The science of the young ones.

Six famous faces, now in the latter years of their lives, are immersed in a 1970s environment as part of a social experiment to see if remembering their youth will make them behave mentally and physically as though they were younger. Overseeing the project are Michael Mosley and Ellen Langer. The participants include Liz Smith, Lionel Blair, Sylvia Syms, Kenneth Kendall, Derek Jameson and Dickie Bird - the results of the experiment are quite startling. The science behind the experiment is illustrated by a second independent series of experiments looking at 'priming' (the altering of one's mindset by external influences). All of the research shows that thinking younger, laughing and generally having an optimistic outlook can have very noticeable effects on mental and physical capabilities.