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Brains Work Best At Age of 39

Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles are reporting that while some people may think "life begins at 40," all it seems to do is slow down. According to recent research, at age 39 our brain reaches its peak speed, and it's all downhill after that. "The loss of a fatty skin that coats the nerve cells, called neurons, during middle age causes the slowdown, experts say. The coating acts as insulation, similar to the plastic covering on an electrical cable, and allows for fast bursts of signals around the body and brain. When the sheath deteriorates, signals passing along the neurons in the brain slow down. This means reaction times in the body are slower too."

18 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Not a First Post by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm getting old...

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    1. Re:Not a First Post by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 3, Funny

      You have plenty of time, that '39' is in hexadecimal!

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    2. Re:Not a First Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Well at least now we know that Obama's brain works 25 years better than McCain's.

  2. Dick works best... by bloodninja · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...at age 18.

    I can't wait for the spam that will advertise me an 18 year old dick, a 39 year old brain, and a 65 year old bank account.

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    1. Re:Dick works best... by bloodninja · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Unfortunately the penis is optimally functional at age 18 ... if only we could somehow align these two."

      Obviously not, we are capable of thinking with one and not with the other at any given moment!

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    2. Re:Dick works best... by Yetihehe · · Score: 4, Funny

      Obviously not, we are capable of thinking with one and not with the other at any given moment!

      This explains why slashdoters are so smart.

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  3. Midlife crisis by bloodninja · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is probably what leads to a midlife crisis. One day you wake up smarter than you've ever been and go "holy shit, I've been a jackass all these years". Then you go and do something about it.

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    Return one hour later.
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  4. With three weeks to go until my 39th birthday.... by pez · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I have to say I expected a little more ;-)

  5. Oh no! by T.E.D. · · Score: 4, Funny

    Being 41, I was rather dismayed to see this article. Even more upsetting was the fact that I then proceeded to left click on it, rather than my ususal middle-click to open it in a tab.

    Oh no! It's starting already!

    1. Re:Oh no! by VeNoM0619 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Middle-clicking is becoming a new thing(?). You can middle click to open links in new tabs, middle click the tab to close the tab, that's just for web browsing. I have noticed that newer programs support new functions with middle clicking certain areas... I'm still waiting for support for an 8 button mouse though.

      Seriously, we have a 100+ key keyboard for the left hand, and 3 whole friggin buttons for my right hand? No wonder I started out life right handed and ended up becoming ambidextrous.

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  6. Re:Ahem ... by Capt+James+McCarthy · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... they base their result on a sample of 72 persons within an age range from 23 to 80.

    Science at its best.

    CC.

    They were the only ones in the hospital at the time.

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  7. Fatty skin? by Comboman · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The loss of a fatty skin that coats the nerve cells, called neurons, during middle age causes the slowdown, experts say.

    Loss of fatty skin? When I hit middle age, that's when I started getting fatty skin.

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  8. Re:FRAUD ALERT -- Slashdot pseudo-science by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

    So in a nutshell you're saying I'm not too old and slow to get a first post.

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  9. Re:Ahem ... by Chapter80 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... they base their result on a sample of 72 persons within an age range from 23 to 80.

    What do you expect? The researcher was in his 40's. He was much better a few years back...

  10. Re:FRAUD ALERT -- Slashdot pseudo-science by pseudorand · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe so, but I'm still planning on increasing my intake of bacon, fried chicken and greasy burgers, you know, just in case.

  11. Re:Guess I should quit playing Brain Age by Cornflake917 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not necessarily. It is more reason to NOT vote for McCain (as if there aren't enough already). Obama is also older than 39. We need to have a candidate who is exactly the minimum age of 35, that way we can vote him out his second term before his brain slows down!

  12. Re:...and they said.... by Bob-taro · · Score: 3, Funny

    - flexibility (ala gymanasts and skaters) peaks at 15 and ends around 25

    Flexiblity ENDS at 25? Is that some sort of pun? I never was very limber, but I'm over 40 and it's not like rigor mortis has set in yet.

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  13. the rest of the audience? by anilg · · Score: 2, Funny

    And for those that would not ask:

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