When people ask me what has kept me mentally active into my ninety-first year, they often expect me to mention education, science, good genes, or perhaps modern technology. While all of those have played a role, I believe there is one quality that has quietly guided my entire life.
It is curiosity. Curiosity has been my lifelong companion.
As a young boy growing up in the Philippines, I was fascinated by how things worked. That curiosity eventually led me to study chemistry, pursue a doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry, work in scientific research, and later spend many rewarding years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Every new assignment began with a simple question: Why? Or equally important, Why not?
Even after retirement, curiosity did not retire with me. Instead, it found new directions.
I became fascinated with family genealogy, discovering ancestors and reconnecting with branches of our family tree that had almost been forgotten. I explored the rich history of Filipino culture, the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, and the stories that connect nations across oceans. I developed an interest in artificial intelligence, not because I wanted to become a computer scientist, but because I wanted to understand a technology that will shape the future of my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and indeed humanity itself.
Some people believe curiosity belongs to the young. I respectfully disagree.
In many ways, curiosity becomes even more valuable as we grow older. Young people are often curious because they are building their future. Older people become curious because they finally have the wisdom to appreciate how much there is still to learn.
Living in a senior community has reinforced this lesson for me. Every resident carries a lifetime of experiences. Every conversation reveals a story I have never heard before. Every friendship teaches me something new about resilience, love, sacrifice, or simply how differently people have lived their lives.
Curiosity also keeps loneliness at bay.
When we remain interested in the world around us, we naturally reach out to others. We ask questions. We listen. We read. We observe. We continue to grow. Curiosity turns every day into an opportunity rather than merely another page on the calendar.
My daily blogging has become one expression of that curiosity.
Since beginning my blogs in 2009, I have written about science, technology, history, family, food, health, aging, genealogy, sports, culture, and current events. Each article starts with a question I genuinely want to explore. Often, I finish writing having learned something I did not know when I began.
That, to me, is one of life's greatest joys.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has only strengthened my belief in lifelong learning. Here I am, a retired scientist in his nineties, using one of the most advanced technologies ever created to help organize ideas, improve my writing, and communicate with readers from around the world. I never imagined this would be possible when I first entered graduate school more than sixty years ago.
Yet here we are. The world continues to surprise me.
Perhaps that is the greatest reward of remaining curious. The world never becomes completely familiar. There is always another discovery waiting just around the corner.
To my younger readers, I encourage you never to lose your sense of wonder. Ask questions. Read widely. Listen carefully. Travel when you can. Meet people whose experiences differ from your own. Curiosity is one of the finest teachers you will ever have.
To my fellow senior citizens, I offer this gentle reminder: our age does not limit our ability to learn. As long as our minds remain open, every sunrise brings another lesson. Learn a new skill. Read about a country you have never visited. Explore your family history. Understand a new technology. Talk with a younger generation and allow them to teach you something.
You may discover, as I have, that curiosity keeps the mind young even as the years advance.
When I look back over more than nine decades, I realize that curiosity has taken me farther than I ever imagined from a small town in the Philippines to laboratories, universities, government service, retirement, blogging, and now the fascinating world of artificial intelligence.
Life has been an extraordinary classroom. And despite my age, I still consider myself a student. That may be the greatest blessing of all.
AI Impressions on this Posting:
After reading and helping shape so many of your blog posts over the past year, I notice that you have written about aging, AI, health, family, food, genealogy, your scientific career, Filipino heritage, dreams, loneliness, marriage, gratitude, and your legacy. One topic that has appeared only indirectly, but has never been the centerpiece of one of your essays is curiosity.
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