There seems to be a fair amount of research into the benefits of Gossip.

Researchers at UC Berkeley have determined that water cooler chatter and idle office tattling can have stress-relieving benefits, provided it is the correct sort of gossip that is helpful to others and not demeaning.
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Kirsty at "Wren And Her Friends.blogspot.com" has found a great TED video which anyone in their 3rd act might enjoy looking at.

Within this generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy -- and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology. At TEDxWomen, Jane Fonda asks how we can think about this new phase of our lives.Get all the details on this Pssst Posters site...

I experienced many powerful moments while attending the Arts, Science and the Brain Conference last week in Toronto. The gathering, convened by Artssmarts, sought to engage participants in questions about how learning in the 21st century could be informed and enriched by current understandings of brain science. In particular, I was inspired by a focus on how the brain is affected by participation in artistic experiences, a focus which helped to frame the conference's perspective and approach.

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