That's a good point. Maybe it's easier to inhabit a world someone else created!

Oh I'm sure, but wondered about ebooks on tablets, which have the same capability for internet. Does the story draw us in more when we're reading over writing so we're less likely to look for distractions? Reading definitely easier---requires less brain power to focus than writing.

I wonder if the internet is the factor there?

Wow! Practicing another language in your spare time. I'm impressed! But you're right---languages are great ways to keep the brain sharp. And yes, that's so true on reading vs computer work! Hmm. I'm curious now...wonder why that is?

Hi, Carol! I've heard about some of these studies, especially the one about producing new brain cells, which I know was a surprise to researchers. Nice to know that even with aging changes, we can still learn and grow. It just takes a little adjusting, similar to the changes we need to make physically as we age. The more we know! :O)

Thank you, Karen! You just made my day. :O)

In a study published this year, neuroscientists at Columbia University have demonstrated that the dentate gyrus, a sliver of tissue in the hippocampus, where memories are formed, continues to produce new brain cells. The youngest cells play a role in pattern separation - the brain's ability to distinguish between similar, yet different, contexts when forming memories.