The size of a cell’s nucleolus may reveal how long that cell, or even the organism that cell belongs to, will live. Over the past few years, researchers have been piecing together an unexpected link between aging and an organelle typically known as the cell’s ribosome factory (or perhaps just a blob in the middle of the nucleus). A May 17th review in the journal Trends in Cell Biology outlines the connections between the nucleolus and age-related pathways—such as those associated with dietary restriction or progeria.