From The Daily Mail (one of the British newspapers not owned or shuttered by octogenarian Rupert Murdoch):

Countless generations have relied on grandparents for childcare, emotional support and a helping hand.Now a theory claims that the older generation may have played a key role in the evolution of mankind.Fossil experts say the number of grandparents shot up dramatically 30,000 years ago as people started to live longer.With older people able to look after children, pass on knowledge and share in food gathering, our ancestors were able to spread around the world and develop farming, tools and civilisation.

I guess that would also argue against the "death panels" that ObamaCare would mandate...H/T: Science + Religion Today