The aging brain resembles the creative brain in several ways. For instance, the aging brain is more distractible and somewhat more uninhibited than the younger brain. Aging brains score better on tests of crystallized IQ (creative brains use knowledge to make novel and original associations). These changes in the aging brain may make it ideally suited to accomplish work in a number of creative domains. So, instead of promoting retirement at age 65, perhaps we as a society should be promoting transition at age 65: transition into a creative field where our growing resource of individuals with aging brains can preserve their wisdom. Psychologist Lynn Hasher at the University of Toronto found that older participants were more distractible than their younger counterparts. This work, on aging and cognition, suggest that the aging brain is characterized by a broadening focus of attention.— psychologytoday.com