Long Covid, dementia and healthy ageing - topics that show how science can also have a direct effect on life. Sports scientists are developing training programs for people who suffer from Long Covid that help stabilize their energy levels, metabolism and nervous systems. There is also hope for dementia patients: some experts think a kind of ‘shock-wave’ therapy called transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) could improve mood and stabilize cognition, at least in the short term. Even if scientifically the method remains controversial and studies are ongoing. Doctoral candidate and researcher Verena Dzialas has a personal take on the neurodegenerative disease. Her grandfather suffered from it. She explains complex brain processes at a Science Slam. And in the South African community of Thulamela, over 500 centenarians might reveal the simple rules for living to a very advanced age: a simple diet, remaining active, support from a community and lots of serenity.