Old dogs may truly be incapable of learning new tricks...

Whose parents and grandparents haven't warned them about filling up their brains with useful (and maybe inappropriate) information? This article suggests that we listen up. Researchers are investigating "silent" synapses that don't respond to chemical stimuli. When a new memory is made, these silent synapses are changed to active synapses. Silent synapses are more prevalent in younger people and are "used up" as we age. This theory is easily supported just by looking at an infant compared to an elderly person. Learning is so much easier and occurs quickly at a young age but starts to diminish as we age. My question is, if there is a limited number of these "silent" synapses, then is there a physical limit to how much information we can cram into our brains in a lifetime?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6172048.stm