Top off Your Wardrobe

Charlie Chaplin fathered 8 children when he was 55 to 73 years old (courtesy: Wikipedia) It’s called “mutational load.” Doesn’t sound all that pleasant does it? And, it’s ascribed mainly to men. Now, in addition to mid-life crises and retirement, it’s something new to think about as you age. Boning up for my keynote speech on “The Reproductive Genetics of the Aging Male” for the American Society of Andrology this weekend, the drama of genetics, evolution and older fathers played out in my mind. Yes, the human male, my friends, is the main generator of mutations that drives our evolution. And the sheer number of mutations, that is the “load,” increases dramatically as men age. Imagine leaving a job so important for our continued success as a