Brain research is exploding and there is a lot of good news. We used to think we lost brain cells and our minds slowly eroded away as we age. Now we know that while some cells are loss—we are born with excess capacity—that with some luck and good practices we can extend our brain health and get better at many tasks our entire lifetime. Young brains are better at some tasks, older brains are better at others, like the pattern recognition that leads to wisdom. Alzheimers and dementia are a fact, but so is aging wisdom and learning new skills at any age.
Topics:
- the basics of the brain: complexity that knows no bounds
- what practices seem to work: skill-building, new challenges and relationships that matter
- fun and work: passion and active learning; only certain TV and entertainment is useful
- the externals: community, friends, play, and purpose: the happiness and meaning factors.