The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain
6th Apr 2011; 13:00
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For many years, scientists thought that the human brain simply decayed over time and its dying cells led to memory slips, fuzzy logic, negative thinking, and even depression.
But new research from neuroscientists and psychologists suggests that, in fact, the brain reorganises, improves in important functions, and even helps us adopt a more optimistic outlook in middle age. Growth of white matter and brain connectors allow us to recognize patterns faster, make better judgments, and find unique solutions to problems.
Scientists call these traits cognitive expertise and they reach their highest levels in middle age.
Join the New York Times' health and science editor Barbara Strauch at the RSA as she reveals the latest research that shows that the middle-aged brain is more flexible, more capable and more surprisingly talented than previously thought.
Speaker: Barbara Strauch, health and medical science editor and deputy science editor at The New York Times.
Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #rsabrain
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