3 ms·

The article mentions no correlation between shrinking volume and its effects on intelligence or working memory. I wouldn't jump to conclusions quite yet that yo

The article mentions no correlation between shrinking volume and its effects on intelligence or working memory. I wouldn't jump to conclusions quite yet that you are on a doomed path to being useless by 60. I'm always skeptical of anecdotal evidence, but the chart indicates that between the age of 25 and 41 I have a ~7% decrease in my volume. I've seen absolutely zero change in my mental abilities over that time, and at 41 I am operating at an even higher level than I ever have before in an extremely high pressure environment. What has changed in that time? I get physically tired more easily and staying up super late can mess with me for days afterwards. I've also noticed a slight decrease in performance when it comes to high speed adrenaline sports (which is demonstrated by some gnarly injuries in the last six years). Mentally though? Nothing.

Out_of_Characte 5y ago
I'm absolutely certain you're operating at a higher level of competence not despite your age but because of your age. experience makes life significantly easier. Studies have shown that older people excel at ignoring irrelevant information and stressors while young people have more trouble 'paying attention' Though the human mind/body is excellent at maintaining homeostasis which means you generally don't notice how incapacitated you are despite doing worse on general tests at certain conditions.
ekianjo 5y ago
> I'm always skeptical of anecdotal evidence, but the chart indicates that between the age of 25 and 41 I have a ~7% decrease in my volume. I've seen absolutely zero change in my mental abilities over that time, and at 41 I am operating at an even higher level than I ever have before in an extremely high pressure environment. It's because you have accumulated skills (life experience) over time, it's not just a matter of raw intelligence, it's all the additional structure that goes around it as you learn more and more tricks as you age, too. You can actually "increase in level" as you age rather than decline, at least for most of your typical working career.
bentcorner 5y ago
Personally I've felt the impact of age (mid 40's). Learning new stuff isn't too difficult, but remembering things has become more problematic as I've gotten older. I encounter the "tip of my tongue" problem more frequently than I used to. With recreation I play video games a lot and I feel a slight reduction in my reaction speed but otherwise I feel no other impact from my age. (Except maybe vision, but luckily that is easily corrected).

Out_of_Characte 5y ago

I'm absolutely certain you're operating at a higher level of competence not despite your age but because of your age. experience makes life significantly easier. Studies have shown that older people excel at ignoring irrelevant information and stressors while young people have more trouble 'paying attention' Though the human mind/body is excellent at maintaining homeostasis which means you generally don't notice how incapacitated you are despite doing worse on general tests at certain conditions.

ekianjo 5y ago

> I'm always skeptical of anecdotal evidence, but the chart indicates that between the age of 25 and 41 I have a ~7% decrease in my volume. I've seen absolutely zero change in my mental abilities over that time, and at 41 I am operating at an even higher level than I ever have before in an extremely high pressure environment. It's because you have accumulated skills (life experience) over time, it's not just a matter of raw intelligence, it's all the additional structure that goes around it as you learn more and more tricks as you age, too. You can actually "increase in level" as you age rather than decline, at least for most of your typical working career.

bentcorner 5y ago

Personally I've felt the impact of age (mid 40's). Learning new stuff isn't too difficult, but remembering things has become more problematic as I've gotten older. I encounter the "tip of my tongue" problem more frequently than I used to. With recreation I play video games a lot and I feel a slight reduction in my reaction speed but otherwise I feel no other impact from my age. (Except maybe vision, but luckily that is easily corrected).