Mathematics Achieves Longevity

You probably have been taught in school about the many benefits of Mathematics. I'd just like to mention a less obvious one.

Mathematicians usually enjoy long lives. We can always pick up a few well known figures and illustrate below:

Archimedes : 287B.C.-212B.C. (75)
Isaac Newton : 1643-1727 (84)
Galileo Galilei : 1564-1642 (78)
Albert Einstein : 1879-1955 (76)
Carl Gauss : 1777-1855 (78)
Johann Bernoulli : 1667-1748 (81)
Leonhard Euler : 1707-1783 (76)
Augustin Cauchy : 1789-1857 (68)
Pierre-Simon Laplace : 1749-1827 (78)
David Hilbert : 1862-1943 (81)
Chern Shiing-shen (陳省身) : 1911-2004 (93)
Huo Luogeng (華羅庚) : 1910-1985 (74)
Tsien Hseu-shen (錢學森) : 1911-2009 (98)

In 'The Longevity Bible' (2006) by Gary Small, sharpening the mind is considered as the first essential for extending life expectancy, together with other essentials like physical exercise, healthy diet, positive attitude, harmonious relationship, stress-free environment and appropriate medication etc. As the author put it, "Fix the brain first, the rest will follow." A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that frequent participation in mentally stimulating activities such as board games, cross word puzzles, sudoku and book reading lowers the risk for Alzheimer's disease (loss of memory and mental abilities usually associated with old age leading subsequently to death) by nearly one third. Hong Kong people have long been aware that playing mahjong avoids or reduces the chance of Alzheimer, although there is no formal study to substantiate. Mathematics is a much more mentally stimulating game. Frequent usages/exercises can achieve similar results, if not better. Most mathematicians work on Mathematics until their very last days, and enjoyed longevity as shown by observations above. Mathematics is indeed rewarding!