Online Learning: Health, Happiness and Longevityby Gabby Hyman For years now, scientists around the world have credited ongoing education as the key contributor to brain health, longevity and satisfaction among aging Americans. A busy mind rallies its owner to remain curious about life and engaged in social activities. Perhaps most importantly, a busy mind can contribute to building the fresh pathways in the brain that stave off some debilitating illnesses which plague the elderly.Some scientists believe that not only will ongoing learning keep the mind healthy, but the total number of years a person spends in formal education also contributes positively to long-term memory retention and cognitive ability. Researchers at the global policy think tank RAND Corporation say that while a lack of stress, a happy supportive family and lots of friends contribute to long life, education far outweighs all other factors.Columbia University researcher Adriana Lleras-Muney led a study that set out to answer the question, "Does education really help people live longer?" In comparing regions that 100 years ago mandated childhood education over those states with lesser requirements, Lleras-Muney found greater life expectancy in the areas where people stayed in school. A follow-up study at Princeton revealed that American men lived 8 percent longer lives with each additional year of schooling.Offer: Search for SchoolsCollege Degrees, Career Training Classes and Brain AerobicsA New England Journal of Medicine study has found that adults over age 75 who kept up with active reading (along with exercise and other self care) had significant success in warding off dementia.Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, cites healthy brain activity as a potent defense against illnesses like dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Small, the author of "The Longevity Bible," recommends activities he calls mental "cross-training" to engage the mind in a combination of play, healthy competition and knowledge building by means of studying, taking online courses, playing games or learning a new musical instrument.The brain is a living organism and, like other body organs and muscles, requires activity to remain in working order. Memory, in particular, is a frontal cortex activity that remains supple through active engagement in learning. The higher the level of education, reports Canadian researchers Mellanie V. Springer and Cheryl Grady, the "more likely the older adult is to recruit frontal regions."Broadband, Broad MindAnyone can keep their learning mind alive and well in the new millennium. The Alzheimer's Association today hosts "Maintain Your Brain" seminars where adults are encouraged to hook up with continuing education programs.Even homebound seniors are not condemned to a dull life of the mind. Consider the landmark 2006 Harris Poll that discovered 14 million American adults over the age of 65 were consistently online. The myth that education is wasted among the young is constantly dispelled in bits and bytes. Digital campuses, colleges, trade schools and adult continuing education programs inundate today's online education space. It may be true that campus-based learning builds social networks, but online learning builds brain circuitry. Students enrolled in today's online degree programs report that they're not isolated. Many online students extol the