Passage: Yoda

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After attaining his fifteen minutes of fame in the world media, Yoda the dwarf mouse has passed away at an age comparable to 136 in humans.

I think that the press attention surrounding Yoda, by far outshining the human researcher managing the study, Dr. Richard Miller, illustrates just how on the money the Methuselah Mouse Prize is. People like mice. Mice - especially cute mice - can be media celebrities: spokesmice for aging and serious anti-aging research. Yoda probably did more for the public perception of aging research this year than everyone else I know put together.

It's a funny old world; here's to Yoda and many more like him. (With a final tip of the hat to Dr. Miller's very shrewd handling of the media. Kudos).