100-year-old Nobel laureate goes back to work after party

Who we're talking about: Rudy Marcus, a theoretical biochemist at the California Institute of Technology, which is the U.S. university with the highest rate of Nobel Prize winners per capita.

Sure enough, Marcus is one of the 40 Nobel Prize winners at Caltech. He won the 1992 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work on electron transfer reactions.

And the news is: Two days ago, on July 21st, Marcus celebrated his 100th birthday. At Caltech, of course — because he is still working.

A quote from a recent LA Times article sums it up: "It’s an intellectual challenge that keeps him eager to return to his desk as his 11th decade begins."

The point for the rest of us? Most of us are not Nobel Prize winners. Most of us are also not blessed with the kind of genetic makeup that has obviously kept Marcus mentally sharp and relatively healthy into his 11th decade. But it is my personal belief — backed up by lots of science papers I have read — that most things in the human body work both ways.

While a sharp mind and a healthy body allow you to stay engaged and work late into life, staying engaged and working late into life will also keep your mind sharp and your body healthier.

In case you're wondering, sitting in a university office and pondering about electrons is not your only option. For example, recent research out of UC Davis just showed that engaging in volunteer work later in life is linked to lower odds of cognitive decline and dementia.

What's next? Marcus is back to work. “There are all sorts of developments in the laboratory and all sorts of new techniques that have been produced,” Marcus said at a symposium held in his honor on his birthday. “I have plenty of work to do, more than I can comfortably handle.” That might be a big reason why Marcus is still alive, smart, and active.