

The Talents of a Middle-Aged Brain - jedwhite
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/the-talents-of-a-middle-aged-brain/?src=me&ref=homepage

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grellas
In my own experience, as a brain matures, it does not really slow down in its
important functions but rather incurs occasional and seemingly inexplicable
lapses - the "foggy moments" associated with entering into middle age. Nothing
to do about them, since they are an inevitable part of aging. In my business,
I do complex and strategic analysis all day long in innumerable situations
involving often difficult problems and not once has any lapse of this type
affected anything that really counts (I am in my late 50s).

At the same time, there is a _quickness_ in grasping large volumes of factual
material when one is in his 30s or younger that does recede a bit in the 40s
and 50s and beyond. That is why learning a foreign language becomes harder as
one gets older - but, in that task, even a 12-year old has advantages over one
in his 20s. There are just certain phases of life in which the brain is like a
sponge and, if one is bright, all manner of detail can not only be pretty
quickly absorbed but made to _stick_.

The lesson here is not to take the quick-absorption phase of life for granted
and squander it - that is precisely the time to throw yourself into the deep
things of learning (in whatever field) and get the most out of them.

Beyond that, though, there is no need to fret. In almost every way, in my
experience, an older person is able to function "at a higher level" (to borrow
a sport metaphor) in terms of thinking and decision-making than is a younger
one. This may stem from other elements that supplement raw brain-power, such
as experience, wisdom, and maturity. Thus, in spite of the occasional lapses
and the loss of some of the old quickness, I would not trade my current mental
capacities for those I had at a younger age even if I could.

This piece makes excellent points about the importance of exercise and other
forms of mental stimulation being not only helpful but also indispensable to
staying sharp.

Therefore, as long as you have prepared yourself well when you are young, the
rest is a mere continuation of the old pattern, maybe not as vibrant but
nothing at all to be dismayed about (at least until dementia sets in!).

------
ams6110
As the owner of a middle-aged brain I think this is pretty much in line with
my own experiences. I've always been bad about remembering people's names, and
I don't think this has really gotten any worse over the years. My memory of
trivial or unimportant things has eroded a bit perhaps; I rationalize this as
my brain doing garbage collection.

On the other hand I do think that I'm better at what I do than at any time in
the past; I know more, I'm better at applying what I know; I know what
approaches are likely to work and which ones have more risk. I certainly have
not found that I "can't learn new things" though I am prone to being a bit
more skeptical of fads and more appreciative of the time-tested and proven.

~~~
stcredzero
"Time tested" -- I just realized how Mercedes could be advanced and stodgy at
the same time. Their strategy (of old, not sure if this still applies) was to
be years ahead in R&D so that they could _take their time_ introducing the new
thing. Their strategy was not to be the first. Their strategy was to be the
best developed.

I think that this could only work in a relatively mature industry, otherwise
giving up the first mover advantage would be too steep a cost to pay. Computer
hardware? Relatively mature. Desktop OS? Relatively mature. Mobile OS? Not
sure about that one.

EDIT: Another realization: You still get the first-mover advantage if you are
the first _decent_ implementation.

~~~
varaon
> Their strategy was not to be the first. Their strategy was to be the best
> developed.

This could apply to Apple too. Mp3 players and smartphone were not new
inventions when the iPod and iPhone were introduced, but the iPod and the
iPhone set a new standard for those devices. The iPod took a few iterations to
really stand out, but there was nothing that could compete with the iPhone at
the time it was introduced.

On the other hand, the iPad seems to be the first of a new class of
touchscreen devices. I'm referring to its size and its role as an
entertainment/web device, discounting tablet PCs and touchscreen media
players. Everyone is now scrambling to create a me-too device.

------
danh
"One of the most intriguing findings is that if you talk to people who
disagree with you, that helps your brain wake up and refine your arguments and
shake up the cognitive egg."

That strikes me as truth. And a very inconvenient one at that.

~~~
F_J_H
What the hell are you talking about?!? I don't think it is inconvenient at
all!

;-)

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stcredzero
Speaking from experience, yes I am stupider in terms of raw neuron-crunching.
However, with the benefit of experience, I tend to do fewer stupid things.
Still do more stupid things than I wish to.

------
pasbesoin
The book's author was interviewed for an hour on Wisconsin Public Radio, this
past Tuesday. (I haven't listened to it, yet.)

[http://wpr.org/kathleendunn/index.cfm?strDirection=Prev&...](http://wpr.org/kathleendunn/index.cfm?strDirection=Prev&dteShowDate=2010-04-28%2009%3A00%3A00)

The following day, the same show interviewed another researcher on the
differences between male and female brains particularly in children (it's less
than has been thought, per the researcher; IIRC enculturation makes up part of
the difference). I heard part of this one, which clued me in to the previous
day's interview.

[http://wpr.org/kathleendunn/index.cfm?strDirection=Prev&...](http://wpr.org/kathleendunn/index.cfm?strDirection=Prev&dteShowDate=2010-04-28%2022%3A00%3A00)

The (RealAudio -- sorry) streams are freely available. WPR members also have
the option of an MP3 download.

