Page 175 - (DK) How to be a GENIUS?

Older and wiser?
As you get older, you definitely know more
e
about the world and are able to make better
a
A t t i m es d u ri n g decisions. But once you pass the age of 25, you
ri
es
At times during
es
often become less able to learn new skills that
a
w
the growth of f
wt
ro
t h e g ro wt h o are not connected to the things you
u
n
b
a
b
y
b
o
rn
rn
an unborn baby,, already know. This may reflect the
a
n
y
fact that, in many people, the brain
e
e
e
h t t
ve
h
e
e
e
l
l
el
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
v
v
v
ve
v
v
v
p
p
p
p
p
p
s
t t the
the brain develops
the brain develo p s gr r aduall y l oses weig ht , mos tl y y
s
s
s
p
o
o
o
l
l
h
o
o
h
p
o
o
o
e
a
a
a
rai
ra
a
a
i
i
i
a
i
i
ra
b
b
b
b
brain
b
b
r
ra
r
b
b
r
e
e
d
e
e
e
dev
d
d
d
d
d
n
n
e
n
n
e
gradually loses weight, mostly
mos
ht
tl
through the loss of brain cells.
r
o
a
a t t h e ra t e o f But this mental declinne is not
r
at the rate of
p
an inevitable process.
el
er
ve
2 5 0 , 0 0 0 n erv c el ls
250,000 nerve cellsls
rve
rv
u
n
p

t
er
i
e
e.
per minute.
r
e
m
Use it or lose it
There is plenty of evidence that intellectual
challenges help slow down the decline of the
brain during old age. People such as musicians,
scientists, and political activists who keep working
well past normal retirement age often show very
few signs of mental aging until the last few
months of life. Solving problems may seem
like hard work, but
it probably keeps
your brain fit
and healthy.
Nelson Mandela
Structural failure
Some unlucky people suffer brain damage
in old age, or even younger. Some
may suffer a stroke, which cuts
off the blood supply to part
of the brain, causing some
of the brain tissue to die.
Others may get Alzheimer’s
disease, which makes brain
cells like these become
tangled up and stop
working, so sufferers can
no longer think properly. Damaged brain cell
173
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.