AGNES Allows The Young To Experience Instant 'Aging'
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Most of us have at some point or another become impatient with a 'slow, bumbling' elderly adult or a grandparent 'moaning' about aches and pains. Would we be as dismissive, if we knew what they were going through?
Now, thanks to the AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System) suit developed by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Age Lab, we can all experience the plight of the elderly.
Thankfully, however, the transformation is not a result of an irreversible chemical reaction, but a temporary condition caused by different gadgets that are attached to the suit. To emulate slow movement and joint pain, two stretchy bands, restrict the legs from extending all the way. A special helmet with straps attaches to the spine and alters body posture, so that person can experience how it feels to walk around with a little stoop.
Special shoes restrict the gait by reducing hamstring flexibility. And that's not all - Wear the gloves that come with the suit, and you will realize why the elderly cannot lift things as deftly as a young person. To complete the experience, AGNES comes with special earphones that make it difficult to hear to hear really sharp or soft sounds.
While an AGNES experience is bound to emanate some sympathy for the elderly, that is not the primary purpose behind its creation. It has largely been invented so that designers and engineers can create safer crosswalks, stairs, accessible grocery aisles and so on - A very important consideration given that the elderly population in the US alone, is expected to exceed over 7.2 million, by the year 2030.
In addition, AGNES has been modeled after an adult who has led an extremely unhealthy life, hence projecting a senior citizen in the worst possible health condition. By doing so, the scientists are hoping to encourage today's youth to make better food choices and remain active, which in turn, will help them age better.
So, the next time you are feeling lazy or eating too much junk, be sure to reflect back on AGNES and, while 75 may seem like eons of years away, it will come by sooner than you think - Just ask your grandparents!
Resources: latimes.com, tested.com,odditycentral.com
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186 Comments
- Erin Sover 13 yearsKids always need to eat healthy. Why? Well, because many kids can eat to much junk food they can be in danger. Even if they feel like there hungry they can also just be thirsty to. They need to limit what they eat and put at least some water no pop, vegies no candy or any junk. You can still eat junk food like the things about candy and all that junk. Just try to limit the junk you eat and get some vegies in every day and it doesn't need to be that many healthy foods but just some.
- Nathan N.over 13 yearsEating too much will make you seem older without aging! ANGES made a suit that makes young adults, like your parents, feel as old as me or older! Eat well kids! Or slouch!
- Tanner B.over 13 yearsDon't eat too much junk food, young children. If you do, you'll regret it when you get my age. Also, get a strong body so that you don't get these cranky old joints when you get to be this old. Make friends so that your late years won't be lonely. Be nice to your doctor, because you'll have quite a few when you are my age!
- JO$H simon @wsomeover 13 yearsI think this is a great idea but I don't understand what it is about. Why are young people acting like an 1,000 year bozo. If this was disined to make people act old. Why are they being so crule to the young adults- teenagers. I didn,t mean to be so crule but I actully whould like to try the suit.
- Ella Z.over 13 yearsLittle boy, do not eat to muck junk food. What do you kids eat these days? Twinkies? Well if you eat to much of that then you will have trouble in you elderly years you will regret eating junk food. All you kids are lazy. You never want to go out and play. It is mostly because of the television. Wait, you kids say T.V., right? Well you need to go and stop eating junk food and get fit. If you do this now you will have better elderly years. I am helping you. You will not regret this.
- Grace S. @}--over 13 yearsWhen you are young you should always eat healthy and get enough exercise each day. If you don't, you might experience what elderly people are experiencing today. They walk slower and have a hard time picking heavier things slower. Everyday, eat fruit and vegetables. Exercise to stay healthy. You might regret it if you make a mistake when you are old.
- Camryn H.over 13 yearsMy grandma goes through a lot. Now I know why. Elderly people have a hard time doing things that seem so easy to us. For example, my grandma has a hard time getting in and out of the car. I thing AGNES is a great idea for teens and young adults because they will learn earlier in their life that it is important to stay active and healthy. AGNES is also a great idea because it will show you what it would be like to be an elderly. This article was unusual, interesting, but a very good idea to teach young people to stay active and healthy.
- Joe $.over 13 yearsIf you do not take care of yourself you will regret it. Like eating healthy foods everyday. Also exercise and be in shape. You will feel better when you move your body instead of watching tv everyday and other bad stuff. If you do that when your old you will feel like a million bucks.
- Aleixs Lover 13 yearsWow that is a awesome article! It had lot of information. I would tell many fifth grader to stay fit. Or not be lazy and eat the whole day instead be active and go outside. You will feel the air going threw your hair. While your outside you will lose wight. You will have lots of fun and if you stay home playing the computer and eat you will have but when you go to have to run the mile run you it will not want to run. Also if you keep eating you will gain weight and when you gain to much weight it is hard to lose. So be very health so you will not to anything like a wheelchair, or cane
- Estelle Brossardover 13 yearsI now know why grandparents struggle so much when they try to do things that we think are easy but the elderly thinks it is challenging. I would tell a fifth grader many things about how to keep yourself healthy. One thing I would tell them is that if you are sitting at home, watching TV and eating junk food, instead of doing that ride a bike or take a walk, if it was the winter they could go out and play in the snow. There are many wonderful things in the world that you can do. In a matter of moments the fifth grader will be an elderly. Stay healthy so you aren't in a wheel chair or using a walking stick at the age of 60. if you want to be a healthy person your whole life, you should start being healthy now!