s sad to see a loved one mentally decline. Many families put off confronting those afflicted, because they fear that the relationship will suffer. Instead, they work around the problems caused, wanting to delay unpleasant conversations.
For most people, the problems escalate until it requires either a court declaration of incompetence, or having a person move into the senior’s home and take over care – personal, medical, financial, and social. Most families eventually accept that they need to step in, due to the likelihood that bad financial decisions will be made, costing that person’s life savings, or even their home.
It’s hard. It’s even harder when people around the afflicted one deny there is a problem.
And, to be fair, some people with senility can manage longer than others, although their mental functioning may be equally bad. Someone whose job consists of repetitive tasks will likely last longer than someone whose job requires the ability to analyze, read and assimilate complex documents, or speak off the cuff on technical topics.
That last description is similar to that of the job of President of the United States.
It’s believed by researchers that those whose IQ is higher, and whose jobs are engaging and require high mental capacity, decline slower. They still decline, but their useful brain capacity is higher to start with, so they will be able to function much longer than someone less gifted with intelligence.
Joe Biden has never impressed people with his high IQ. He was only able to make his way through college with the assistance of plagiarism. His own speeches “borrow” the words and experiences of others, and he has always depended on speeches written by others. When he attempts to speak off-the-cuff, his fumbles are more noticeable. Even when young, Biden was prone to make many errors – no, it’s NOT stuttering. It’s a clumsy attempt to bridge a thought when he gets off-track. He no longer has the ability to manage even that.
The decline is obvious. It’s even worse when he is under pressure, late in the day*, or in new places. For a sufferer, campaigning for president is a nightmare.
* Late afternoon and evening events are very difficult for those with senility. For a further explanation of the ‘sundowning’ phenomenon, see this link to Mayo Clinic’s webpage on the topic.
I found this while looking into dementia topics.
It turns out that – hold onto your garters, kids! – that male and female brains DO differ significantly.
Now, I am one of those relatively rare women with an interests in technical and scientific topics. I don’t function at the top level, but I manage quite well in my areas of interest.
Such women have always been anomalies. There has long been speculation that they experience hormonal inputs during their time in utero that shaped their unusual brains.
A physical oddity that also serves as a predictor is length of the ring finger, compared to the index finger. In most women, the ring finger is shorter than the index finger. In STEM-friendly females, the ring finger is of equal length, or longer. Mine are about 1/2 inch longer.
But, MOST men – and women – fall into well-known patterns of brain functioning. This study is based on the results of the average person having their brain scanned. And, in 90% of cases, the sex of the person’s whose scan is analyzed can be predicted.
