What's his name again?

Excerpts from a recent article in The New York Times

Older Brain Really May Be Wiser Brain

When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brain power is declining. But a growing number of studies suggests that this assumption is often wrong. Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data from trying to sift through a clutter of information....
Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important....
Jacqui Smith, a professor of psychology and reserach professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, said there was a word for what results when the mind is able to assimilate data and put it in its proper place - wisdom.
"These findings are all very consistent with the context we're building on what wisdom is," she said. "If older people are taking in more information from a situation, and they're then able to combine it with their comparatively greater store of general knowledge, they're going to have a nice advantage."

Photo location: Baan Tumthong, Prachuabkhirikan province