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I don't think theres much point to anti-aging if we can't understand what it even means for the brain to age. As children, we have billions of neurons more tha

I don't think theres much point to anti-aging if we can't understand what it even means for the brain to age. As children, we have billions of neurons more than we do when we reach adulthood and everyday after that we loose something like 10k neurons a day. Which is a scare because as people age, they become more rigid in general perspectives and beliefs. Its already hard enough bringing about change such as accepting gay people into our society and avoiding wars waged by old bitter people.

coldcode 12y ago
Please, this stupid stereotype has to die. People of all ages can be stupid and ignorant and pigheaded and whatever negative you want to throw out. If you read history this has always been the case. But the worst idiocy is thinking whatever age you are is superior to any other. You can find "proofs" by looking at some narrow slice of any age group to demonstrate whatever you think is true and I can show exactly the opposite with another. There is no way to lump an entire grouping of people and say they are all the same, young or old or whatever. I'm sorry people's attitudes aren't boolean they are floating point.
- closetnerd 12y ago
  You've seriously misunderstood what I was saying. Its not a matter of stupidity, its a matter or rigidity. As you mature, specially through puberty, you experiment with many different personalities. You gauge your environment and try to figure out the type of person that will be most successful in your environment. All of these personalities are represented by competing neural networks especially in your prefrontal cortex. But obviously exploring different personalities, characteristics, ambitions, and developing different interests has to slowly be focused and narrowed into something that you can pursue with full confidence. Biologically, this is one of the reasons that when you loose a neuron you don't ever get it back. And the growing age till just after puberty is the fasted period in which your brain sheds neurons that pertain to competing networks that don't pan out as well. There after, neuronal loss averages out to a steady constant but a rate which contributes to a fairly significant loss of the number of neurons for todays life expectancy. Now if it wasn't already immediately obvious to you, the number of neurons is very directly correlated with intelligence. It isn't the only factor but it definitely is a hugely important factor in terms of capacity of intelligence. > But the worst idiocy is thinking whatever age you are is superior to any other. I must say, that perhaps an even worse idiocy is when someone quickly reads something and responds brashly without actually bothering to think. It isn't a matter of superiority. Its a matter of evolution. Certain advantages rest with certain age groups. Yes is a fact that the capacity for a young adult absorb completely new material is very likely higher than someone of a much older senior. However, a much older senior has the advantage of experience which allows him her to gauge new material as something worth wasting time over. But as cultures evolve, as philosophies change, age (and by "age" I hope I've already made clear that I'm referring to effects of age on total neuronal loss) makes it difficult to change at the same pace. Do you think its just chance that a younger person brought up with the same strong cultural exposure as his/her equivalent senior end up having much easier time accepting new cultures, ideas, peoples? Just because you believe "people of all ages can be stupid and ignorant and pigheaded and whatever negative you want to throw out" doesn't address the serious problem of needing to understand how the brain ages. Its biological fact that neuronal cells, unlike other cells in your body, ARE NOT replaced by new neurons (though there is some evidence of very slow neurgensis in various parts of the brain). And its important for you to understand why that is because its servers a very important function. Biology didn't anticipate such long life expectancy on its discourse of evolution. > I'm sorry people's attitudes aren't boolean they are floating point. What on gods green earth are you on about there?

coldcode 12y ago

Please, this stupid stereotype has to die. People of all ages can be stupid and ignorant and pigheaded and whatever negative you want to throw out. If you read history this has always been the case. But the worst idiocy is thinking whatever age you are is superior to any other. You can find "proofs" by looking at some narrow slice of any age group to demonstrate whatever you think is true and I can show exactly the opposite with another. There is no way to lump an entire grouping of people and say they are all the same, young or old or whatever. I'm sorry people's attitudes aren't boolean they are floating point.

closetnerd 12y ago
You've seriously misunderstood what I was saying. Its not a matter of stupidity, its a matter or rigidity. As you mature, specially through puberty, you experiment with many different personalities. You gauge your environment and try to figure out the type of person that will be most successful in your environment. All of these personalities are represented by competing neural networks especially in your prefrontal cortex. But obviously exploring different personalities, characteristics, ambitions, and developing different interests has to slowly be focused and narrowed into something that you can pursue with full confidence. Biologically, this is one of the reasons that when you loose a neuron you don't ever get it back. And the growing age till just after puberty is the fasted period in which your brain sheds neurons that pertain to competing networks that don't pan out as well. There after, neuronal loss averages out to a steady constant but a rate which contributes to a fairly significant loss of the number of neurons for todays life expectancy. Now if it wasn't already immediately obvious to you, the number of neurons is very directly correlated with intelligence. It isn't the only factor but it definitely is a hugely important factor in terms of capacity of intelligence. > But the worst idiocy is thinking whatever age you are is superior to any other. I must say, that perhaps an even worse idiocy is when someone quickly reads something and responds brashly without actually bothering to think. It isn't a matter of superiority. Its a matter of evolution. Certain advantages rest with certain age groups. Yes is a fact that the capacity for a young adult absorb completely new material is very likely higher than someone of a much older senior. However, a much older senior has the advantage of experience which allows him her to gauge new material as something worth wasting time over. But as cultures evolve, as philosophies change, age (and by "age" I hope I've already made clear that I'm referring to effects of age on total neuronal loss) makes it difficult to change at the same pace. Do you think its just chance that a younger person brought up with the same strong cultural exposure as his/her equivalent senior end up having much easier time accepting new cultures, ideas, peoples? Just because you believe "people of all ages can be stupid and ignorant and pigheaded and whatever negative you want to throw out" doesn't address the serious problem of needing to understand how the brain ages. Its biological fact that neuronal cells, unlike other cells in your body, ARE NOT replaced by new neurons (though there is some evidence of very slow neurgensis in various parts of the brain). And its important for you to understand why that is because its servers a very important function. Biology didn't anticipate such long life expectancy on its discourse of evolution. > I'm sorry people's attitudes aren't boolean they are floating point. What on gods green earth are you on about there?