Aging the Brain

Next time I forget an acquaintance's name, or walk into the kitchen and can't remember why, I'll click on this New York Times story and pat myself on the back. Evidently, according to recent studies, my brainpower is not declining. Instead, "the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit."

“It may be that distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing,” said Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard whose work was cited in the book. “It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind.”

It may be! Shelley H. Carson says so, at least.

Other studies find that a "reduced ability to filter and set priorities...could contribute to original thinking." Now all I need to do is find a positive spin for procrastination.

For more information see the NYT story, or read the book it describes, “Progress in Brain Research.”