91É«ÇéƬ

As the birth of my third child approaches, I’ve become interested in vasectomy, so I was gripped by a new podcast episode on its history.

Alex Liddington-Cox (pictured), host of the (OMDB) podcast, interviewed vasectomy historian Georgia Grainger. Among her stories is the idea that vasectomies were once thought to have rejuvenating effects. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud had one to treat his jaw cancer, while poet W. B. Yeats hoped his would cure writer’s block.

Liddington-Cox also humorously recounts his own vasectomy – and his surprise at being told to masturbate 25 times afterwards to flush out any remaining sperm.

I also watched on Netflix, about global longevity hotspots. I loved seeing centenarians ride horses and play quoits in places like Japan, Greece and Costa Rica. They suggest that simple measures like eating wholefoods and staying physically and socially active may help you live longer.

Alice Klein

Reporter

Sydney, Australia