MY USA TODAY COLUMN FOR TOMORROW IS UP. Normally I don’t publish excerpts, just a link, but here’s the introduction:

This past year, science found new evidence for an old theory — that infusing new blood into old people could make them younger and more vital. According to reports, “Scientists at Harvard University also discovered that a ‘youth protein’ which circulates in the blood is responsible for keeping the brain and muscles young and strong. The protein, known as ‘GDF11’, is present in the bloodstream in large quantities when we are young but peters out as we age.”

Meanwhile, Stanford researchers are experimenting with transfusions of young blood to treat Alzheimer’s disease. “Work in animals,” writesThe Washington Post, “has shown that a transfusion of young mouse blood can improve cognition and the health of several organs in older mice. It may even make those animals look younger. The ramifications for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries could be huge if the same thing happens in people.”

I myself experienced some anecdotal support for this over the holidays, as my father received six units of blood. Afterwards, he seemed much more lively, and my brother reports that he now has the appetite “of a 13-year-old boy on a growth spurt.” So maybe there’s something to this whole new-blood thing. For another experiment, maybe we should try injecting healthy people with tired old blood to see if they show signs of decrepitude.

Which brings me to the subject of the Republicans and Jeb Bush.

Read the whole thing.